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Labor painsAfter a “summer of strikes” last year that stretched from Detroit to Hollywood, unions are on a roll, flexing their growing might. Friday will bring a new test of that power as workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee vote on whether to join the United Automobile Workers. Victory there would mark perhaps the first time a foreign carmaker’s U.S. plant became unionized and form a beachhead for organized labor in the anti-union South. But it could also resonate well beyond the car industry as President Biden cultivates labor in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. A yes vote would be a big win for the U.A.W.

Persons: ”, Biden, Shawn Fain, they’ve Organizations: Volkswagen, United Automobile Workers, Big, Detroit carmakers, Toyota, Tesla, Automotive News Locations: Detroit, Hollywood, Tennessee, U.S, Michigan, Pennsylvania

☆ Ford F-150 Lightning shipments price drops correction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Automotive News released its report on Ford's goal-based incentives on April 4. A previous version of this article misstated the date.

Organizations: Automotive

☆ Fisker shares halted as EV company navigates uncertain future
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Shares of Fisker, a California-based electric vehicle startup, were halted Monday. Its sole product, the Fisker Ocean electric SUV, was produced in Austria under contract by third-party manufacturer Magna Steyr. Last year, 10,000 SUVs were produced but, in its earnings report, the company said only about half had been delivered to customers. The video was titled, “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed.”“Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean,” reads the video’s description. But, besides its own quality issues, Fisker had to deal with much greater competition from established automakers than had existed when the company was established.

Persons: Fisker’s, Fisker, Henrik Fisker, Marques Brownlee, ” Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Nissan, Magna Steyr, Mercedes, BMW, EV, American YouTube, Consumer, Automotive News, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, General Motors Locations: California, Alaska, Austria, Ohio, American

☆ Hybrids are more popular than ever as shoppers cool on EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fewer new-car shoppers are considering EVs for their next vehicle, according to JD Power, with shoppers citing a lack of access to charging infrastructure as a main reason for ruling out EVs. Brands that have leaned into hybrids saw better sales results in February. "Hybrids are just rockin,'" Toyota Motor North America's sales chief David Christ told Automotive News after it released its sales results last week. The Toyota RAV4 SUV is one of the more popular hybrids on dealer lots. Among American brands, Ford notched a 31.5% increase in hybrid sales, as these vehicles lured more new customers to the Blue Oval.

Persons: —, Power, David Christ, Ford, Jim Baumbick Organizations: Service, Tesla, Business, Brands, Toyota, Automotive, Blue, Ford

☆ Ford sales jump 10.5% in February, led by gains in hybrids and EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor's U.S. sales jumped 10.5% last month compared with February 2023, led by increases in its hybrid and all-electric vehicles sales. The Detroit automaker Monday reported sales of 174,192 cars and trucks for February. The company said hybrid sales totaled 12,045 in February, including 6,463 units of its small Maverick Hybrid pickup. Despite the increases in hybrids and EVs, 89.5% of Ford's sales last month were traditional cars and trucks in February. Ford reported total year-to-date sales through February were 311,325 units, a 6.6% increase compared with the same time period a year earlier.

Persons: DETROIT –, Jim Farley Organizations: Ford Motor Co, Washington Auto, Washington , D.C, DETROIT, DETROIT – Ford Motor's, Detroit, Ford, Automotive News, Rivals General Motors, Stellantis, CNBC PRO Locations: Washington ,

☆ Ford stopped shipping F-150 Lightning electric pickups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ford stopped shipping its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickups and has been holding them for quality inspections since February 9. Ford recently began shipping new 2024 model year F-150 gasoline-powered and hybrid trucks. Ford dealers currently have F-150 Lightning trucks in their inventory, Berg said, so customers should be able to find trucks to buy until shipments start again. Almost exactly one year ago, Ford halted Lightning production because of a possible battery issue. Last year, Ford sold slightly more than 40,000 Mach-E SUVs.

Persons: CNN — Ford, Emma Bergg, Ford, Berg, Jim Farley Organizations: CNN, Ford, Automotive News, Tesla Locations: America

☆ Hertz dumping 20,000 EVs is a warning to electric-car owners everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Graham Rapier | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The car-rental firm said it's selling 20,000 EVs — about one-third of its electric fleet of Teslas, Volvos, Polestars, and more — partly due to repair and maintenance costs. AdvertisementIt's also a warning about the cost of EV ownership to drivers thinking about switching from gas to electric. Mitchell, which supplies data for insurance and repair companies, has found EVs — and particularly Teslas — are more expensive than gas-powered cars to repair. Among all EVs, Tesla's Model 3 has the best resale value, falling by only 42.9% in five years.

