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☆ Supersonic planes will replace conventional jets in our lifetime, says aviation CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It’s a milestone moment in the highly anticipated new era of supersonic travel. Now, 10 years after the Boom Supersonic project began in 2014, CEO Blake Scholl tells CNN Travel over video call, there are an exciting few months ahead. “The advent of digital engineering is a huge enabler for why supersonic flight’s coming back,” explains Scholl. Courtesy Boom Supersonic‘If we have faster airplanes, we don’t need as many’He also argues the case for other efficiencies offered by faster flight. Scholl says, “2024 is going to be one of the biggest years yet for supersonic flight.

Persons: Blake Scholl, ”, Scholl, “, Lockheed Martin’s, We’ve, “ There’s, it’s, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Mojave Air, Space, CNN Travel, ”, French Concorde, NASA, Lockheed, “, Concorde, SAF, American Airlines, United Airlines, Japan Airlines Locations: Colorado, California, Soviet, British, French, Atlanta, Concorde, Mojave , California, London, New York, Greensboro , North Carolina

☆ A startup wants to build the world's largest cargo plane big enough to carry wind turbines the size of a football field — take a look
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Radia, a Colorado-based startup, wants to build the world's largest cargo plane. Billed the WindRunner, the plane's sole purpose is to carry oversized wind turbine blades. Its sole purpose: to deliver giant wind turbine blades. A rendering visualizes one of the obstacles of transporting a large wind turbine blade by ground. WindRunner joins the lucrative oversized cargo marketRadia joins the niche network of aerospace companies manufacturing giant planes to carry over-sized cargo, like heavy machinery, military tanks, helicopters, and satellites.

Persons: —, Mark Lundstrom —, Radia Radia, Antonov, GLEB GARANICH, Radia, Mark Lundstrom, WindRunner, Ruslan, Jens Schlueter, Robert Sorbo Organizations: Service, MIT, Office of Energy, Renewable Energy, Boeing, Business, Russian, Getty, Aircraft, Airbus, Airbus Beluga Transport Locations: Colorado, Russia, Soviet, Radia, Ukrainian

More than two years later, only four states — Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Hawaii — have opened stations funded by the program. The Biden administration says the federal charging program is on track. The grants will fund 47 EV charging stations and related projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico, including 7,500 charging ports. But even some of the government’s own experts say 500,000 public chargers won’t be enough to meet Biden’s ambitious climate goals. The availability of charging stations is key to persuading Americans to buy EVs.

Persons: Liam Sawyer, Sawyer, ”, Joe Biden, Biden, Shailen Bhatt, “, ” Bhatt, “ We’re, ″, Gabe Klein, Bhatt, Tesla, Mike DeWine, DeWine, Preeti Choudhary, Loren McDonald, you’re, ” ___ Daly, John Organizations: —, Ford, Allegheny National Forest, Pilot Travel, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Democrat, Transportation, Walmart, Joint Office of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Alternative Fuels Data, Energy Department, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago ., Republican Gov, Ohio, Department of Transportation, Public Utilities Commission, “ Locations: Ohio, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, Columbus , Ohio, London , Ohio, — Ohio, New York , Pennsylvania, Hawaii, U.S, Maine , Vermont, Colorado, Puerto Rico, America, California, Washington, St, Detroit, AP.org

☆ Boom Supersonic just flew its test jet for the first time as it races to build the world's new speediest airliner — meet 'baby boom'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Colorado aerospace company Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator for the first time on Friday. Nicknamed the "baby boom," the jet tests technologies for Boom's future Mach 1.7 Overture airliner. AdvertisementColorado aerospace company Boom Supersonic wants to bring back the era of the Concorde — a beloved faster-than-sound passenger jet that flew for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2003. Nicknamed the "baby boom," the XB-1 demonstrator is the "foundation" for the futuristic Overture. Here's a closer look at the small but mighty baby boom.

Persons: —, Here's Organizations: Boom Supersonic, Service, Concorde Locations: Colorado

☆ Safety regulators probe Ford driver assist features after fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington DC CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it has opened an investigation into a recent Ford Mustang Mach-E fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas, where authorities suspect an advanced driver assistance system was in use. Driver assistance features are being hailed by automakers as a way to reduce accidents, but federal safety regulators are concerned that over-reliance on the features by drivers could be causing some accidents. While NHTSA has opened more than three dozen Tesla special crash investigations since 2016 where advanced driver assistance systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used with 20 crash deaths reported, this is NHTSA’s first special crash probe involving a Ford advanced system. NHTSA typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues. In addition to the NHTSA probe, on Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board opened a separate investigation into the Feb. 24 crash.

