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☆ Ford to add more Tesla EV chargers to its network
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Ford Motor (F.N) said on Monday it would add more of Tesla's Superchargers to its electric-vehicle charging network, higher than previously forecast, as automakers tap into the EV leader's sprawling charger network to expand the range of their cars. Ford will now add over 15,000 of Tesla's Superchargers to its network, up from its earlier projection of 12,000 chargers. These three providers would bring more than 10,000 new chargers to the network, including more than 550 new DC fast chargers. BlueOval combines multiple charging networks to provide access to the largest North American public charging network offered by automotive manufacturers. The development comes months after Ford struck a deal with Tesla to allow EV owners gain access to the biggest network of high-speed Superchargers in the United States in early 2024.

Persons: Ford, BlueOval, Tesla, Abhijith Ganapavaram, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Ford, EV, U.S, Francis Energy, Ford EV, Shell, Thomson Locations: North America, Canada, America, United States, Bengaluru

The UAW said that 8,700 union members at Ford's Kentucky truck plant went on strike after the union said the No. [1/4]United Auto Workers (UAW) members strike outside of Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. October 11, 2023. Even with Wednesday's walkout, only about 22% of the 150,000 UAW workers at the Detroit Three automakers are on strike. The walkout in Kentucky will put stress on Ford UAW members beyond the sprawling factory near Louisville. Workers at a dozen other Ford plants that supply engines, transmissions and other components to the plant could be furloughed.

Persons: Shawn Fain's, Fain, Ford, leadership's, UAW bargainers, Harley Shaiken, Shaiken, Wednesday's Ford, walkouts, David Shepardson, Joe White, Abhirup Roy, Heekyong Yang, Peter Henderson, Sayantani Ghosh, Jamie Freed Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three automakers, UAW, Ford, Duty, Lincoln Navigator, Ford Expedition, Kentucky, Detroit, Motors, Chrysler, Plant, Handout, Detroit Three, Ford UAW, Workers, University of California, GM, Stellantis, BlueOval SK, South Korea's SK, Thomson Locations: Ford's Kentucky, U.S, Kentucky, Arlington , Texas, Stellantis, Sterling Heights, Warren , Michigan, Detroit, Ford's, Louisville , Kentucky, Louisville, Berkeley, South, Tennessee, Washington, San Francisco, Bengaluru, Seoul

☆ Auto jobs are booming in the union-hostile South
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Looming over the United Auto Workers strike: Automakers’ continued migration to the anti-union South. Jobs at nonunion EV battery facilities pay less than the roughly $32 an hour that veteran UAW workers make. Since 1990, the South’s share of auto jobs has doubled from around 15% to 30% today, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Mostly nonunion EV jobs and manufacturing investments are surging in Southern states led by Republicans. The South has picked up 66% of planned EV jobs, while projects in Midwestern states such as Michigan, Indiana, Kansas and Ohio have combined for 26% of planned jobs, according to S&P Global.

Persons: ’, Ford, nonunion autoworkers, ”, Stephen Silvia, Southern, Mason, Honda, Deni McIntyre, unionize, “ It’s, Nelson Lichtenstein, Jeffrey Greenberg, Lichtenstein, Bill Lee, Nikki Haley, Houston Cofield, Biden, Biden’s, Shawn Fain Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Volvo, Benz, BMW, Toyota, Hyundai, American University, Southern Gamble, Workers, Foreign, Ford, GM, Dixon, Midwest, UAW, EV, P Global Market Intelligence, Nissan, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Kia, CNN, University of California, Clinton Presidency, Universal, Southern Republican, South . Tennessee Gov, Former South Carolina Gov, Republicans, North Carolina –, Environmental Defense Fund, P Global, Ford Motor Co, SK Innovation Co, Bloomberg, Getty, Big Three Locations: New York, Detroit, Smyrna , Tennessee, Spartanburg , South Carolina, Vance , Alabama, Lincoln , Alabama, Germany, Santa Barbara, Clinton, Korean, United States, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, South, Chattanooga, Southern, – Georgia, South Carolina , Kentucky, North Carolina, Midwest . Georgia, Michigan, Indiana , Kansas, Ohio, Stanton , Tennessee, BlueOval

☆ EV Boom Remakes Rural Towns in the American South
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Nora Eckert | Photographs Andrea Morales For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Auto supplier Magna to invest $790 mln to build three new facilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 20 (Reuters) - Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc (MG.TO) said on Thursday it will invest $790 million to build three new supplier facilities, two of which will be housed at Ford Motor Co's (F.N) BlueOval City campus in Tennessee. The development comes as suppliers race to meet requirements from automakers, who have been hustling to boost their electric vehicle output as demand for environmentally friendly vehicles surges. Magna's facilities will support production of Ford's second-generation electric truck, the Canadian company said in a statement. Ford in March said it plans to build up to 500,000 electric trucks a year at its BlueOval City complex under construction. A third Magna facility in Lawrenceburg will produce vehicle frames, the company said.

