“Pooling resources with market leaders”

Detlef Hell has been working in the automotive industry for nearly 30 years. At Ford, he has held various positions, including Manufacturing Finance Analyst, Process Engineer, and Cost Estimator. His extensive experience across technical and financial roles has provided him with a deep understanding of the industry’s evolving challenges and opportunities.

At the ChargeTec Conference, his keynote will focus on Ford’s evolving home charging strategy. He will highlight the benefits of a partnership approach — both for Ford and its customers — and explain how data-driven monitoring of energy services supports smarter, more efficient charging solutions.

ADT: What strategic value does Ford gain from building partnerships in the home energy ecosystem?

Hell: Ford strategically partners with local companies within the home energy ecosystem to achieve pan-European service coverage and enhance agility in response to market and regulatory changes. These collaborations enable economies of scale by pooling resources with market leaders, giving us cost and efficiency advantages. Furthermore, partnerships provide access to cutting-edge technologies and facilitate cooperative marketing activities to broadening market reach.

How is Ford preparing for the growing overlap between mobility and energy sectors?

We appreciate the potential and are proactively preparing for the growing overlap between mobility and energy sectors, because this will be beneficial for our customers as well. Important is to align vehicle technology with the requirements of the energy sector. This includes developing innovative business models that leverage the interfaces between vehicle manufacturers and energy providers, creating new revenue streams and service offerings. Supporting the development and actively influencing future industry standards is also a key focus, ensuring seamless interoperability with the energy ecosystem. Partnerships are being forged to maximize the utilization of vehicle batteries as integral components of the energy ecosystem, facilitating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities and optimizing energy storage solutions.

How does the Trump administration's tariff policy affect the business of an American car manufacturer?

I would like to refer you to our general statement on these developments in the first week of May. Ford welcomes and appreciates the recent decisions by President Trump, which will help mitigate the impact of tariffs on automakers, suppliers and consumers. We will continue to work closely with the administration in support of the president’s vision for a healthy and growing auto industry in America. Ford sees policies that encourage exports and ensure affordable supply chains to promote more domestic growth as essential. In the U.S. Ford has invested in innovation and manufacturing since our founding. Ford is #1 in U.S. vehicles assembled, #1 in hourly autoworkers employed and #1 in vehicles exported from the U.S. to other markets. In Europe, we have limited imports from other markets, and the majority of Ford vehicles sold in Europe are produced in Europe. Ford has been manufacturing in Europe for almost a century, and we will continue to make thoughtful choices to help protect our business and operations around the world.

Chargetec 2025

27-28 May 2025, SZ Munich Tower