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☆ Dodge Durango, Jeep SUVs push Stellantis second-quarter sales up 6.4%
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – Higher sales of the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and Jeep Compass and Dodge Durango SUVs pushed Stellantis' second-quarter U.S. new vehicle sales up 6.4% from a year earlier. Stellantis reported second-quarter sales of 434,648 vehicles, up from 408,521 cars and trucks a year earlier. Stellantis' results come after other legacy automakers reported second-quarter sales increases, and electric vehicle makers Tesla and Rivian reported deliveries that topped analyst quarterly expectations. Honda Motor and Nissan Motor on Monday both reported double-digit second-quarter sales increases of roughly 45% and 33%, respectively, compared to a year earlier. Other automakers such as General Motors and Ford Motor are expected to report second quarter sales later this week.

Persons: Stellantis, Jeff Kommor Organizations: DETROIT –, Chrysler Pacifica minivan, Jeep Compass, Dodge Durango, Pacifica, Cox Automotive, Honda Motor, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Motors, Ford Locations: Durango

Tesla (TSLA.O) gained 7.4% to hit a nine-month high, a day after its car deliveries topped market estimates on the back of incentives and steeper discounts. The consumer discretionary sector (.SPLRCD) that includes Tesla rose 1.5%, leading gains among the top 11 S&P 500 sectors, while healthcare stocks (.SPXHC) declined. Fidelity National Information Services (FIS.N) added 5.4% as buyout groups weighed bids for a majority stake in Worldpay, co-owned by the financial services firm, according to a Financial Times report. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.02-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.53-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 12 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 42 new highs and 33 new lows.

Persons: Hogan, Investors, Li Auto, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Pooja Desai, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, Riley, General Motors, Ford, EV, Rivian Automotive, Traders, Apple, Microsoft, Dow Jones, Fidelity National Information Services, Financial, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Worldpay, Bengaluru

☆ Apple makes history as first $3 trillion company amid tech stock surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The iPhone maker's advance was among the most eye catching in a month marked by investor interest in the potential of artificial intelligence, with share buyers also particularly favouring companies with strong balance sheets and cash flows. In a similar vein, electric car maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) witnessed a 28% jump in its market capitalization in June. The company's shares have soared following a revenue forecast that was more than 50% above the Wall Street estimate in May. Apple and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) led the list of top 20 global companies by market capitalization at the end of June. By contrast, Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) market cap dropped 2.3% last month to $1.53 trillion, on rising competitive pressures from Microsoft's Bing which has grown in prominence after the integration of the artificial intelligence behind ChatGPT.

Persons: Bing, Patturaja Murugaboopathy, Gaurav Dogra, David Holmes Organizations: Apple Inc, Federal Reserve, Tesla Inc, Reuters Graphics, Ford Motor, General Motors Co, Nvidia Corp, Apple, Microsoft Corp, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Tesla beats second-quarter delivery estimates as price cuts pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) on Sunday said it delivered a record number of vehicles in the second quarter, topping market estimates as price cuts and U.S. federal credits helped make its electric vehicles more affordable. "The price cuts was a smart poker move for Tesla and paying major dividends in the field especially for the China market," Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said. Tesla is expected to hit record sales in China, its second-largest market after North America, despite stiff competition from market leader BYD . Tesla has cut prices starting in China since late last year, eroding its first-quarter margins. Reuters GraphicsThe company delivered 446,915 Model 3 compact cars and Model Y sport-utility vehicle, as well as 19,225 of its Model S and Model X premium vehicles.

Persons: Elon, Tesla, Dan Ives, BYD, Ives, Elon Musk, Akash Sriram, Shivani, Hyun Joo Jin, Sriraj Kalluvila, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Tesla Inc, Refinitiv, Tesla, Wedbush Securities, Reuters Graphics, Ford, General Motors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, North America, United States, Shivani Tanna, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: EV charging firms oppose Texas' 'premature' plan to mandate Tesla standard -letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters reported last week that Texas would require charging companies to include both Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) as well as the nationally recognized rival Combined Charging Standard (CCS) technology to be eligible for a state program to electrify highways using federal dollars. Tesla, the dominant EV maker in the United States, has scored a string of victories for its charging technology in recent weeks, starting with Ford Motor (F.N) saying it would adopt NACS. General Motors (GM.N), Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) and a raft of auto and charging companies did the same, on concerns of losing out on customers if they offer only CCS. But concerns remain about how smoothly the two charging standards would talk to each other and whether having both standards in the market would raise costs for vendors and customers. Charging companies have to re-work several aspects of NACS connectors, including extending the cable length and ensuring adequate temperature ranges, as well as get certifications for specific parts, the companies said in the letter.