Persons: Ford's, Magna, Priyamvada, Nivedita Organizations: Magna International Inc, Ford Motor, Ford, Thomson Locations: BlueOval City, Tennessee, Ford's, BlueOval, Detroit, Lawrenceburg, Bengaluru

But as local economic development officials worked with Ford and other prospective investors, it became clear they needed a much bigger footprint. The rest has been earmarked by economic development officials for suppliers and other developments. In Marshall, residents petitioned to hold a referendum on the project, gathering over 800 signatures in a city of 6,800. She believes factory workers will move to Marshall to work for Ford. He notes that the factory he works at, in nearby Battle Creek, has struggled to find skilled workers.

Persons: Fred, Joan Chapman, Ben Klayman MARSHALL, Fred Chapman, ”, That’s, Chapman, Joe Biden, Gabby Bruno, Glenn Kowalske, “, Ford's Bruno, Ford, Bruno, CATL's, James Durian, Durian, Sue Damron, Marshall, he’s, Timothy Aeppel, Ben Klayman, Dan Burns, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Ford Motor Co, Ford Motor, Census, Ford, Amperex Technology Co, Amazon, Marshall, Economic Development Alliance, Thomson Locations: Marshall Township , Michigan, U.S, Mich, Marshall, Kalamazoo, New York City, China, Calhoun County, Battle, Mexico, New York, Marshall , Michigan

☆ UAW rips Biden administration on US loan to Ford joint venture battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The $9.2 billion low-cost government loan for the BlueOval SK joint venture is the biggest ever from the government auto lending program that will help finance construction of three plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. The joint venture is building battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. The UAW and Senator Bernie Sanders in April criticized a General Motors (GM.N)/LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) joint venture battery plant for paying workers much less than GM assembly plant employees even though it benefits from hefty U.S. government tax credits. Union workers at a nearby Ohio GM assembly plant that closed in 2019 made at least $32 an hour. The Energy Department last year awarded $2.5 billion to help finance construction of Ultium's new lithium-ion battery plants, including Warren, from the same program used for the Ford loan.

Persons: Francois Lenoir, Shawn Fain, Fain, Joe Biden’s, Ford, Biden, Bernie Sanders, Warren, David Shepardson, Aurora Ellis, Mark Porter Organizations: Ford, REUTERS, United Auto Workers, UAW, U.S . Energy Department, Ford Motor, Korea's SK, JV, Detroit Three automakers, BlueOval SK, SK, South Korea's SK Innovation, Motors, LG Energy, JV Ultium, Ohio GM, The Energy Department, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Francois Lenoir WASHINGTON, Kentucky, Tennessee, South, America, Warren , Ohio, Ohio

☆ Biden is lending billions to Ford to help America win the EV race with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is lending Ford $9.2 billion to build battery plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. It's also three times the loan extended to General Motors for battery plants last year. The US government is lending $9.2 billion to Ford for three battery plants in a sign of the Biden administration's desire for America to become a leading EV player. The loan is more than three times the amount handed out last year to General Motors to build three battery factories. The loan is the latest step by the White House to on-shore production of crucial EV components amid rising geopolitical tensions, particularly with China.

Persons: It's, Biden, Obama, EVs, Ford's, Darren Palmer Organizations: Ford, Loan, General Motors, Energy's, SK, The Energy Department, Tesla, EV, White, P, EVs, Ford's EV Locations: Tennessee, Kentucky, America, Korean, China, Chinese

☆ Ford-SK venture to get $9.2 billion US loan for battery plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department plans to lend up to $9.2 billion to a joint venture of Ford Motor (F.N) and South Korea's SK On to help it build three battery plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. The conditional commitment for the low-cost government loan for the BlueOval SK joint venture comes from the government's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The joint venture is building three battery manufacturing facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee capable of collectively producing more than 120 gigawatt hours annually, the Energy Department said. This is the sixth loan for battery supply chain projects from the ATVM program. Last year, the department awarded a joint venture of General Motors (GM.N) and LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) $2.5 billion to help finance construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities.