Persons: Jeffrey Allen Johnson, Austin, Ford, “, CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: Washington DC CNN, Traffic Safety Administration, Ford, NHTSA, National Transportation Safety, NTSB, San, Honda Locations: San Antonio , Texas, San Antonio

☆ Federal investigators look into crash of Mustang Mach-E equipped with driver assistance tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a fatal crash involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with advanced driving assistance technology. Ford shows off the new model 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT during the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Illinois on February 8, 2024. Federal investigators are looking at dozens of crashes involving so-called advanced driver assistance, or ADAS, systems. ADAS systems handle basic driving tasks such as keeping the vehicle in its lane while maintaining a safe distance behind vehicles ahead, usually in highway driving only. Fourteen of these systems, including two from Ford, were recently rated by the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Persons: Jacek Boczarski, Ford, IIHS, Jennifer Homendy Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety, Ford, of Highway Safety, NTSB, Chicago Auto, McCormick, Getty, NHTSA, Wall Street, Federal, General Motors, Volvo, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Locations: “, San Antonio, Chicago , Illinois, Anadolu, Ford, Texas

☆ VW is reviving a storied American brand to sell electric SUVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When Volkswagen decided to relaunch the Scout SUV brand it took a very unusual step. The revived and revamped Scout Motors will introduce its new brand of all-electric off-road-capable SUVs, kind of like Rivian. Buzz, an electric update of the classic hippie bus, VW is touching on nostalgia to reach a new generation of car buyers. VW came to own the trademark for the defunct brand in 2021 when it purchased Navistar, a successor company to International Harvester. Scout’s parent company, Volkswagen, is building its own EV battery plant in Canada and a battery engineering lab in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Persons: it’s, Oliver Blume, “ What’s, ”, Erin Keating, Scott Keogh, Dave Mondragon, who’s, they’ll, Keogh, ” Keogh, ” Keough, Chris Benjamin, isn’t, roader, Keating Organizations: CNN, Volkswagen, Scout, Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche, VW, ” Volkswagen Group, Cox Automotive, Harvester, International, Bentley, Lamborghini, North, Ford, P Global Mobility, Dealers, Scout Motors, US . Scout Motors, Volkswagen North, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Tesla Locations: United States, America, Volkswagen North America, Blythewood , South Carolina, South Carolina, Novi , Michigan, Canada, Chattanooga , Tennessee

DETROIT (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas, involving a Ford electric vehicle that may have been using a partially automated driving system. In a statement, Ford said it is researching the crash and the facts are not yet clear. The company expressed sympathy to those involved and said it reported the crash to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Both NHTSA and the NTSB have investigated multiple previous crashes involving partially automated driving systems, most involving Tesla's Autopilot. In past investigations, the NTSB has examined how the partially automated system functioned.

Persons: Ford Organizations: DETROIT, Transportation Safety, Ford, Highway, NTSB, Honda, U.S, National, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA Locations: San Antonio , Texas, Texas, U.S, Canada, San Antonio

☆ EV euphoria is dead. Automakers trumpet consumer choice for U.S. car shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty ImagesDETROIT — The buzz around electric vehicles is wearing off. U.S. EV sales were a record 1.2 million units last year, representing 7.6% of the overall national market, Cox Automotive estimates. "Moving on to less tech-savvy buyers will slow the EV market share growth over the next few years." Automakers wanted to emulate Tesla's success, with some promising to exclusively offer EVs in the not-too-distant future. "Toyota is almost completely absent from the [battery electric vehicle] market yet will gain more U.S. market share than any other car company this year.

