[Ford terminates project to develop Tesla-like electronic brain] Ford Motor (F.N) terminated a plan to develop a next-generation electrical architecture (the brain of modern cars), which Ford executives once said was crucial to competing with electric vehicle pioneers such as Tesla, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Ford invested heavily in the system, known internally as FNV4 (Fully Connected Vehicle), to simplify vehicle software functions. The goal was to cut costs, improve quality and add profitable features to electric and gasoline-powered vehicles. The project was abandoned due to cost inflation and delays, sources said. A Ford spokesman said the company will apply lessons learned from developing FNV4 to existing software systems and will continue to focus on delivering advanced electrical architectures with the "Skunk Works" team.