Persons: Hertz, —, Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley, It's, Jonas, Mitchell, Kelley, Power, iSeeCars Organizations: EV, Service, Automotive, Energy Innovation, Insurance, quicken Locations: West Coast

But if the UAW can reach a tentative agreement with Ford, it would be used as a model to seek similar contract settlements with GM and Stellantis. Typically, during past auto strikes, a UAW deal with one automaker has led the other companies to match it with their own settlements. About 32% of the union’s 146,000 members at the automakers are now on strike and getting by on $500 per week in strike pay. The UAW also wants traditional defined-benefit pension plans restored for workers who were hired after 2007, an end to varying tiers of wages for UAW workers, pension increases for retirees and other benefits. One key issue is whether to extend the national UAW contract to 11 U.S. electric vehicle battery factories.

Persons: Ford, Shawn Fain, ’, Todd Dunn, “ I've, ” Dunn, “, Dunn, he's, ” Masters, Mary Barra, Wayne State's Masters, It's Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Ford, Detroit, General Motors, UAW, GM, Kentucky, Plant, Ford's, Bloomberg News, Automotive, Marick, Wayne State University, Workers, Toyota, Moody's Investor Service Locations: Arlington , Texas, Sterling Heights , Michigan, Louisville, Detroit, Korean, Texas

☆ CarMax just promoted a longtime employee to CMO. She tells Insider how she went from search analyst to marketing chief.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

CarMax just promoted its long-time employee and VP of marketing Sarah Lane to the role of CMO and SVP. Lane started as a search analyst at the company at the age of 22 and in the early aughts, when the company was in only a handful of markets. "We haven't permeated culture in the way that brands today want to and need to, to have that lasting legacy," Lane told Insider. I want to be the only place to consider when you buy a used car." She's also monitoring the United Auto Workers strikes to figure out how they could potentially drive more demand to the used car market.

Persons: CarMax, Sarah Lane, Lane, Jim Lyski, Candace Parker, Sue Bird, Steph Curry, Usain Bolt —, we've, Joseph Kunkel Organizations: Automotive News, Circuit, National Women's Soccer League, WNBA, United Auto Workers, CMO Locations: CarMax

☆ Striking auto workers want a 40% pay increase—the same rate their CEOs' pay grew in recent years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The union proposed 40% hourly pay increases over the next four years. Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley earned $21 million in total compensation last year, the Detroit News reported. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares made $24.8 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. And GM CEO Mary Barra earned nearly $29 million in 2022 pay, Automotive News reported. CEO pay at the Big Three has grown 40% in the last decade, according to EPI — in line with the UAW's demands for 40% pay increases for autoworkers.

Persons: Autoworker, Jim Farley, Carlos Tavares, Mary Barra, Josh Bivens, EPI, Shawn Fain, Ford, Barra Organizations: United Auto Workers, Detroit, Ford, GM, CNBC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CBS, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Automotive News, NPR, autoworkers, UAW

☆ US auto labor talks intensify near strike deadline
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Talks between the Detroit Three automakers and United Auto Workers union are nearing a Thursday night deadline to reach a deal on a new contract before a potential walkout by 146,000 U.S. autoworkers. Coordinated strikes would mark the first-ever simultaneous labor stoppage at all three Detroit automakers and one of the largest U.S. industrial labor actions in recent years. LAST DAYS BEFORE DEADLINEThe UAW on Friday had rejected revised offers from Stellantis, General Motors (GM.N) and Ford Motor (F.N). GM said Tuesday CEO Mary Barra decided not to attend Business Roundtable meetings in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday because of the labor talks. "She changed her plans in order to stay close to the labor negotiations process," GM spokesperson Jeannine Ginivan said.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Shawn Fain, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Fain, We've, Bernie Sanders, Mark Reuss, Mary Barra, Barra, Jeannine Ginivan, Stellantis, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Nick Zieminski, Deepa Babington Organizations: UAW, General Motors Detroit, Hamtramck, REUTERS, Rights, Detroit Three, United Auto Workers, autoworkers, General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Detroit, Anderson Economic Group, GM, Ford, CNN, Automotive, Business, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hamtramck , Michigan, U.S, Stellantis, Michigan, Detroit, Washington

DETROIT (AP) — Leaders of the United Auto Workers union are considering targeted strikes at a small number of factories run by each of Detroit's three automakers if they can't reach contract agreements by a Thursday night deadline. At the Tuesday meeting, Fain didn't say whether the union would target vehicle assembly plants or component factories, one of the people said. Strikes at parts plants could force production halts at multiple assembly factories. The union and companies have said they’re willing to talk in an effort to work out deals before the deadline. Yet there was optimism on both sides that they still could reach reach deals before the deadline.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, Ford, “ We’ve, Mark Reuss, ” Reuss, it’s Organizations: DETROIT, —, United Auto Workers, UAW, General Motors, Stellantis, Automotive, U.S, Labor, GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Locations: Detroit, Stellantis, Korean