Persons: hasn't, Andrew Merry, Aston Martin, Tesla, Elon Musk, Marin Gjaja, Ford, Pablo Di Si, Sam Fiorani, Romeo, Bentley, Mary Barra, there's, Cadillac, John Roth, We've, Gjaja, Jim Farley, Rebecca Cook, Oliver Blume, Akio Toyoda, Morgan Stanley, Adam Jonas, It's, Biden, Cox, Michelle Krebs, EVs, Trisha Jung Organizations: DETROIT, EV, Ford Motor, General Motors, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Rover, CNBC, GM, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Toyota Motor, VW, U.S, Cox Automotive, AutoForecast Solutions, Volvo, Buick, Cadillac, Honda, Ford Motor Co, Ford, Amperex Technology, Toyota, Cox, Tesla, Nissan, Nissan U.S, Environmental Protection Agency, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, American Automotive, Detroit automakers Locations: EVs, Europe, U.S, North America, Warren , Michigan, Detroit, Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , Michigan

☆ Photo agencies are refusing to publish a portrait of Kate Middleton with her children over concerns it was manipulated
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMultiple photo agencies are sounding the alarm that Kate Middleton's newest portrait with her children could have been digitally altered. Many were focused on the cuff of Princess Charlotte's pink cardigan, which appears to disappear in the photo. AdvertisementA spokesperson for the AP pointed Business Insider to a story from the outlet, in which reporters explain why they believe the photo to be manipulated. "The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand," per the AP. Kensington Palace did not immediately answer questions from BI about allegations that the photos were altered and has not publicly responded.

Persons: —, Kate Middleton's, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Middleton, Charlotte's, Princess Charlotte's, Ben Smoke Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, Business, AP, AFP, BBC, TMZ, Windsor Locations: Kensington, cardigan

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. aerospace company Stratolaunch conducted the first powered test flight of a new unmanned craft for hypersonic research on Saturday and called it a success. Hypersonic describes flights at speeds of at least Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. The Talon, powered by a liquid-fuel rocket engine, ended its flight by descending into the ocean as planned. The company called the result a major milestone in the development of the United States' first privately funded, reusable hypersonic test capability. That project was canceled, and new owners then repurposed Stratolaunch for launches of reusable hypersonic research vehicles.

Persons: Stratolaunch, Zachary Krevor, ” Krevor, Roc, Paul G, Allen Organizations: ANGELES, —, Mojave Air, Space, Microsoft, U.S . Air Force Research Laboratory Locations: — U.S, California, United States, Los Angeles, Reston , Virginia

☆ I bought a used Tesla Model 3 for $26,000. Despite its high mileage, I'm happy with my car.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Andrew Lambrecht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewLast spring, I found a used 2019 Tesla Model 3 listed for sale just a few miles from where I live. Andrew Lambrecht's 2019 Tesla Model 3. Lambrecht's 2019 Tesla Model 3. Lambrecht's 2019 Tesla Model 3. The Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 are two other neat electric cars now within the $25,000 range used.

Persons: —, Cooper, I've, it's, Andrew Lambrecht's, Amber Saitta, Tesla, Teslas, Andrew Lambrecht, hasn't Organizations: Service, Business, EV, EPA, Ford, Volkswagen Locations: Teslas

☆ 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 ,

☆ Look closely: Tesla's video celebrating a Mustang EV using its Supercharger hides a potential pain point for other drivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

15,000+ Tesla superchargers available for non-Teslas with an adapter starting todayOn the downside: Did you catch it? Many automakers have switched to Tesla's charging technology over the past year. Tesla's charging network is one of its biggest advantages over EV rivals — from faster and more accessible charging stations to more amenities. Non-Tesla EV owners can charge at updated Superchargers that have a Magic Dock adapter. On Thursday, Tesla opened V3 chargers to Ford owners who can use a NACS adapter supplied by Ford, according to Tesla's website.

Persons: —, Tesla, Marques Brownlee, Brownlee, ITuxtLsDju — Marques Brownlee, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Ford, Business, Ford EV, Tech, Tesla EV, EV, — Locations: New York

☆ Musk said Tesla cars would rise in value, H but here’s what really happened
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Back in 2019, Elon Musk made an astonishing claim for Tesla vehicles. But four years after Musk’s 2019 prediction, the average used Tesla Model 3 is selling for $29,000. Sticker prices for new Teslas dropped about 21% over the past year, according to Cox Automotive. Logically, people expect to pay less for a used car than they would for a new one. Why buy a used car if you could get a brand new vehicle for only a little more or maybe even less, after all?

