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Mulally will stay close to Ford after he steps down, plans to advise Fields [w/video]

Ford CEO Alan Mulally has less than a week left in his role of leading the Blue Oval before he hands off duties to Mark Fields on July 1. It doesn't look like Mulally is going to be shuffling off into his retirement anytime soon, though. The 68-year-old is being rather secretive about his next move, but he tells Bloomberg in a recent interview that he plans to stay close to Ford. Also, if Fields wants to ask for any advice, Mulally is happy to help.
Mulally took over at Ford in 2006 and led the company through a seriously rough patch in the auto industry. According to Bloomberg, he became famous or his Thursday meetings where executives were forced to deal with any problems before they could leave. Since announcing his retirement from Ford in May, Mulally has been insuring a smooth transition of power by traveling the world to all of company's major locations and saying goodbye to employees and dealers.
In terms of the future at Ford, Mulally doesn't predict any big changes in management style because the rest of the executive team is staying in place. He believes that Fields is going to maintain the processes already in place to keep things going. After all, it seems to be working. The company is predicting a return to profitability in Europe next year and is opening 88 new dealers in China. If the business could get its recalls under control, things could get even better.

Ford Focus PHEV on the way?

A refreshed Ford Focus is in the works and that means a few details are leaking out. Spy shots from last month indicated the Focus will have a gaping grille just like its "One Ford" global C-segment comrade, the Fiesta. While Ford is being quiet about it, the Focus could also be getting an "Energi" option, joining the C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi in Ford's plug-in hybrid family. The Focus will likely use technology originated in the C-Max Energi that combines a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor capable of a 20-mile range, according to Autoexpress. The pure electric Focus is expected to stay in the lineup despite its slow sales; its price range should be similar to what's on the market now. The third-generation Focus looked good enough to become the top-selling nameplate in the world in 2012. Some exterior changes to look for in the Euro-spec model at the Geneva Motor Show in March include a reshaped hood, front wing endplate and rear bumper. Interior spy shots have hinted at an updated dashboard design and a simplified, less cluttered control panel with updated climate controls. Under the hood, there are quite a few power options rumored to be available - a gasoline EcoBoost with up to 123 horsepower and two turbo-diesel TDCI options, a 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter mills that would produce between 94 hp and 161 hp. Then there are new 1.5-liter diesel and 1.5-liter EcoBoost gasoline variants that meet regulations in China, Brazil and Russia.

Ford adds 850 jobs to build 2015 F-150

Pickup trucks tend not to advance at quite the same pace as the rest of the industry. That's what makes the new Ford F-150 so remarkable, jettisoning its old steel construction in favor of aluminum. It's a game changer that Ford is betting big on, and in anticipation of surging demand, the Blue Oval automaker is adding 850 new jobs to put the thing together.
Those 850 new employees will be centered at Ford's Rouge complex in Michigan - with 300 at Dearborn Stamping, 50 more at Dearborn Diversified and 500 at the Dearborn Truck facility, the latter of which has already kicked off what Ford describes as "the largest manufacturing transformation in decades." Old manufacturing equipment is being replaced with the latest technologies, and even the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is undergoing a complete overhaul.
The new jobs come as part of the commitments Ford made to the UAW in 2011 to create 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States by 2015 - a number which Ford has already exceeded at 14,000. Over 4,000 of those are centered in southeastern Michigan.