HACKETT ON…

When autonomous cars will arrive “It will be a progressive thing, just like computers. If you’re thinking about a vehicle that can drive anywhere, in any circumstance, it’ll arrive much later than 2021. Every manufacturer will tell you that.”

How autonomous cars will work “It’s not going to replace the station wagon. The AV [autonomous vehicle] will do things the station wagon can’t – not just drive itself, but other things.”

Adapting technology to customers’ needs “The technology has to shape itself around the market’s needs. Customers don’t want to rise upside down just because it’s possible…”

Leadership in the tech game “We don’t intend to cede the future to anybody.”

Ford’s next technology steps “I have some things that are going to be coming out in the autumn. I’m a huge proponent of setting a healthy balance between thinking and doing.”

Ford’s new London base “London is one of Europe’s biggest mega-cities, and one of the most progressive in its openness to new ideas and new partners.”

The importance of fresh thinking “Ultimately, we must accept that the virtues that brought us success over the past century are no real guarantee of future success.”

Ditching old traditions “When you’re a long-lived company that has had success over multiple decades, the decision to change isn’t easy, either culturally or operationally.”