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, ”, Tesla, “, FSD, Ivan Drury, Wall, Teslas, Hertz, ” Hertz, Stephen Scherr, ” Drury, EVs, Drury Organizations: CNN, Cox Automotive, EV, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Volkswagen, Edmunds.com, Tesla Locations: America, Ford, Edmunds.com, Colorado

GM CEO Mary Barra said at the time that her company expected to save up to $400 million of a planned investment in building out EV charging stations. "People shopping for a Tesla aren't typically cross-shopping at Kia, Ford, or Mercedes-Benz dealers because they simply want a Tesla," Fiorani wrote. "Tesla is not afraid to use government regulations for income and has been working all possible revenue streams for much of its existence," Fiorani wrote. Tesla reports charging revenue with its "Total automotive & services and other segment revenue." WATCH: Tesla charging connector is on pace to become the North America EV standard

Persons: Jim Farley, Tesla, Mary Barra, Elon Musk, Sam Fiorani, Fiorani, AutoForecast, Biden's, hasn't, William Navarro Jameson Organizations: Ford, LinkedIn, Ford EV, General Motors, Canada, AutoForecast Solutions, Tesla, Kia, Benz, North America EV Locations: North America, U.S

☆ How Ford can challenge a powerful Chinese EV maker's potential entrance in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Forget Tesla , the real competition in electric vehicles is low-cost Chinese automakers. Farley wants to be prepared even if the U.S. government were to step in to curtail Chinese automakers' access. Outlook Ford investors shouldn't be concerned in the short term since Chinese EV competitors won't enter the market overnight. To that end, a group of lawmakers has urged the White House to boost tariffs on Chinese vehicles and figure out a way to be "prepared to address the coming wave" of Chinese vehicles by way of U.S. other trading partners. The cost of production will become more efficient, resulting in a more competitive and hopefully profitable Ford EV product.

Persons: Forget Tesla, Jim Farley, BYD, Ford, Farley, —, Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Morgan Stanley, I've, Tom Narayan, Stellantis, Narayan, Tesla, Jim Cramer, Jim, It's, RBC's Narayan, Ford's Farley, Wolfe, Jeff Windau, Edward Jones, shouldn't, Biden, Windau, doesn't bode, Jim Cramer's, Charly Triballeau Organizations: Nikkei, Wolfe Research, Ford, RBC Capital Markets, U.S, EV, Detroit, General Motors, Chrysler, Ford Blue, Ford Pro, Ford Model, CNBC, ICE, Ferrari, North, Outlook, Bloomberg, Ford EV, American EV, AFP, Getty Locations: U.S, Mexico, China, Europe, Indonesia, Hungary, Thailand, Inwood , New York

☆ No, electric vehicle sales aren’t dropping. Here’s what’s really going on
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

(BNEF’s figures include plug-in hybrids, but the large majority are fully electric vehicles.) High pricesMost electric vehicles currently on sale in America are on the more expensive side of the automotive market. Power, referring to the Kia EV9 and Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicles. Besides raw numbers, the EV chargers that are currently available tend to rate low with consumers in terms of reliability, according to J.D.. Power surveys. Public chargers are more important to people who can afford neither an expensive vehicle nor a house with private parking.

Persons: CNN — Tesla, ”, Tyson Jominy, Kia, Corey Cantor, Jim Farley, Farley, Jominy, Tesla, Carlos Tavares, Valdez Streaty, “, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Ford, Cox Automotive, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Kia, J.D, ” Ford, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US Department of Energy, DOE, EV, BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Benz, Stellantis, Dodge, Leasing Locations: United States, America, California, Canada, New York

☆ 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

☆ Rivian is laying off 10% of its salaried workers amid challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Rivian announced Wednesday that it will lay off 10% of its salaried workers beginning Thursday morning, amid a quarterly loss and an increasingly competitive EV market. Rivian has a total of 16,700 employees but would not disclose how many of those are considered salaried employees. Rivian has previously, on two different occasions, laid off 6% of its workforce, as the company has looked to reduce its losses. Sales of electric vehicles has not expanded as rapidly in the past year as it had before, and automakers have blamed high interest rates for some of that slow-down. Scaringe boasted that Rivian produced the best-selling electric vehicle over $70,000 last year.