Persons: Elon Musk's, FLO, Tesla, Abhirup Roy, Sayantani Ghosh, Leslie Adler Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Washington, SAE, ChargePoint Holdings, ABB, Texas Transportation Commission, The Texas Department of Transportation, ChargePoint, Affordable Clean Energy, Ford Motor, General Motors, Rivian Automotive, Tesla's, U.S . Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Texas, United States, San Francisco

☆ Why the electric vehicle boom could put a major strain on the U.S. power grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Over half of all new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 are expected to be electric vehicles. That could put a major strain on our nation's electric grid, an aging system built for a world that runs on fossil fuels. Major grid infrastructure needsCharging electric vehicles is quite electricity intensive. Larger electric vehicles such as the Ford F-150 Lightning would generally use more electricity than a central AC unit in a large home. The utility is tied to a four-year funding cycle for grid infrastructure upgrades, and its last funding request was in 2021.

Persons: That's, we've, Rob Gramlich, Gramlich, Lydia Krefta, Krefta, David Paul Morris, Aram Shumavon, Shumavon, we're, Sen, Joe Manchin, Joe Biden, Tesla Organizations: Rapid Energy, Princeton University, Grid, California Public Utilities Commission, EV, Tesla, Ford, Workers, Power Services, Pacific Gas & Electric, Bloomberg, Getty, Nissan Leaf, Ford Motor Company Locations: U.S, California, Northern, Central California, Healdsburg , California

☆ Why Ford says new high-tech features for its Super Duty trucks will save marriages
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Detroit automaker is adding features to its 2023 Ford Super Duty lineup to boost transaction prices of the trucks and ease difficulties with some of the vehicles' most important functions: towing and carrying/hauling. "This is really about making the truck safer for our customers, for equipment, for whatever you're towing. "With our new trailer-tow features, I'm sure we'll be saving a couple marriages based on what it can now do." Ford says 96% of its customers tow with its F-250 to F-450 Super Duty pickups, which are larger siblings to its well-known F-150 trucks. To assist with hitching and hauling, Ford is using technologies such as new camera features, automated assistance and smart weight taillights.

Persons: Tim Baughman, Baughman, Ford Organizations: DETROIT, Ford, Detroit

☆ Exclusive: EV charging firms oppose Texas' 'premature' plan to mandate Tesla standard, letter shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Polestar is the latest EV maker to announce a move to Tesla's North American charging standard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( John Rosevear | In Jrosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Polestar owners in North America will have access to Tesla's charging network starting next year. New Polestar vehicles sold in North America will come standard with the Tesla-designed North American Charging Standard, or NACS, plug starting in 2025. Most non-Tesla EVs and charging stations in North America use a plug design called CCS, which stands for Combined Charging System. Tesla EVs can use CCS chargers with an adapter, but currently only Tesla EVs can use Tesla chargers. Tesla's plug design was proprietary until November, when the company published the technical details of its system and made it available to other automakers and makers of EV chargers.

Persons: Polestar, Tesla, Thomas Ingenlath Organizations: North America, Volvo, Ford Motor, General Motors, CCS, SAE International Locations: North America, Swedish, North

☆ Zoox headcount grows as Amazon's self-driving unit expands testing in Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Abhirup Roy | Akash Sriram | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The assembly line for Zoox, a self-driving vehicle owned by Amazon, is seen at the company's factory in Fremont, California, U.S. July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc’s self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, is hiring more employees to expand its testing in Las Vegas at a time when the regulatory implications have taken a front seat in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. Levinson said that Zoox autonomous vehicle will not be driving on the Vegas strip yet but is being tested for handling traffic lights, intersections and drive at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG last fall announced that they would shut down their Argo AI self-driving unit and focus on driver-assistance technology that provided more immediate returns. Alphabet’s self-driving technology project Waymo laid off 137 employees in a second round of job cuts this year.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Zoox, Zoox’s headcount, Jesse Levinson, Levinson, ” Levinson Organizations: Amazon, REUTERS, Reuters, Ford Motor Co, Volkswagen AG, Argo Locations: Fremont , California, U.S, Las Vegas, California

