Ford plans “dramatic reductions” in product complexity – exec

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co plans “dramatic reductions” in the complexity of its product lineup starting in the 2024 model year, Jim Baumbick, the automakers product development chief, said Wednesday at a conference hosted by Bank of America.

At the same time, Ford plans to develop more variations of certain model lines, such as the Bronco SUV, because they offer 30% or greater profit margins compared to the base model, Baumbick said.

Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley has said the automakers product lineup and vehicle architectures are too complex and too costly. Ford is driving to cut billions from operating costs after 2022 profits fell short of investor expectations.

“On Bronco, we are never going to let our foot off the pedal,” Baumbick said.

Ford is also “rushing to add capacity” to build more Maverick compact pickup trucks, he said.

(Reporting By Joe White)