Ford is having its Kodak moment
Twenty five years ago I worked for Kodak on a campaign for a new hybrid digital camera called the Kodak Advantix Preview. The camera, was pitched as “the best of both worlds”—a digital screen for previewing and selecting shots combined with the benefits of film.
In reality it turned out to be the worst of both worlds. At the time I already owned a small digital camera and was never going back to film. Not having to pay for petrol—sorry, I meant film—was a game‑changer. Yes, the image resolution was a bit lower than the Kodak, but it was overall a better expereince. I wasn’t returning to film with my point‑and‑shoot camera. As for my larger ICE vehicle—sorry, I meant SLR camera, I planned to keep it for a few more years until DSLR technology improved. Which we all knew it quickly would.
The Kodak hybrid camera was a terrible idea; everyone knew the writing was on the wall for film cameras except Kodak’s board of directors. After building an empire on film technology, Kodak was incapable of imagining a future without it. Ford appears to be going through that very same process right now. A company that’s already 5+ years behind its competitors, when it comes to EVs, now thinks going back to film cameras—sorry, I meant petrol vehicles—is the future!(www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/15/ford-electric-vehicles-trump)
As the saying goes, “A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.” A company that invests in both old and new technology will always lose out to one that focuses solely on the future. It’s simple maths: they’ll be out‑innovated and out‑produced. This decision by Ford will inevitably set it back years and shrink its market share. 25% of Global EV sales in 2025 are electric. That market has gone for Ford and EV sales are predicted to grow further in 2026. Even if you think EVs aren’t good enough yet, it’s 100% certain they will replace ICE vehicles in the future because they are vastly more efficient.
What’s sad is that Ford had the perfect escape route for lower EV sales and profit. They could have blamed the regime change in Washington for the sales decline while continuing to push their global electrification agenda. Instead, they chose to scrap new factories and innovation, missing the chance to join the global leaders. That decision also looks poor from an ethical and climate‑action standpoint and will damage the brand’s global standing. Sticking with ICE vehicles was not a pragmatic strategy; it was a bad move that signals the end of the company. At least until the next bailout…
#Ford #EVs #EV #Electrification #Kodak