[1/2] A Lordstown Motors sign is seen outside the Lordstown Assembly Plant in Lordstown, Ohio, U.S., June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoNEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - U.S. electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday and put itself up for sale after failing to resolve a dispute over a promised investment from Taiwan's Foxconn (2354.TW). Lordstown contends Foxconn is balking at purchasing additional shares of its stock as promised and misled the EV maker about collaborating on vehicle development plans. Lordstown accused Foxconn in that regulatory filing of engaging in a "pattern of bad faith" that caused "material and irreparable harm" to the company. GM agreed to sell the plant to a newly-formed entity called Lordstown Motors founded by the former top executive at an electric truck maker called Workhorse Group.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Taiwan's Foxconn, Thomas Hayes, Tesla, Lordstown, Foxconn, Edward Hightower, Donald Trump, Mary Barra, Nikola, Stephen Burns, Burns, Elon Musk's Tesla, Mike Spector, Joseph White, Dietrich Knauth, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Wu, Chavi Mehta, Nick Zieminski, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Lordstown Motors, Foxconn, Hai Precision Industry, General, Reuters, Endurance, EV, Biden, Detroit, GM, Lordstown, U.S . Justice Department, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Thomson Locations: Lordstown, Lordstown , Ohio, U.S, Ohio, Delaware, Foxconn, United States, Northeast Ohio, New York, Detroit, Taipei, Bengaluru

☆ Ford to cut jobs in the US, Canada to trim costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Aishwarya Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Tuesday it will begin layoffs this week, impacting mostly engineering jobs in the U.S. and Canada, as part of the Detroit automaker's move to exit unprofitable locations and cut headcount. The development comes after the company said in May it expects to take up restructuring charges between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in 2023. "This is related to the Ford+ growth plan we introduced in 2021," the company added. CNBC reported on Monday job cuts were expected to affect all three of Ford's business units - Ford Blue, Model e and Ford Pro. In February, Ford also detailed plans to eliminate 3,800 product development and administration jobs in Europe in the next three years.

Persons: Ford, Stellantis, Jim Farley, Aishwarya Nair, Priyamvada, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Ford Motor, Detroit, Street Journal, General Motors, CNBC, Ford, Ford Pro, Thomson Locations: U.S, Canada, North America, Europe, Bengaluru

[1/2] A Lordstown Motors sign is seen outside the Lordstown Assembly Plant in Lordstown, Ohio, U.S., June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoNEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday and put itself up for sale after the U.S. electric truck manufacturer failed to resolve a dispute over a promised investment from Taiwan company Foxconn. Lordstown contends Foxconn is balking at purchasing additional shares of its stock as promised, and misled the EV maker about collaborating on vehicle development plans. Even in May, Lordstown warned it might be forced to file for bankruptcy amid uncertainty over the Foxconn investment. GM agreed to sell the plant to a newly-formed entity called Lordstown Motors founded by the former top executive at an electric truck maker called Workhorse Group.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Lordstown, Foxconn, Edward Hightower, Donald Trump, Mary Barra, Nikola, Stephen Burns, Burns, Elon Musk’s Tesla, ” Lordstown, Mike Spector, Joseph White, Dietrich Knauth, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Lordstown Motors, U.S, Foxconn, Hai Precision Industry, General, Lordstown, Reuters, Endurance, EV, Biden, Detroit, GM, DiamondPeak Holdings, U.S . Justice Department, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Thomson Locations: Lordstown, Lordstown , Ohio, U.S, Taiwan, Ohio, Delaware, Foxconn, United States, Northeast Ohio, New York, Detroit

☆ Volvo just became the latest EV maker to move to Tesla's charging standard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( John Rosevear | In Jrosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Volvo will add the locations of Tesla charging stations to its proprietary app at the same time. Most non-Tesla EVs and charging stations in the U.S. use a rival plug design, the public-domain Combined Charging System standard. Tesla's NACS charging plug design was proprietary until late last year, when Tesla published the technical details of its system and said anyone could adopt the standard. Several studies have found that CCS charging networks have much lower reliability than Tesla's network. In addition, the CCS fast-charging plug is larger and heavier than Tesla's NACS plug, making it cumbersome for older or disabled drivers to use.

