This text presents a "wild conspiracy theory" regarding Ford's strategy for addressing EV competition. The central idea is that Ford's CEO, Jim, might be intentionally misdirecting public perception by:
1. **Avoiding praising Tesla:** The theory suggests Jim was advised to stop praising Tesla to prevent potential Ford customers from checking out Tesla's "much better electric vehicles" and becoming Tesla customers instead.
2. **Praising Chinese EV companies:** This praise serves as a misdirection tactic. The rationale is that most Ford buyers "won't support a Chinese EV company anyway," and Chinese EVs are largely unavailable in the U.S., meaning Ford won't lose customers to them. Furthermore, praising an ostensibly strong but inaccessible "real competition" (Chinese EVs) makes Ford appear "unbiased and truthful" about its own standing, even if it's behind.
3. **American-Made Perception:** The text notes that Ford prides itself on being "very American-made," even though Tesla is "actually the most American automotive manufacturer by parts made in the US." This creates a contrast, where the theory suggests Ford might leverage the "China boogeyman" narrative to further its misdirection.
The speaker, while not the originator of the theory, finds it plausible, suggesting a "999 trillion percent chance" that this strategy is indeed what occurred.