☆ Mike Colias — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mike ColiasMike Colias is a reporter based in The Wall Street Journal’s Detroit bureau, where he covers the automotive industry, including General Motors. His stories explore the auto industry’s massive and messy transition to electric vehicles, self-driving cars and other technologies with the potential to reshape how people get around. He writes frequently about GM and other major car companies navigating change, from EVs and in-car tech to supply-chain challenges and a shifting auto-retail model. Mike joined the Journal from trade publication Automotive News, where he spent several years covering GM. Before that, he covered healthcare at Crain’s Chicago Business and worked as a business reporter at the Associated Press in Chicago.

Persons: Mike Colias Mike Colias, Mike Organizations: General Motors, Automotive, Crain’s Chicago Business, Associated Press Locations: Detroit, EVs, Chicago

☆ China's auto workers bear the brunt of price war as fallout widens
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Millions of auto workers and suppliers in China are feeling the heat as an electric vehicle price war forces carmakers to shave costs anywhere they can. State-run China Automotive News estimates there are over 100,000 auto suppliers in the country. Suppliers typically negotiate prices once a year, but many have been pressed to lower prices on a quarterly basis in 2023, two senior executives at auto suppliers said. And in June, a group of small suppliers wrote to state-owned Changan Automobile to push back against 10% price reductions. Three months later, he told Reuters that price cuts had been more aggressive in 2023 than in previous years.

Persons: Aly, Mike Chen, Chen, carmakers, Tesla, George Magnus, Elon Musk, Mike Chen's, Li Auto, Liu, Changan Automobile's, Chen Yudong, They've, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, David Clarke Organizations: SAIC Volkswagen, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai, SAIC, Volkswagen, VW, Oxford University's China, China Passenger Car Association, Tesla, GM, HK, Changan Automobile, Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota, Hyundai, China Automotive, Automobile, EV, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, China's, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hefei, Chongqing, Chery's, Qingdao

☆ How Ford, GM auto dealers are thinking about Detroit's EV transition and their future
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

If consumers are to be sold on the mass adoption of battery-powered electric vehicles, car dealers are going to be essential to the pitch. But she expects more Ford dealers will opt in at a future date, once they observe a meaningful consumer shift to EVs. "Despite significant increases in EV sales in 2023, dealers are largely skeptical about the OEM's timeframes on the EV rollout," Kerrigan said. A dealer in Santa Monica may decide more quickly, "I need to be all-in on EVs," Maas said. It also caps their total EV sales at 25% of inventory.

Persons: Robb Hernandez, Hernandez, Brian Maas, Maas, EVs, Kerrigan, Ford, Erin Kerrigan, Kelley, BEV, Dealers, Jim Farley, Farley, Tesla, Tesla's, Ford's Organizations: Ford, Bloomberg, Getty, EV, GM, Camino Real Chevrolet, Car Dealers, California Air Resources Board, Kerrigan Advisors, Toyota, ICE, CNBC, Auto Locations: Colma , California, Monterey Park, Calif, California, U.S, Santa Monica, EVs, Eureka

☆ GM will introduce an all-electric Cadillac Escalade 'IQ' later this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

GM's first all-electric Cadillac Escalade will be called the "Escalade IQ," which continues Cadillac's EV naming strategy that so far includes the Lyriq crossover and upcoming Celestiq ultra-luxury sedan. DETROIT – General Motors on Monday confirmed plans to introduce an all-electric version of its flagship Cadillac Escalade later this year. An electric Escalade was expected, as the company plans to fully convert Cadillac into an electric vehicle brand by 2030. The Cadillac Escalade IQ is anticipated to utilize GM's Ultium battery cells, motors and technologies, which the automaker is using to power and underpin its next-generation EVs. But just because it's called an Escalade doesn't necessarily mean it'll be identical to the brand's iconic internal combustion engine-powered SUV.

☆ Ford to invest $1.3 billion to build EV manufacturing hub in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor will invest 1.8 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.3 billion) in its Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, to transition the facility into a new electric vehicle hub, the automaker said Tuesday. The plant, which will be renamed the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex, will build the company's next-generation EVs that are expected to arrive to market around mid-decade. The retooling is expected to take six months and begin in the second quarter of next year, Ford said. Ford declined to disclose the plant's expected production capacity or how many electric vehicle models the retooled facility will build. The Oakville plant will continue to build the gas-powered Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers up until the plant's downtime next year.

