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DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is resuming construction on a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant that the company postponed two months ago during a strike by the United Auto Workers union. But the automaker says that due to slowing electric vehicle sales growth, it will scale back the factory size, cutting the number of planned jobs by about one third from 2,500 to 1,700. Ford put the plant, originally to cost $3.5b, on hold in late September as the union went on strike at targeted assembly plants run by Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis. Unlike the company's other battery plants that are joint ventures, the Marshall factory will be a fully owned Ford subsidiary staffed by Ford workers. But China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., or CATL, which is known for its lithium-iron-phosphate expertise, would supply technology, some equipment and workers.

Persons: —, Ford, Mark Truby, ”, Marshall Organizations: DETROIT, — Ford Motor Co, United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, EV, Amperex Technology, . Ltd Locations: Michigan, Marshall, Detroit

☆ Ford to scale back plans for $3.5 billion Michigan battery plant as EV demand disappoints, labor costs rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford CEO Jim Farley announces at a press conference that Ford Motor Company will be partnering with the worlds largest battery company, a China-based company called Contemporary Amperex Technology, to create an electric-vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, on February 13, 2023 in Romulus, Michigan. DETROIT – Ford Motor is scaling back plans for a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan as consumers move to electric vehicles more slowly than expected, labor costs rise and the company moves to cut costs. Ford executives including CEO Jim Farley and Chair Bill Ford initially announced the facility in February. Reductions at the Marshall, Michigan plant are part of Ford's plans announced last month to cut or delay about $12 billion in previously announced EV investments. The company will also postpone construction of another electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky.

Persons: Jim Farley, Bill Ford, Ford, Mark Truby Organizations: Ford Motor Company, Technology, Ford, Amperex Technology, U.S, Marshall Locations: China, Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , Michigan, DETROIT, Michigan, EVs, Kentucky

Ford said it would restart construction of the factory near Marshall, Michigan, after being paused two months ago. Ford is pushing for the U.S. Treasury Department to approve lithium-iron, or LFP, batteries made at the Michigan factory to qualify for Inflation Reduction Act EV subsidies. Ford now plans to cut the Michigan battery plant's capacity to 20 gigawatt hours and reduce hiring to 1,700 jobs. Ford said in October that it would cut future electric vehicle investments overall by $12 billion compared to previous plans. The company has previously postponed construction of a battery factory in Kentucky and another in Turkey.

Persons: Ford, CATL, Mark Truby, Truby, Joe White, Anil D'Silva Organizations: DETROIT, CATL, United Auto Workers, U.S . Treasury Department, Ford, Blue, Battery Park Michigan, Michigan, Thomson Locations: Michigan, U.S, Marshall , Michigan, Kentucky, Turkey

☆ Ford battery plant is back on track but scaled down
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ford has restarted work on an electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, but the plant will be smaller than was originally planned. Last month, Ford had laid off some workers building the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. By producing batteries in the United States, the plant should help Ford to take advantage of EV tax credits tied, in part, to domestic battery manufacturing. Ford is also building two battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. Ford has said it plans to be able to produce two million electric vehicles globally by late 2026.

Persons: CNN — Ford, Ford, ” Ford, General Motors, CATL Organizations: CNN, United Auto Workers, General, Ford Motor Co, Amperex Technology, SK Innovations Locations: Michigan, United States, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Korea

☆ Chinese electric car maker BYD is about to steal Tesla's crown. Here's why it's winning the race.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China is the world's electric vehicle leader, with 64% of total production and 59% of global EV sales in 2022, according to the World Economic Forum. One of its biggest EV producers, BYD , looks set to topple Tesla's position as the world's top seller of electric cars. AdvertisementCheaper EVsTesla sells just four cars – the Model S and Model 3 sedans, and the Model X and Model Y SUVs. Advertisement"2023 is set to be another banner year for China in terms of EV sales," the data company said. Seeing BYD overtake Tesla in the EV race may not bring any festive cheer for Elon Musk this holiday season.

