Ford's business is going to look a lot different one day.

The auto giant has big plans to transform itself from a company that just sells cars to a company that touches all aspects of mobility.

Under the leadership of CEO Mark Fields, Ford has made big bets in autonomous tech, electric cars, and transportation services to move the company into this new era.

We recently had the chance to speak with Fields about the company's push into electric cars and how it plans to grow its transportation services. Here's his view on how his company and the larger auto industry will change.

Electric cars will dominate the market in just 15 years

Fields is serious about growing the company's electric products and is making big investments to prove it.

In 2015, Ford announced plans to spend some $4.5 billion by 2020 to offer 13 new electric-vehicle nameplates. Last week the company revealed seven of those vehicles it planned to launch, including an F-150 hybrid, a Mustang hybrid, and a fully electric SUV with a range of 300 miles per charge.

"Our view is that the industry offerings, 15 years from now, is that there is going to be more electrified offerings than there are internal combustion engines," Fields said. "So we want to build a reputation around that, we want to build our brand resonance around that. We want to be a leader in this area."

But just because Ford is making big investments in electrifying its lineup doesn't mean it is abandoning gas-powered vehicles.

"Fifteen years out, there's still going to be a lot of vehicles on the road that are internal combustion engines, and we are going to be there," Fields said. "We are going to be there for the best ones, giving customers what they want, but at the same time we also want to be there for electrification."

Ford's self-driving cars will be for everyone

Ford, along with just about every other major automaker, is making a push in autonomous tech.

But Ford has a more ambitious timeline than some of its competitors, with its first self-driving car for commercial use scheduled to be ready by 2021 with level-four autonomy, or the ability to operate without human intervention in a predefined area. For this reason, its design will not include a brake pedal, an accelerator, or a steering wheel. The vehicle will also be a hybrid and will roll out in some form of a ride-sharing or hailing service, Fields said.

Ford plans to launch the vehicle as part of a ride-sharing fleet instead of selling the car outright to consumers because the company wants to bring the technology to the masses while also creating new business opportunities, especially in urban areas.

View photos Mark Fields Quote More

"Our approach on autonomous vehicles is, we've had a history going back to our founder Henry Ford of democratizing technology," Fields said. "Not just making it for people who can afford luxury vehicles. And our approach is how do we take this technology and democratize it so that it becomes available for many, many people."

Ford has not yet revealed where its driverless cars for commercial use will roll out first, nor has the company said whether it plans to launch its own network for such a service. Fields said, however, that the company was open to partnering and that a ride-sharing or taxi-hailing service would make the most sense in urban areas.



"If you think about the markets, obviously in dense urban areas, autonomous vehicles will be prevalent, but maybe in suburban or rural areas it won't be," Fields said. "And guess what, that is where we have a lot of trucks, our vans, things of that nature, it's a really important business, and we want to continue to grow it and make sure it's vibrant."





Ford's business model is transforming

The rise of electric and autonomous cars has spurred Ford to rethink the way it does business.

"Our business model over many years has been about how many of the vehicles did we sell," Fields said. "Now, we are looking at the ecosystem around that and essentially it's looking at services and revenue, it's about looking beyond just the sale of the vehicle."

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