☆ Ford hikes F-150 Lightning's price again to battle high costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A model of the all-new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup is parked in front of the Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca CookMarch 30 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) has raised the base price of its popular F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck again, the automaker's website showed on Thursday, the latest in a series of price hikes aimed at offsetting high costs. The base variant of Ford's electric F-150 truck now starts at $59,974, excluding shipping and taxes, up nearly 50% from its starting price when launched last year. The Detroit automaker resumed production of the F-150 Lightning earlier this month after recalling 18 electric trucks due to a battery-cell manufacturing defect. A week earlier, Ford said its electric-vehicle business unit was expected to lose $3 billion this year, but remained on track to achieve a pretax margin of 8% by late 2026.

☆ The cheapest electric Ford F-150 now costs $20,000 more than it did a year ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tim Levin | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ford has raised prices on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup again. The cheapest Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup now costs a whopping $59,974 — $20,000 more than it did when it first hit the market a year ago. In October, Ford raised prices by another $5,000, making the Pro cost $51,974. The latest price hikes also bring the mid-level Lariat model's starting price up by $1,500 to $75,974. Ford's move could be good news for Chevrolet, whose Silverado electric truck is supposed to start at around $39,000 when it becomes available in the summer of 2024.

☆ Ford hikes prices on its F-150 Lightning as production resumes after EV battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford Motor said that it has resumed full production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup following a February battery fire — and that it's once again raising prices on the popular truck. Ford said the standard-range Lightning Pro, a lower-cost version of the truck optimized for fleet use, will now start at just under $60,000, not including shipping. Ford also raised the price of the mid-level Lariat trim with standard-range battery from about $74,500 to just under $76,000. News of the price increases and the resumption of Lightning production was first reported by Automotive News. Ford has raised Lightning prices several times since it first announced the truck's pricing in 2021.

☆ Ford halts F-150 EV production, deliveries after battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The Lightning logo is seen on the side of an all-new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck outside the Ford Motor World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S., April 26, 2022. REUTERS/ Rebecca CookWASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Wednesday said the suspension of production of its F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) will last until at least the end of next week after a battery fire involving one of the vehicles earlier in the month. The company said it halted production the next day at its assembly plant in Dearborn. The automaker on Tuesday said it had halted production and deliveries, and on Wednesday gave further details. Ford said it will continue to hold "already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and process updates."

☆ Car buyers frustrated with inventory shortages should head to a Ford or GM dealer
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In January, dealers were sitting on 37 days' supply, with about 21 days for cars and 41 days for trucks, according to a Deutsche Bank note Thursday. The domestic automakers had higher days' supply than others, with Ford at 60 days, GM at 52 days, and Stellantis (the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the French PSA Group) at 68 days, per Deutsche Bank. Even with inventory improvements, car-buyers need to look out for high interest rates and loan payments. Kekyalyaynen / Shutterstock.comBeware high interest rates and loan paymentsJust because there are available vehicles, that doesn't mean demand for cars is waning. Some automakers' loan payments are much higher than others, pricing buyers out of the market.

☆ Mercedes-Benz says it has achieved Level 3 automation, which requires less driver input, surpassing the self-driving capabilities of Tesla and other major US automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mercedes-Benz announced it will introduce its Level 3 autonomous driving system in Nevada. Unlike a Level 2 system, which requires constant supervision from the driver as the vehicle steers and accelerates, Level 3 automation gives drivers more leeway. When The Drive's test pilot put a camera in front of his face, Mercedes's autonomous driving system disengaged. Some critics have also accused the company of misleading its customers by calling the company's autonomous driving system "Full Self-Driving." Spokespersons for Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and SAE did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Electric car-makers have found a legal loophole to get their customers an extra $7,500 tax credit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The commercial EV credit comes with way fewer requirements that are far less difficult to achieve — and it could be a clever workaround for the passenger vehicle space. Finding a workaroundThe commercial credit was designed to incentivize commercial fleets to electrify. Lucid vehicles don't qualify for the new EV credit given they are priced at higher than the MSRP cap requirements. If an EV is eligible for the new tax credit through a vehicle purchase, it cannot take the credit if leased. If an EV is only eligible for the commercial tax credit through a lease, it cannot take a credit if purchased.

☆ Why GM's new Chevy Corvette is a hybrid and not an all-electric car
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Detroit automaker had discontinued all hybrids, including plug-in hybrids, to focus investment on all-electric vehicles. So why make a hybrid Corvette? 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid sports car GMThe C8 features an exclusive Corvette engine and architecture. The hybrid system was specifically designed for the eighth-generation Corvette, according to Harlan Charles, Chevrolet Corvette product marketing manager. 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid sports car GM

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