Persons: Tesla, —, Tesla's, BYD, Elon, John Keeble, Seth Goldstein, that's, Goldstein, Teslas, Musk, Morgan Stanley, Lin Shanchuan, China's, Mazzocco, Morningstar's Goldstein, Stella Li Organizations: Service, Economic, EV, Elon Musk's, Yuan, Battery, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty, Tesla Beijing, Rho, Reuters, Bloomberg Locations: China, Shanghai, Washington ,, Fujian, Xinhua, Norway, America

☆ China's Li Auto says to start mass production of its first EV in Feb
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Staff members stand at the booth of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Li Auto, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Li Auto Inc FollowSHANGHAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Li Auto (2015.HK) said on Friday it will start mass production and delivery of its first pure electric car in February, as the up and coming Chinese automaker bets on fast charging technologies to solve range anxiety for EV users. The MEGA MPV will also be the first model to be produced at Li Auto's Beijing plant with a designed capacity of 100,000 units annually. Founded in 2015, Li Auto has been offering four extended range hybrid SUVs targeting family users. ($1 = 7.2441 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Auto, Tingshu Wang, Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Li Auto, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China

☆ BAIC unit applies for approval to build Xiaomi-branded EVs in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People clean the floor at the stall of the BAIC Group automobile maker at the IEEV New Energy Vehicles Exhibition in Beijing, China October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A unit of Beijing-based automaker BAIC Group <1958.HK> has applied to regulators for approval to build two Xiaomi-branded <1810.HK> electric vehicles (EVs), China's industry ministry website showed on Wednesday. The filing indicates that BAIC will be the manufacturer for these two models, even though Xiaomi has built a plant that can produce 200,000 EVs annually in Beijing. The new EVs will be built at a site that is the same address as the Xiaomi plant, China Business News reported. Both BAIC and Xiaomi did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the EV applications.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Xiaomi, ORV, Max, Lu Weibing, Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Mo Yelin, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: BAIC Group, New Energy Vehicles Exhibition, REUTERS, Rights, BAIC, HK, CATL's, Ministry of Industry, China Business News, STAR, Reuters, Tesla Inc, Lucid, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai

☆ E-Flight Challenge pitched a car against a plane -- and the car won
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Members of the E-Flight Challenge team lined up to watch the battery-powered airplane gracefully descend on the island of Norderney, just off the northwest coast of Germany. The long road ahead for electric aviationYou could say that the E-Flight Challenge takes its inspiration from the early days of aviation. The Elektra Trainer used in the E-Flight Challenge, for example, can carry a maximum of two people. Miquel RosIn this context, the E-flight Challenge served as an illustration of the challenges of electric flight – but also of its promise. The progress compared to just three years ago has been astonishing!” explains Morell Westermann, one of the E-Flight Challenge initiators.

Persons: Louis, Charles Lindbergh’s, Heart Aerospace –, –, Miquel Ros Italy’s Tecnam, China’s, Cuberg, ” Robin Riedel, Riedel, Norbert Werle, Tesla, Werle, ”, John Langford, Miquel Ros, Morell Westermann, Westermann Organizations: CNN, Lucid Motors Air, Louis Blériot’s, Channel, Heart Aerospace, United Airlines, Royce, Norwegian, Widerøe, Airbus, Boeing, Aerospace, McKinsey, Alamy, “ Aircraft, Lucid Motors Locations: Norderney, Germany, Gelnhausen, Frankfurt, Norway, Swedish, California, Berlin, The Virginia, “, Swiss

☆ Senator asks Treasury to bar Chinese battery firms, minerals from US EV tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Car miniature, "Electric vechicles (EVs)" words, U.S. and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Joe Manchin urged the U.S. Treasury on Monday to adopt the "strictest possible standards" to prevent Chinese-produced minerals or Chinese battery companies from winning electric vehicle tax credits. In 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act barring $7,500 in future consumer EV tax credits if any battery components are manufactured or assembled by a "foreign entity of concern." The foreign entity of concern rules come into effect in 2024 for completed batteries and 2025 for critical minerals used to produce them. A key decision in the guidance is whether Ford Motor Co's (F.N) deal to license the technology of Chinese battery manufacturer CATL (300750.SZ) for use in Ford-owned U.S. battery plants will meet the Treasury's standards to access the tax credits.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Manchin, Manchin, Janet Yellen, Ford, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, U.S . Treasury, Energy Committee, Treasury, Ford, Thomson Locations: China, Michigan

