The Differences in the Business Strategies of Tesla and Ford

Abstract

In a context of global energy crisis and environmental pollution, new energy vehicles (NEVs) are leading the transformation of the automotive industry. Traditional fuel vehicles (TFVs) are under severe transformation pressure [1]. This study was conducted on the example of Tesla (representative of NEV) and Ford (manufacturer of TFV Transforming) for a "quantitative environmental evaluation + SWOT + financial analysis" framework to explore the differences and advantages in the business strategies of the two companies. We use 2021-2023 data to compare standard environmental indicators (e.g., emissions per unit of carbon, energy consumption over the life cycle) and financial indicators (e.g., gross profit, asset sales) [2]. The results show that Tesla's unit carbon emissions are 52g CO₂/km, which is only 28% of Ford's (185g CO₂/km) — meaning Ford's carbon emissions per kilometer are nearly 3.6 times that of Tesla. And its total three-year profit margin (22.92%) is twice as high as Ford's (10.73%) [2] [3]. Pearson's analysis confirms a negative correlation between battery energy density and TFV sales (R = -0.568). The research provides scientific support to the changing environment of traditional car manufacturers and enriches the study of NEV-TFV industrial interactions. To achieve the goal, we used a hybrid framework (quantitative environmental evaluation, SWOT, financial analysis), analyzed 2021-2023 Tesla/Ford data, and verified NEV-TFV correlations via Pearson analysis.