Could Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) be mulling an entry into the Robotaxi race? CEO Jim Farley, during the automaker’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call, hinted at the possibility.
Jim Farley’s Cryptic Response
During Ford’s earnings call, Farley was asked about whether the automaker had any plans for Robotaxis with companies like Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) investing heavily in the sector. Farley shared that Robotaxis are something that Ford has been “watching carefully as it evolves.”
He then outlined Ford’s Argo AI efforts in the past. Argo is a now-defunct autonomous driving technology enterprise that was backed by the Detroit-based automaker. “We kind of knew from Argo what to look for as robotaxis,” and the self-driving systems “became more proficient,” Farley said.
However, the CEO then shared that Ford was focused on lowering the cost of ownership, as well as developing efficient EVs in North America, but he also outlined that Ford’s Pro business has strengthened the automaker’s fleet management skills. The capabilities “can be applied to all sorts of different fleets…and I think that’s all we’re prepared to say at this point,” Farley said.
Ford’s Universal EV Platform, Model E Rejig
Farley has touted the automaker’s Universal EV Platform as the crucial element in its plans for the future, as well as the key to help offset Chinese influence in the global auto market. However, Ford has had to incur billions of dollars in charges related to EVs.
Despite this, the automaker is developing EVs as it recently rejigged its Model E division, which would now be integrated into the Product Creation and Industrialization department led by Ford’s Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra. Ford’s EV chief, Doug Field, also departed his role following the announcement.
It’s worth noting that the division would also focus on self-driving goals via a “rapid rollout of BlueCruise and the Ford Digital Experience,” the automaker had said, as well as outlining that the rejig would provide a path toward "future Level 3 autonomous driving.”
Ford’s Earnings Highlights
Ford reported strong earnings with EPS of 66 cents per share, which beat the market consensus of 19 cents per share. Ford’s quarterly revenue was $39.82 billion, exceeding the analyst consensus of $38.91 billion. However, the company’s Model E department reported a first-quarter EBIT loss of $777 million.
Elon Musk’s Cybercab Production Timeline
The Robotaxi sector in the U.S. involves multiple stakeholders, like Alphabet Inc.-backed (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo, which recently reached the 500,000 autonomous rides per week milestone and operates in multiple cities across the U.S., as well as Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA).
While the EV maker’s rollout of its Robotaxi service isn’t as widespread as Waymo’s, Tesla’s Cybercab, which recently entered production at the Gigafactory in Texas, could help boost its Robotaxi exploits.
However, questions remain about the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and its capabilities, which Musk admitted needed improvement during the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call.
Benzinga Edge Rankings show that Ford provides satisfactory Momentum and a favorable price trend in the Long Term.
Price Action: F declined 1.23% to $12.09 during overnight trading.
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