Automakers – COOPER GENERAL NEWS

Ford Motor Co. is showing a new 2021 Ford F-150 Pickup Truck at the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan on September 17, 2020.

Rebecca Cook | Reuters

DETROIT – Two great-great-grandchildren of Ford Motor founder Henry Ford have been appointed to the company’s board of directors, the automaker announced on Friday.

Alexandra Ford English, 33, is the daughter of Ford CEO Bill Ford. She is currently a director of corporate strategy for the company, responsible for strategic business, connectivity and digital networking plans.

Henry Ford III, 40, is the son of Ford board member Edsel B. Ford II, 72, who plans to step down from the board in May. Ford III is currently a Director in Ford Investor Relations.

Ford Motor Company announced today that Alexandra Ford English and Henry Ford III have been nominated for election to the company’s board of directors at its annual general meeting on May 13th.

Source: Ford Motor Co.

“I am delighted and proud to have a new generation of Ford family leaders who believe in serving the company and making sure it remains a successful and positive force in the world for years to come,” said Bill Ford in a statement.

The second seat on the open board would replace the former managing director of KPMG International, John Lechleiter (67), who, according to the company, decided not to stand for re-election in May.

Both English and Ford III will stand for election to the company’s board of directors at the annual general meeting on May 13th.

China’s decision late last year to require that most of the vehicles sold there be electric by 2035 is also crucial, as GM sells more cars in that country than in the US through its joint ventures. Great Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands have announced that they will ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2030.

GM has been talking about moving to zero-emission vehicles for about two years. In March last year, the modular battery technology was introduced, with which costs are to be reduced. A few months later, GM said it could reach a point where electric vehicles won’t cost more than gasoline-powered vehicles faster than previously expected.

Ms. Barra received support and input from an unexpected source – the Environmental Defense Fund, which had criticized GM in the past. The CEO shared a barbecue dinner with the group’s president, Fred Krupp, at a conference in 2015. Until last fall, they were in regular contact by phone and email.

“We were both optimistic that we could achieve common ground,” said Krupp.

In October, GM unveiled an electric Hummer pickup truck that had enough orders in one day to accommodate all of the trucks GM wanted to manufacture in the first year of the truck.

“That was another turning point,” said Parker, the chief sustainability officer. “It showed that consumers are really excited about owning electric vehicles.”

Just a few weeks later, Mr Biden was elected President-elect. And in December, GM met with its transition team, Parker said. “Our vision of an emission-free future fits very well with your vision and goals.”

At the same time, GM signed a pledge known as the Business Ambition for 1.5 Degrees to fight global warming. In early January, the company set the expected date for the electrical transition to be 2035, Parker said. On January 12th, Ms. Barra appeared at the Consumer Electronics Show explaining GM’s vision for a zero-exhaust future, but did not provide an exact date.