At the risk of offending fans of Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift, I have a modest proposal for Ford CEO Jim Farley: Go global with that hot Maverick pickup.
You’ll need the right partner to pull it off — to design and build a true “world truck” that appeals to consumers in North America, Europe and, especially, in China, and can be priced affordably while still returning a reasonable profit.
That last part — affordability and profitability — is the key. It also implies the need for a Chinese partner, a concession already acknowledged by European companies like Stellantis (with Leapmotor) and Volkswagen (with Xpeng), who are leaning on their Chinese counterparts to share low-cost platform and battery technology, as well as rock-bottom supply-chain economics.
So what about a Ford/Great Wall collaboration?
Jim, you’re already is building a smart relationship with China’s’ CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker. A tieup with Great Wall Motor, China’s largest pickup manufacturer, would enable Ford to tap GWM’s expertise in compact trucks as well as gain access to its well-established supply chains in China.
Baoding-based GWM has been around for 40 years under the stewardship of the Wei family, originally building SUVs and pickups based loosely on the Beijing BJ212 utility vehicle.
GWM has been building pickups
and utility vehicles in China for 40 years
Over the years, it has offered Chinese buyers a range of sturdy, if somewhat nondescript vehicles with such names as Florid, Coolbear and — my favorite — Funky Cat.
The designs are slowly improving, along with the company’s technical acumen, particularly in electric vehicles and batteries. GWM now markets its gasoline, hybrid and electric models under multiple brands in China and dozens of export markets.
Great Wall Pao
Oddly, the company hasn’t been able to transfer its success at home to major markets like western Europe. But it has secured a valuable partnership with BMW to jointly develop and build the German automaker’s Mini EV in China, using battery packs supplied by Svolt, a GWM spinout.
Ford might consider a relationship similar to the BMW/GWM joint venture, Spotlight Automotive, with GWM overseeing production in China and Ford leading manufacturing in North America and Europe.
Such a partnership would enable Ford to offer future editions of the Maverick with a choice of ICE, HEV and BEV powertrains, depending on market demand.
Ford could borrow a page from
the Spotlight Automotive joint venture
One trick would be to figure out how to transfer key elements of GWM’s supply chain to overseas markets to help ease the burden of import tariffs.
On the plus side, GWM already has a dandy name that would suit its own version of the next-generation Maverick: The Great Wall King Kong Cannon.
I’m sure even Jonathan Swift couldn’t top that.
Great Wall King Kong Cannon
felixstrategy.com 
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