Persons: Jigar Shah, Dave Webb, Robert Rhee, Ford, Jim Farley, Tesla, David Shepardson, Toby Chopra, David Evans, Alexander Smith Organizations: U.S . Energy Department, Ford Motor, Korea's SK, BlueOval SK, Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, SK, South Korea's SK Innovation, Energy Department, Energy, Ford, Lincoln, Republican, Republicans, Biden, General Motors, LG Energy, Ultium Cells, Thomson Locations: Tennessee, Kentucky, South, United States, KS, Ohio , Tennessee, Michigan, Fremont , California

☆ Ford’s Battery Joint Venture to Get $9.2 Billion Government Loan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jack Ewing | Clifford Krauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ford Motor and its battery manufacturing partner will receive a $9.2 billion loan to build three battery factories in Kentucky and Tennessee, the Department of Energy said Thursday. The loan is the single biggest financial commitment the Biden administration has made in its effort to build an electric vehicle manufacturing network in the United States. The loan will go to a joint venture created by Ford and its partner SK On called BlueOval SK that will supply batteries for electric Ford and Lincoln cars and trucks. By helping to finance battery factories, the administration hopes to ensure that the United States does not become dependent on China for batteries and their components. The other two factories are in Glendale, Ky., south of Louisville, and will employ more people than Kentucky’s coal industry.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Ford Motor, Department of Energy, Ford, SK, BlueOval SK, Lincoln Locations: Kentucky, Tennessee, United States, Southern, China, Stanton, Tenn, Memphis, Glendale, Ky, Louisville

☆ Ford agrees to $9.2 billion US government loan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Ford and SK’s joint venture, BlueOval SK, would use the funds to build three electric vehicle battery plants, two in Kentucky and one in Tennessee. Also, the loan amount is up to $9.2 billion, but Ford could use less than that. The loan would be part of the DoE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion program to reduce US dependence on oil and reduce carbon emissions. Ford previously took out a $5.9 billion loan under the program in 2009. General Motors agreed to a $2.5 billion loan under the program last year.

Persons: New York CNN —, Joe Biden’s, Ford, DoE, General Motors Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Ford, SK, US Department of Energy, BlueOval SK, Ford, Department of Energy, Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, General Locations: New York, United States, Kentucky, Tennessee

☆ Ford CEO says he didn't really hesitate on the Tesla deal: 'It's good for customers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer sat down with Ford CEO Jim Farley on Tuesday to discuss the company's earnings, future, electric vehicles, deal with Tesla and more at Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. "I have no problem being opportunistic when it comes to advantaging my customers," Farley said. During negotiations, Farley said Tesla CEO Elon Musk was respectful, but "more because of Henry Ford than Jim Farley." The company split off its EV undertaking from the rest of its vehicles, and Ford now has three main sectors: Ford Blue for its conventional vehicles, Ford Model e for its EVs, and Ford Pro for its commercial vehicles. "We believe in American-made BlueOval city in Tennessee or Kentucky-built pick-up truck, EV pick-up truck, people will pay for that American technology."

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Jim Farley, Tesla, Farley, didn't, Elon Musk, Henry Ford, Ford Organizations: Ford, Ford Pro, United Auto Workers Locations: Dearborn , Michigan, Canada, America, Silicon, North America, Tennessee, Kentucky

But just when it looked as though the incentive monster was being cut down to size, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are threatening to give it an enormous infusion of steroids. The CHIPS Act, at least, requires companies to do some good in return. In February, Ford agreed to build its new electric vehicle plant in Michigan, but only after extracting a promise of as much $1.75 billion in state and local incentives. To limit the damage to state and local budgets and ensure meaningful community impacts, there are a few things we can do. First, Congress should consider amending the U.S. CHIPS Act to ensure that there are no requirements that projects receive any state or local funding in order to obtain federal dollars.

☆ Ford plans to build 500,000 EVs annually at its $5.6 billion Tennessee campus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ford's BlueOval City electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus in West Tennessee is scheduled to begin production in 2025. It will be home to Ford's second-generation electric truck, code named Project T3, and will be capable of producing 500,000 EV trucks a year at full production. Ford Motor's new plant being constructed outside Memphis, Tennessee, will be capable of building 500,000 electric vehicles annually at full production, the company said Friday. "Project T3 is a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize America's truck," Ford CEO Jim Farley said Friday in a release. Ford and South Korea-based battery supplier SK On are investing $5.6 billion in the BlueOval City campus, including a large battery-cell plant.

☆ Elon Musk's former right-hand man is taking the next big step in his plan to make EVs cheaper by recycling old batteries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The EV battery recycling giant just announced a new plant in South Carolina. The plant will help carmakers get the materials they need to make EV batteries. With more and more demand for the materials to make these things, taking advantage of recycling can ease a supply crunch and eventually drive down costs. "The goal is to make the most sustainable battery materials," said Jackson Switzer, Redwood senior director of business development and one of Insider's 100 People Transforming Business. "To make the most sustainable battery materials, we need to get as much recycled nickel, cobalt, and lithium as we can into the front end of the system.

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