Persons: Volvo's, Tesla, Jim Rowan Organizations: Volvo Cars, North America, Tesla, American, Ford Motor, General Motors, Hyundai, Chrysler, Volvo, Detroit automakers, CCS, ABB Locations: U.S, Swedish, North, North America

☆ GM's EV truck customers must wait for Tesla-compatible charge ports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck is seen in Scio Township, Michigan, U.S. June 22, 2023. The first 2024 Silverado EV Work Trucks are rolling out of GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, with deliveries to fleet customers beginning “in a few weeks,” officials said. About the same time, retail customers will be able to buy a well-equipped Silverado EV RST, from around $105,000. When GM announced the Silverado EV early last year, it said prices would start at $39,900. GM also is considering installing Tesla-compatible NACS chargers at its dealerships, once its vehicles begin to be equipped with NACS charging ports, Sequeira said.

Persons: Paul Lienert, Amy Masica, Masica, Derek Sequeira, Sequeira, Paul Jacobson, Tesla, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, General Motors, Chevrolet Silverado, U.S, Silverado, Chevrolet, GM, Ford Motor, EV, RST, Silverado EV, Silverado EV's, Ford, GM Energy, CCS, Thomson Locations: Scio Township , Michigan, U.S, North America, GM’s Detroit, Hamtramck, Detroit

☆ Ford conducts engineering layoffs in U.S. and Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor confirmed Monday it will carry out layoffs this week, primarily affecting engineering jobs in the U.S. and Canada, as the automaker seeks billions in cost-cutting measures as it restructures its business operations. Ford has been restructuring its operations for several years under its Ford+ plan, led by CEO Jim Farley. The automaker cut 3,000 workers in North America in August and has more recently conducted 3,800 layoffs in Europe. The company has instructed units affected by the cuts to work remotely this week as the layoffs are conducted, the people confirmed. Ford is not the only automaker to reduce its headcount, as it realigns its business to focus more on electric vehicles.

Persons: Jim Farley, Ford, Farley, headcount, General Motors, Stellantis Organizations: DETROIT, Ford Motor, Ford Pro, General Locations: Detroit, U.S, Canada, North America, Europe

☆ US opens probe into Ford Explorer recalls over power loss reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety regulators said on Saturday they are investigating Ford Motor's (F.N) prior recalls of 710,000 Explorer SUVs over power loss reports to determine if the fix is adequate. 2 U.S. automaker issued recalls in April 2022 and March on Ford Explorer SUVs from the 2020-2022 model years to address a rear axle horizontal mounting bolt that may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect. Ford said earlier its recalls were to address a disconnected driveshaft that could result in the vehicle rolling away placed in 'Park' without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA said it has received two complaints alleging a loss of power or transmission torque of the rear wheels in Explorer vehicles that had received the recall fix. One complaint told NHTSA that after getting the software update "the vehicle would randomly slam to a complete stop while driving.

Persons: Ford Motor's, Ford, David Shepardson, Marguerita Choy, Diane Craft Organizations: Traffic Safety Administration, Ford, NHTSA, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Two senators urge automakers not to remove AM Radio from new cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Two senators on the U.S. Commerce Committee on Friday wrote seven major automakers urging them not to remove AM Radio from new vehicles. Senator Ted Cruz, the panel's top Republican, and Democrat Ed Markey wrote to BMW (BMWG.DE), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Tesla (TSLA.O), Mazda (7261.T), Polestar (A4N1y.F), Rivian (RIVN.O) and Volvo Cars asking them to commit by July 7 to including AM Radio in new vehicles. Ford Motor (F.N) said last month it would reverse course and not remove AM broadcast radio as a feature in 2024 model vehicles after lawmakers introduced legislation to require them. Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Ed Markey, David Shepardson Organizations: U.S . Commerce, Republican, BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Volvo Cars, AM Radio, Ford, Thomson

