Ford

We already reported that Geely, which also owns Volvo and Polestar, is the Chinese automaker best positioned to sell its vehicles in the US. Now the company is reportedly in talks with Ford about that exact possibility — though it seems that negotiations have already stalled. Ford is considering licensing Geely’s tech for its own cars, but there are heavy restrictions on Chinese software in US vehicles.

That’s Ford CEO Jim Farley to Car and Driver about the F-150 Lightning. The automaker recently discontinued the electric truck, after announcing a massive $19.5 billion write-down on its EV operations. “I mean, look, we didn’t know what we didn’t know,” Farley adds, admitting that Ford’s gas-engine “prejudice was so high that we hadn’t designed the [electric] cars right.” Now the company is betting that it can right-size its business with smaller, more aerodynamic EVs.

On X, Ford CEO Jim Farley posted several photos of the automaker’s Universal EV Project, calling it “one of the most audacious and important projects in @Ford’s history. American innovation is how we compete and win against China and the rest of the world.” The first EV, expected in 2027, will be a four-door, midsized $30,000 pickup truck.

Of all the Chinese automakers, Geely seems best positioned to sell its cars in the US. That may explain why Ford is considering a technology partnership with the parent company of brands like Polestar and Volvo. Reuters reports that Geely could use Ford factory space in Europe to produce vehicles for the region.

Lisa Drake, who previously served as vice president of technology platform programs and EV systems, is now in charge of the automaker’s energy division. Late last year, Ford downsized its EV ambitions, scrapped the F-150 Lightning, and announced a pivot to hybrids and battery storage systems to meet growing demand from AI data center construction. Drake will lead those efforts, which include “scale Ford Energy’s end-to-end operations, spanning design and development, battery cell and system manufacturing, and end customer sales.”

The Wall Street Journal cites unnamed sources at the company in its report on the electric truck’s possible demise.

Ford halted production of the F-150 Lightning at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. For now the automaker is prioritizing its gas and hybrid F-series trucks because they’re more profitable and use less aluminum. Ford is also still recovering from a September 16th fire at aluminum supplier Novelis’ plant in Oswego, New York.

IIHS moderate overlap crash test results for seven EVs show good ratings for the i4, Blazer EV, post-April 2025 Cybertruck, and ID.Buzz, and acceptable for Tesla’s Model 3. (No word on the door handles.)

The company is launching a new global ad campaign called “Ready Set Ford” that aims to put the spotlight on some its more under appreciated initiatives, like its Ford Pro commercial fleet business and its motorsports division. Ford is also pivoting from advertising that highlights its specific nameplates to a campaign that’s all about lifestyle, similar to how brands like Rivian are geared toward outdoorsy, adventure types. Lisa Materazzo, Ford Chief Marketing Officer, says:

Reddit users noticed that the Blue Oval appears to have deleted all the posts from its official Instagram account, as well as those dedicated to Bronco, trucks, EVs, and Mustang. Is the automaker just handing over control of its social media accounts to an outside PR company? Or is it planning to announce something big and wants to start from a blank slate? I’ve reached out to a few of the company’s media reps, and will report back if I hear anything.

Ford says it will complete the EV battery factory its building in Michigan, even without the generous tax breaks included in the (probably doomed) Inflation Reduction Act. The $3 billion factory is being built in Marshall, about 100 miles west of Detroit, in partnership with China’s CATL. That combination alone (an EV factory? with China?) makes it a likely target of Republicans who are in the process of gutting all the IRA’s clean energy investments. But Ford is sticking with its plan, even without generous tax breaks on the table.

The Blue Oval aims to tackle America’s mountain with a new Mustang Mach-E derived demonstrator with French racing impresario Romain Dumas behind the wheel. This is the third consecutive year that Ford is competing with an electric demonstrator at Pikes Peak, following the SuperVan 4.2 and F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.

Beginning May 2nd, prices on vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E EV could jump as much as $2,000, which Ford says will arrive in US dealer lots by late June. The news comes after Ford declared the Trump administration’s tariffs are adding about $2.5 billion of costs for the company in 2025.

The automaker started by offering nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries in its electric vehicles, and later added lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in 2023. “LMR is the answer to ‘what next?’” writes Charles Poon, Ford’s Global Director for Electrified Propulsion Engineering. LMR stands for “Lithium Manganese Rich,” which Poon says is safer, denser, and more cost-effective than other chemistries. And they’re coming close to fruition.