☆ The global EV market is set to hit a milestone in 2024. These battery stocks will stand out, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Its global penetration rate could hit the "important 20% threshold" next year — "heralding entry to the mass market" for the first time, it said. "This has major implications for battery makers," the bank wrote in a Nov. 1 note. But, it said, "We think leading battery makers can handle this challenge and believe concerns about oversupply are overdone." The bank said it prefers pure battery market leaders, given their cost-competitiveness and strong customer base. "[It] should all help to lock in its cost leadership, a critical factor needed to survive the mass market.

Persons: BEV, CATL Organizations: HSBC, Battery, Stock, LG Energy, Korean, CATL, EV, Samsung SDI, SDI, BMW, Audi

☆ This EV battery stock has potential double-digit gains ahead. UBS thinks it could even surge 100%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nomura has a price target of 315 yuan — for an upside of nearly 67% from Friday's close. Even after trimming their price target on the buy-rated stock, the analysts have a price target of 266 yuan — just over 40% upside from Friday's close. They have a price target of 284 yuan, or 50% upside from Friday's close. More products coming to market The company already has just over a third of the global EV battery market, with more products on the way, according to Counterpoint Research. Li Auto, which reported record deliveries in October that beat out Tesla , is launching its first purely battery-powered vehicle in December — with a new CATL battery called Qilin.

Persons: That's, Nomura, CATL, FactSet, Peter Richardson, Li Auto, Tesla, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Amperex Technology, BMW, Tesla, Union, HSBC, Revenue, VW, Mercedes, Benz, EV, Jefferies, Research, Chery, UBS Locations: Shenzhen, Friday's, EU, Thuringia, Hungary, —, Jiangxi

☆ Huawei launches its rival to Tesla’s Model S
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong/Beijing CNN —Huawei has launched a new electric vehicle (EV) that is designed to take on Elon Musk’s Tesla. The Chinese tech giant began taking preorders of the Luxeed S7, its first sedan, on Thursday. The S7’s 800-volt battery pack, the thinnest in the industry according to Yu, is made by Chinese EV battery giant CATL. A 15-minute charge will yield a driving range of 400 kilometers (249 miles), according to Yu, which surpasses the 347-kilometer range (about 216 miles) for Tesla’s Model S after a similar charging period. However, at the equivalent of $35,400, the S7 is much cheaper than the most basic Model S, which costs 698,900 yuan or $95,800 in China.

Persons: Elon Musk’s Tesla, Richard Yu, Mark Rainford, ”, ” Rainford, Yu, Rainford, Tesla, they’re Organizations: Beijing CNN, Huawei, Elon, Chery, YouTube, China, CNN, EV, Automotive Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai

☆ Exclusive: Geely's Zeekr edges closer to US IPO, to make filing public this week - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EV brand will publish its prospectus and its shares could start being traded on the bourse within weeks of the announcement, the sources said. Zeekr confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering last December, aiming to raise more than $1 billion, Reuters has reported. However, the company is likely to raise less than the targeted amount from the IPO, one of the sources said. It offers four EV models in China, with its 001 crossover priced from 269,000 yuan ($36,927.22) as its best-selling EV. ($1 = 7.2846 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Scott Murdoch in Sydney.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Zeekr, Zeekr confidentially, Didi, Amnon Shashua, Andy, Zhang Yan, Scott Murdoch, Kane Wu, Kim Coghill Organizations: bourse, underwriters, U.S, Reuters, Mobileye, Intel Corp, Tesla, Zhejiang Geely, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, New York, China, United States, Beijing, Zhejiang, Zeekr, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, Shanghai, Sydney, Hong Kong

☆ China's Sept industrial profits extend gains helped by policy support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gabriel Crossley/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms extended gains for a second month in September, adding to signs of a stabilising economy as the authorities launched a burst of supportive policy measures. For the first nine months, profits slid 9% from a year earlier, narrowing from a 11.7% decline in the first eight months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday. A fall in producer prices last month indicated that some industrial firms were still cutting prices to promote sales, putting a drag on overall industrial revenues and profits, Zhou said. The improvement in industrial profits is expected to sustain in the coming months, partly due to the lag effect in domestic macro pump-priming, he added. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.73 million) from their main operations.