Persons: CNN — Rivian, RJ Scaringe, Rivian, Tesla Organizations: CNN, Ford, Tesla, Scaringe Locations: California

☆ Ford cuts prices of electric Mustang Mach-E by up to $8,100
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People visit Ford's all-electric SUV Mustang Mach-E at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, the United States, Nov. 22, 2019. Ford Motor Co on Tuesday said it had cut prices on its Mustang Mach-E electric SUV by up to $8,100 after sales fell sharply in January. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said U.S. sales of the Mach-E fell by 51% in January to 1,295. Ford and other legacy automakers have slowed their EV push to instead focus on higher-margin hybrid and gas-powered models. Ford said in January it would reduce production of its F-150 Lightning pickup truck, cutting production at its Michigan Rouge Electric Vehicle Center to one shift starting April 1.

Persons: Ford, Elon Organizations: Angeles Auto, Ford Motor Co, . Treasury Department, Treasury, Reuters, Internal Revenue Service, Ford, Michigan Rouge Electric Vehicle Center Locations: Ford's, Los Angeles, United States, Dearborn , Michigan, China

☆ Russia used a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time in recent strike, Ukraine claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ukraine claims it has evidence Russia fired an advanced hypersonic missile – one that experts say is almost impossible to shoot down – for the first time in the almost 2-year-old war. The government-run Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise said in a Telegram post that debris recovered after a February 7 attack on the Ukrainian capital pointed to the use of a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile by the Russian military. Ukrainian authorities reported four people were killed and 38 others injured in Kyiv during the February 7 attacks, but no casualties have been directly attributed to the alleged Zircon missile. Its hypersonic speed makes it invulnerable to even the best Western missile defenses, like the Patriot, according to the United States-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA). Additionally, the MDAA says the Zircon is “a maneuvering anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile” with a range of somewhere between 500 and 1,000 kilometers (310 to 620 miles).

Persons: Serhii, Gorshkov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Yurii Ihnat, ” Sidharth, CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova, Mariya Knight, Andrew Carey, Jack Guy Organizations: CNN, Kyiv Scientific Research, Forensic, Ukraine’s, Ministry, Firefighters, Reuters, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Russian, Ukrainian Air Force, Royal United Services Institute, Zircons Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kyiv, Holosiivskyi, United States, “, Ukrainian, London

☆ Ford says it has a ‘Skunk Works’ team trying to make lower-cost EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ford says it has a top-secret, high-powered team working to design its future electric vehicles. Electric vehicle sales increased by 40% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, according to Cox Automotive. In a study released late last year by S&P Global Mobility, almost half of people surveyed globally thought EV prices were too high. “We developed a super-talented ‘Skunk Works’ team to create a low-cost EV platform,” Farley said. By dubbing its own operation as a “Skunk Works” team, Ford is seeking to put the scale of the matter front-and-center.

Persons: CNN — Ford, ”, Yanina Mills, Ford, Jim Farley, ” Farley, Tesla Farley, Tesla, Farley, Alan Clarke, EVs Farley Organizations: CNN, Tesla, Audi, Mercedes, Ford, Cox Automotive, P Global Mobility, United Auto Workers, Skunk, Lockheed, Skunk Works, Reuters, Works, Hyundai, Ford Pro, EV, EVS Locations: China, Asia, Europe

☆ Ford is reassessing its EV plans, including vertical battery integration
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor is rethinking its electric vehicle strategies, including "reassessing" the need for vertical integration of batteries, CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday. He also said the company is pulling a target for its EV unit that called for 8% margin by 2026. As Ford pulls back and reevaluates the EV business, it intends to lean in on sales of hybrid vehicles, specifically trucks. The company expects its hybrid sales to increase 40% this year. It sold 133,743 hybrid vehicles in the U.S. in 2023.

Persons: Jim Farley, Farley, John Lawler, Lawler, Ford Organizations: New York, Auto, DETROIT, Detroit, Ford, EV, CNBC PRO Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Ford's hybrid vehicle sales surge to offset EV decline in January
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT – Ford Motor started the year with a slight increase in sales, as a large jump in hybrid vehicles offset an 11% decline in all-electric cars and trucks. The Detroit automaker on Friday reported sales rose 4.3% last month from January 2023, led by a 43% jump in hybrid sales and 2.6% uptick in traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines. The spike in hybrid sales is part of Ford's plan to double down on the technology. Despite the focus on hybrids, 90% of Ford's sales last month were traditional cars and trucks. Ford's stock has fallen about 1% in 2024.

Persons: EVs, General Motors Organizations: DETROIT, Ford Motor, Detroit, Ford, General

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