Ford CEO Jim Farley is facing backlash after publicly sharing he’s been driving an electric vehicle (EV) from the Chinese brand Xiaomi for months. The comment, made during an appearance on the “Fully Charged” podcast, comes as Ford has emphasized its commitment to American manufacturing, calling their EV lineup “proudly American made.”
“I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi,” Farley said. “We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now and I don’t want to give it up.”
In 2021, the Trump administration blacklisted Xiaomi for alleged ties to the Chinese military. However, this designation was later lifted under the Biden administration following a legal challenge from Xiaomi.
The American Energy Institute has voiced its criticism over Farley’s decision to drive a Xiaomi electric vehicle. CEO Jason Isaac called it “a slap in the face to the thousands of hardworking employees at Ford.”
Isaac questioned the optics of a U.S. automaker’s chief executive selecting a Chinese-made EV instead of his own company’s models. He said it was significant in light of Ford’s significant federal funding to boost domestic production.
“At a time when Ford is receiving billions of dollars in subsidies from American taxpayers to support domestic EV production, it is deeply troubling that the company’s chief executive would choose a Chinese product over an American vehicle his own company manufactures,” Isaac said.
In response, Ford’s public relations team defended Farley’s decision. Officials said he regularly tests vehicles from competing brands as part of his role to better understand the EV market.
Farley took to social media to reiterate that he’s driven competitor models his “whole career” for this reason. Ford said its CEO’s primary personal vehicle remains the company’s own F-150 Lightning.