Persons: Gabriel Crossley, Yu Weining, Zhou Maohua, Zhou, Pan Gongsheng, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: II, REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Graphics, NBS, China Everbright Bank, Thomson Locations: Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ 'An iPhone moment': Bernstein names global stocks to play the 'rapid growth' in battery tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

They said that over 200TWh of batteries will be required for the energy transition both in electric vehicles and energy storage. That breakthrough could arrive by 2027 with the commercialization of SSB batteries, Bernstein said. The firm added that they are set to have higher energy density, fast-charging capabilities and be "much safer" than liquid batteries. Batteries with higher energy density are required to reduce battery costs and increase the range of electric vehicles, Bernstein said. The asset management firm said established battery makers are likely to be the winners.

Persons: Bernstein, Neil Beveridge, CATL, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: South, LG Chem, Samsung SDI, CATL, Korean Locations: Korean

Expectations for persistently higher interest rates has led companies to alter plans as they eye 2024 warily. "EV demand next year could be lower than expectations," Lee Chang-sil, chief financial officer at South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) said on Wednesday, due to global economic uncertainty. GM on Tuesday said it would focus near-term EV efforts on meeting demand rather than hitting specific volume targets. If interest rates remain high or if they go even higher, it's that much harder for people to buy the car." Like many other industrial firms, carmakers hedge against commodity price swings, and with EV demand slowing, raw material prices have softened, including those used heavily in batteries.

Persons: Tesla, Aly, Lee Chang, Mary Barra, Elon Musk, Nidec, China's CATL, Ben Klayman, David Gaffen, Eric Onstad, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Honda, EV, sil, South, LG Energy, General Motors, GM, Investors, Tech, Cox Automotive, European Union, Volkswagen, Fastmarkets, CME, U.S, Ford, EVs, Victoria Waldersee, Thomson Locations: Tesla China, Shanghai, China, KS, United States, Mexico, Detroit, New York, London, Berlin

☆ China's led the EV race – but it may be running out of charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's been a clear winner in the global EV race so far: China. Ford CEO Jim Farley announcing its Michigan EV battery plant in February. Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesConcern about using Chinese battery technology reflects wider global concern about China's domination of the EV battery market, with governments starting to block Chinese investment into mines and factories. AdvertisementAdvertisementAustralia is the world's biggest producer of lithium, a key material for EV batteries, and a major producer of other rare earths. AdvertisementAdvertisementChina may have led the world in the EV race – but those days could well be numbered.

Persons: —, Bill Russo, Chrysler's, CATL, Ariel Cohen, there's, Shawn Fain, Ford, Jim Farley, Bill Pugliano, Jim Chalmers, Cohen, Morgan Stanley, Mazzocco, Bernstein, he's, Biden, it's, Ursula von der, Donald Trump Organizations: EV, European Union, Service, Economic, Financial, Ford, Council's Eurasia Center, of Foreign Relations, UAW, Reuters, Michigan EV, Minerals, Publishing, Center for Strategic, International Studies, South, Japan's Panasonic, European, Benz, Bloomberg, White Locations: China, America, Europe, South Korea, Michigan, Australia, India, Nanjing, Washington ,, Hungary

☆ EV battery firm CATL's Sept China market share slumps, bodes ill for Q3 results
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People walk past the booth of the battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. CATL reports quarterly results on Thursday, and investors will be on the look out for the extent the world's largest EV battery maker bore the brunt of the EV sales slowdown in China and rising pressure from automakers to cut battery prices. "This... is an incentive for CATL to offer some price cuts to secure its market share." CATL's setback also comes amid weakening EV sales in China that stoked an intense price war among automakers and a subsequent cost reduction pressure on battery firms and other suppliers. Shares in Shenzhen-listed CATL dropped 15% so far this year, lagging a 6% drop in broader market (.CSI300).

