FORD'S DAVE FILIPE has some powerful choices to make

These are interesting days for those managing global propulsion portfolios, but Ford's powertrain lead says a smart team has him relishing the challenges.

Ford has always touted its “Power of Choice,” and when it comes to automotive powerplants, the industry is entering a new age of propulsion options. The wellspring of alternative powertrains entering the field - from mild- to plug-in hybrids; battery electrics to fuel cells; alternative fuels and downsized/boosted internal combustion engines - has made the role of managing a global engineering group significantly more complex.

With expanding solutions unfolding before him in real-time, Dave Filipe, Ford's global VP of powertrain engineering, has some powerful decisions to make, ones that will ultimately guide Ford's future product viability. Luckily for Filipe, he says he relishes the fertile engineering environment and the challenges facing his capable teams. “You could call it a challenge, but I love it,” Filipe said during a recent Automotive Engineering interview in his Dearborn office. “What other company is out there right now who has these clear strategies and who's willing to invest in its products, and uses its team to deliver that?”