{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Retooling Mobility Businesses with Voltava Executive Director of Operations Craig Leek","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/retooling-mobility-businesses-with-voltava-executive-director-of-operations-craig-leek","audioUrl":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/365924/2612269/the-mobility-table/2026_03_09_13_55_11_a2172537-a1bb-41c5-a62f-e9c14139f21d.mp3","description":"Craig Leek joined Jeannine and Bernard at The Mobility Table to discuss how companies are retooling and adapting to the growing shift towards electrification across the mobility industry, along with the limitations, challenges and successes that come with the transition. Craig Leek is the Executive Director of Operations for Voltava (formerly Detroit Manufacturing Systems), where he oversees Ford operations. Craig has more than 40 years of experience in the automotive sector, including over three decades at Ford. "},"annotations":[{"startTime":178.6,"endTime":182.0,"type":"concept","title":"electrification","url":"/glossary/electrification","quote":"And I feel like right now with this transformation that's happening with electrification, automation, you know, that is a once in a century, maybe opportunity to capitalize on,","canonicalId":"concept:electrification","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Electrification refers to the automotive industry's shift from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains, including hybrid and fully electric vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"Electrification means cars are changing from using gas engines to using electric batteries and motors."}},{"startTime":180.0,"endTime":183.4,"type":"concept","title":"automation","url":"/glossary/automation","quote":"with this transformation that's happening with electrification, automation, you know, that is a once in a century, maybe opportunity to capitalize on,","canonicalId":"concept:automation","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Automation in automotive refers to the use of technology to enable vehicles to operate with reduced or no human input, such as advanced driver assistance systems and self-driving cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Automation means cars can drive themselves or help the driver by using computers and sensors."}},{"startTime":212.0,"endTime":217.0,"type":"concept","title":"vertical integration","url":"/glossary/vertical-integration","quote":"we had the base laboratories doing ground research all the way up through manufacturing, that full vertical integration, you know, that's just not how the world works,","canonicalId":"concept:vertical-integration","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Vertical integration is a business model where a company controls multiple stages of production, from research and development through manufacturing and distribution.","simplifiedExplanation":"Vertical integration means one company does many steps of making and selling a product instead of relying on others."}},{"startTime":230.0,"endTime":235.0,"type":"concept","title":"mobility sectors","url":"/glossary/mobility-sectors","quote":"And what does it look like when we then go out and start serving some of the other mobility sectors, you know, boating, you know, aviation,","canonicalId":"concept:mobility-sectors","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Mobility sectors refer to different modes of transportation including automotive, boating, aviation, and others.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mobility sectors are different ways people and goods move around, like cars, boats, and planes."}},{"startTime":285.2,"endTime":288.5,"type":"brand","title":"General Motors","url":"/glossary/general-motors","quote":"we're still the home of Ford. 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So it's still manufacturing, still contract manufacturing for Big Three, but we'll be taking on additional customers.","canonicalId":"concept:big-three","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The 'Big Three' refers to the three major American automotive manufacturers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formerly FCA). They dominate much of the US auto industry.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Big Three are the three biggest car companies in America: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. They make a lot of cars and trucks."}},{"startTime":877.5,"endTime":884.8,"type":"concept","title":"contract manufacturing","url":"/glossary/contract-manufacturing","quote":"Okay. So it's still manufacturing, still contract manufacturing for Big Three, but we'll be taking on additional customers.","canonicalId":"concept:contract-manufacturing","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Contract manufacturing is when a company produces goods on behalf of another company, often specializing in certain parts or assemblies rather than complete products.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sometimes, one company makes parts or products for another company instead of making their own. This is called contract manufacturing."}},{"startTime":884.8,"endTime":892.2,"type":"brand","title":"Ford Motor Company","url":"/glossary/ford-motor-company","quote":"We currently have a large footprint with Ford Motor Company as we do interior. And you're still going to be taking, you're taking a tremendous leadership role there with Ford.","canonicalId":"brand:ford-motor-company","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Ford Motor Company is one of the largest and oldest American automotive manufacturers, known for producing a wide range of vehicles including trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Ford is a big company that makes many kinds of cars and trucks that you might see on the road every day."}},{"startTime":1039.1,"endTime":1045.8,"type":"term","title":"retooling","url":"/glossary/retooling","quote":"When we think about electrification specifically in retooling, as that's the theme, I'll give you an example. 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It is often used for work, daily driving, and recreational purposes.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Ford F-150 is a big truck that many people use for work or driving around. It's very popular and can carry heavy loads or tow things.","imageAttribution":"UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1045.8,"endTime":1054.0,"type":"term","title":"instrument panels","url":"/glossary/instrument-panels","quote":"...we retooled from the Ford F-150, which we make the instrument panels for as well as the center council.","canonicalId":"term:instrument-panels","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Instrument panels refer to the dashboard area in a vehicle that houses gauges, controls, and displays providing the driver with important information about the vehicle's status and operation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Instrument panels are the part in front of the driver that shows things like speed, fuel, and other important info about the car."}},{"startTime":1053.96,"endTime":1063.56,"type":"car","title":"Ford F-150 Lightning","url":"/cars/ford/f-150-lightning","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/2022_Ford_F-150_Lightning_Rear.jpg","quote":"We retooled a all-new hybrid line that is going to build the Ford Lightning, which is an all-electric Ford Lightning.","canonicalId":"car:ford:f-150-lightning","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Ford Lightning is an all-electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, representing Ford's move into electric vehicles with a focus on combining traditional truck capabilities with electric power.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Ford Lightning is a new electric truck made by Ford. 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So we're talking about kind of a robotic way of delivering things to the supply line, which I love. And this is a great example of a legacy Detroit company evolving, doing things in the world class leading ways. And AGVs are not new, but how they are implemented for their flexibility, that's what we're moving towards.","canonicalId":"concept:automated-ground-vehicles","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Automated Ground Vehicles (AGVs) are robotic vehicles used in manufacturing and logistics to transport materials without human intervention, increasing efficiency and flexibility in production lines.","simplifiedExplanation":"Automated Ground Vehicles are robots that move things around in factories by themselves, helping workers get parts where they need to go faster and easier."}},{"startTime":1194.1,"endTime":1208.6,"type":"term","title":"range anxiety","url":"/glossary/range-anxiety","quote":"But it wasn't so much about the tariffs either. You know, there's range anxiety and things like that as people are trying to adopt electrification. 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