Persons: Aly, Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Miyoung Kim Organizations: Amperex Technology, ., Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Electric, EV, Citi, China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, HK, LSEG, Ford, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Michigan, U.S, Shenzhen

"The UAW is holding the deal hostage over battery plants," said Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley on Sept. 29. Since then, the union has not announced an agreement on battery plant issues with GM or the other automakers. Stellantis and Samsung SDI (006400.KS) have announced plans to build two EV battery plants in Kokomo, Indiana, employing up to 2,800 workers in total. Ford officials have not disclosed details of their proposals for battery plant wages or unionization. Yet, we are very open to working with them on a way forward on the battery plants," Ford executive Kumar Galhotra said on Oct. 12 of talks with the UAW.

Persons: Shawn Fain, bargainers, Jim Farley, Fain, Ultium, Joe Biden's, CATL, Tesla, Stellantis, haven't, Kumar Galhotra, Joe White, Nick Zieminski Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, UAW, Detroit, GM, Ultium, Tesla, Samsung SDI, Thomson Locations: Northeast Ohio, Detroit, U.S, Michigan, Belvidere , Illinois, KS, Kokomo , Indiana

☆ Posco-backed group invests in lithium technology startup EnergyX
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Ernest Scheyder | Thomson Reuters | Ernest Scheyder Is An Award-Winning Senior Correspondent Covering The Green Energy Transition | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Posco, which invests through those funds, will work with EnergyX to help its technology reach commercial production, the companies said. The companies declined to say how much of the EnergyX Series B that the consortium is funding. Reuters reported in April that the EnergyX Series B is being led by General Motors (GM.N). Allkem (AKE.AX), Livent (LTHM.N) and others produce lithium nearby. In addition to working with Posco, EnergyX is looking for Argentine brine deposits to purchase, Egan said, though he declined to be more specific.

Persons: Kim Hong, EnergyX, Jaeho Rhee, Posco's Sal, Teague Egan, Posco, Egan, China's CATL, Ernest Scheyder, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, South, Posco Holdings, EnergyX, Elohim Partners, IMM Investment, Reuters, General Motors, EnergyX's, GM, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, KS, Argentina, Oro, Argentina's Salta Province, Posco's, Posco, Chile, Bolivia, South

BEIJING (AP) — China's Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns. Called “One Belt, One Road” in Chinese, the Belt and Road Initiative started as a program for Chinese companies to build transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas funded by Chinese development bank loans. China became a major financer of development projects under BRI, on par with the World Bank. Chinese development banks provided money for the BRI projects as loans, and some governments have been unable to pay them back. Now, having learned the hard way through defaults, China development banks are pulling back.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, Xi, “, Alessia Amighini, Kevin Gallagher, Sri Lanka, Christoph Nedopil, Nedopil, Colleen Barry Organizations: BEIJING, Initiative, Silk, Italy, World Bank, Boston University Global Development Policy Center, U.S, Export, Import Bank of, Asia Institute, Griffith University, Associated Press Locations: Beijing, Africa, Asia, Latin America, China, Europe, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Italy, “ Italy, Sri Lankan, Zambia, Sri, Import Bank of China, Australia, BRI, Hungary, Milan

UAW President Shawn Fain has transformed the rituals of contract talks with General Motors(GM.N), Ford(F.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) into a high-stakes, made-for-media game. GM and Ford said Monday they were indefinitely laying off another 500 workers at four Midwestern plants, citing the impact of the walkouts. Analysts looking ahead to third-quarter financial results this month are starting to reckon the costs of what the UAW calls "Stand up strikes." Ford plans four EV battery plants in the U.S. - three under joint ventures with South Korean battery maker SK On(096770.KS). GM's joint venture battery plants also have separate status and GM has declined to include them in negotiations.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Mack Trucks, Ford, JP Morgan, Fain, Harley Shaiken, Mary Barra, Jim Farley, Farley, CATL, GM's, . Company bargainers, Joseph White, Ben Klayman, David Shepardson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, UAW, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volvo Group, GM, Chevrolet, University of California Berkley, automaker's, automaker's Michigan Assembly, SK, . Company, ”, Thomson Locations: Escalade, automaker's Michigan, U.S, Korean, Marshall , Michigan