☆ RPT ANALYSIS For EV batteries, lithium iron phosphate narrows the gap with nickel, cobalt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Tesla Model 3 vehicles are seen for sale at a Tesla facility in Fremont, California, U.S., May 23, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File PhotoDETROIT, June 23 (Reuters) - As the auto industry scrambles to produce more affordable electric vehicles, whose most expensive components are the batteries, lithium iron phosphate is gaining traction as the EV battery material of choice. But technological advances have also reduced the performance gap with more widely used materials such as nickel and cobalt. Ford Motor (F.N) aims to open a $3.5 billion LFP cell manufacturing plant in western Michigan, leveraging technology licensed from China’s CATL (300750.SZ), the world’s largest EV battery maker. The rapidly increasing adoption of LFP by EV manufacturers including Tesla and Hyundai suggests those companies “are not ready to decouple from China," Meng said.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Tesla, ”, Stanley Whittingham, Mujeeb Ijaz, “ We’ve, China’s, Jim Farley, Shirley Meng, Meng, Lukasz Bednarski, Bednarski, LFP, Whittingham, “, Paul Lienert, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, DETROIT, EV, Toyota, Hyundai, U.S, Binghamton University, Ford, University of Chicago, Argonne, Laboratory’s, Center for Energy Storage Science, New Energy, Thomson Locations: Fremont , California, U.S, North America, New York, Michigan, Van Buren, China, United States, Norway, Israel, South Korea, EVs, Detroit

☆ RPT FACTBOX As electric cars take off, makers pledge $11.3 billion for US lithium iron phosphate
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 23 (Reuters) - Interest and investment in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells and materials, used to power electric vehicles, continue to climb in the United States. Here is a look at some of the announced LFP projects. FORDFord Motor (F.N) is planning to open a $3.5 billion LFP manufacturing plant in 2026 in Marshall, Michigan, using technology licensed from China’s CATL (300750.SZ). FREYRNorwegian battery startup Freyr (7XN.F) expects to open a $1.7 billion battery plant outside Atlanta, using technology from Aleees and 24M. ICLIsrael’s ICL Group (ICL.TA) has announced it will build a $400 million battery materials plant near St Louis, Missouri, to open in 2024.

Persons: China’s, FREYR, Paul Lienert, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FORD Ford Motor, LG, ICL, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Marshall , Michigan, KS, Holland , Michigan, Big Rapids , Michigan, FREYR Norwegian, Atlanta, Aleees, Michigan, Van Buren Township, St Louis , Missouri, Detroit

☆ Ford's electric future looks bright, as the automaker doubles down on batteries and cuts costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As CEO Jim Farley continues to rein in costs, Ford is preparing to enact a new round of layoffs in the coming weeks, according to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday. Nonetheless, news of the potential layoffs come after Farley told Jim this week that Ford still needs bring down costs at its EV division. The company has estimated its EV costs are roughly $7 billion higher than its competitors. F 1M mountain Ford stock performance month-to-date. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jim Farley, Ford, Jim Cramer, Farley, Jim, We're, Jim Cramer's, Rebecca Cook Organizations: Ford, U.S, Wall, U.S . Energy Department, SK, Blue, SK —, EV, it's EV, CNBC, Ford Motor Co, Amperex Technology Locations: Korean, U.S, Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , 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

☆ Two U.S. senators to automakers: don't remove AM radio from new vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators wrote seven major automakers on Friday urging them not to remove AM radio from new vehicles. "Preserving AM radio not only aligns with the growing recognition of its significance but also demonstrates a commitment to public safety and meeting consumer expectations," the senators wrote. Markey said last month the seven automakers had opted to remove AM broadcast radio from their electric vehicles. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers, said, "mandating AM radios in all vehicles is unnecessary. Automakers pointed to an existing system that distributes warnings across AM, FM, internet-based or satellite radio, and over cellular networks.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Ed Markey, Markey, Cruz, Jim Farley, Jessica Rosenworcel, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, Senate, Committee, BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Volvo Cars, Ford, The Alliance, Automotive Innovation, Federal Communications, Thomson

☆ Ford, SK joint venture set to receive $9.2 billion US government loan for battery plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department on Thursday said it intends to loan a joint venture of Ford Motor (F.N) and South Korean battery maker SK On up to $9.2 billion to help finance construction of three new battery manufacturing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. The conditional commitment for the low-cost government loan for the Blue Oval SK joint venture comes from the government's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. SK On is a unit of South Korea's SK Innovation (096770.KS). The joint venture is building battery manufacturing facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee capable of collectively producing more than 80 gigawatt hours annually. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Shepardson, Toby Chopra Organizations: U.S . Energy Department, Ford Motor, SK, Blue Oval SK, Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, South Korea's SK Innovation, Thomson Locations: Korean, Tennessee, Kentucky, South

☆ 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

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