☆ Ford CEO says UAW holding labor deal 'hostage' over fate of battery plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The UAW is holding the deal hostage over battery plants," Farley said, and claimed a "bad deal" could threaten financial viability of some U.S. vehicle production. On Monday, Ford said it had paused work on its $3.5 billion Marshall, Michigan battery plant that will use technology licensed from Chinese battery company CATL (300750.SZ), citing concerns about its ability to operate competitively. In 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) barring $7,500 in future consumer EV tax credits if any battery components are manufactured or assembled by a "foreign entity of concern." Ford is awaiting guidance to determine if batteries produced by the Marshall plant would meet the requirements. Republican lawmakers have been probing Ford's battery plant plan for months over concerns it could send U.S. tax subsidies to China and leave Ford dependent on Chinese technology.

Persons: Jim Farley, Rebecca Cook, Farley, Shawn Fain, Ford, Marshall, Janet Yellen, Jennifer Granholm, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Ford Motor, North American, REUTERS, Rights, Ford, United Auto Workers, U.S . Treasury, UAW, Energy, Republican, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Michigan, Marshall, China

☆ The world needs cheap electric cars. That spells trouble for Big Auto
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The world needs affordable EVs more than ever as electric cars will play a big role in hcelping countries cut planet-heating pollution. “When legacy [carmakers] talk about catching up to Tesla or catching up to the leading Chinese automakers, it’s difficult. It is by far the world’s biggest EV battery manufacturer and dominant in the supply and processing of many critical components needed to make the batteries. Global automakers have had little choice but to enter into joint ventures with Chinese EV and battery manufacturers. EU lawmakers have voiced concerns that government subsidies allow Chinese EV makers to keep prices artificially low, creating unfair competition for European rivals.

Persons: Henry Ford’s, carmaking, Jeff Kowalsky, ”, Gene Munster, Tesla, — Tesla, —, Patrick Hummel, Krisztian Bocsi, Ford, “ It’s, ” Dan Ives, Bill Pugliano, Daniel Röska, Bernstein, China …, Marco Rubio, “ They’re, Bill Ford, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Organizations: London CNN —, Ford Motor Company, Toyota, Volkswagen, United, Getty, Deepwater Asset Management, Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche, Chrysler, Jeep, Ford, General Motors, International Energy Agency, Honda, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, BMW —, Investment, UBS, EV, Atlas Public, VW, Bloomberg, Reuters, Twitter, Stellantis, Wedbush Securities, CNN, United Auto Workers, Refining, Global, Republican, European Union, EU, Jato Dynamics Locations: Europe, United States, Dearborn , Michigan, AFP, China, Japan, South Korea, Asia, US, Germany, ” Munster, Munster, Lansing , Michigan, Michigan, Beijing, America

☆ GM reportedly slammed Ford over its plan to use Chinese battery technology in EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Hayley Peterson | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

General Motors and Ford appear to be feuding over the use of Chinese battery technology in electric cars. AdvertisementAdvertisementGeneral Motors and Ford appear to be at odds over the use of Chinese battery technology in electric cars. It's not clear yet whether that means Ford's use of Chinese battery tech will disqualify some of its cars. China at the bargaining tableFord halted construction on a new battery plant in Michigan this week as Republican lawmakers apply more scrutiny to the company's ties to a Chinese battery maker. When Ford announced the $3.5 billion EV battery plant earlier this year, the company said it would be contracting battery technology from China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., or CATL.

Persons: —, Mary Barra, GM's, Jim Farley, Biden, what's, We're Ford, Chris Smith, Ford, GM didn't, T.R, Reid, Shawn Fain, Fain Organizations: Motors, Ford, GM, Service, Wall Street Journal, Ford Motor, EVs, Amperex Technology, . Ltd, Bloomberg, United Auto Workers, Detroit, UAW Locations: China, America, Michigan, Marshall , Michigan, Dearborn , Michigan

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