The American automotive giant Ford has announced it's return to Formula One in 2026 as it joins forces with world champions Red Bull. Watch further to know more.

U.S. Auto Gaint Ford set to make a F1 return

American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday.

Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards."

The company said they would provide the power units for both the Red Bull team and the Alpha Tauri team from 2026 until at least 2030.

"This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather (Henry Ford) won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, executive chair.

Ford last featured in F1 in 2004 when they were partnered with Jordan and their return is a further sign of the growth of the sport in the United States.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-niki-lauda-to-jules-bianchi-horrific-crashes-in-the-history-of-formula-1-466040">Read more:&nbsp;From Niki Lauda to Jules Bianchi: Horrific crashes in the history of Formula 1</a>

Ford have played a part in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships – making them the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history with their most recent success coming via Michael Schumacher's win with Benetton in 1994.

Red Bull unveiled their new car for the upcoming season at an event in New York on Friday and team principal Christian Horner said he was looking forward to the link-up.

"It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” he said.

"They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting," he said.

The companies will begin collaborating this year ahead of the change of regulations for engines in F1 and the news was welcomed by Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali.

"The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One," said Domenicali.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-extends-formula-1-deal-saudi-arabia-to-kickoff-2024-season-543369">Read more:&nbsp;Australia extends Formula 1 deal, Saudi Arabia to kickoff 2024 season</a>

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American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday. Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards.

American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday. Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards." The company said they would provide the power units for both the Red Bull team and the Alpha Tauri team from 2026 until at least 2030. "This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather (Henry Ford) won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, executive chair. Ford last featured in F1 in 2004 when they were partnered with Jordan and their return is a further sign of the growth of the sport in the United States. Read more: From Niki Lauda to Jules Bianchi: Horrific crashes in the history of Formula 1 Ford have played a part in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships – making them the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history with their most recent success coming via Michael Schumacher's win with Benetton in 1994. Red Bull unveiled their new car for the upcoming season at an event in New York on Friday and team principal Christian Horner said he was looking forward to the link-up. "It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” he said. "They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting," he said. The companies will begin collaborating this year ahead of the change of regulations for engines in F1 and the news was welcomed by Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali. "The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One," said Domenicali. Read more: Australia extends Formula 1 deal, Saudi Arabia to kickoff 2024 season WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ford officially returns to F1 in a new partnership with Red Bull

Ford Motor Company plans to cut up to 3,200 jobs across Europe and move some product development work to the United States, Germany's IG Metall union said, vowing action that would disrupt the carmaker across the continent if the cuts go ahead.

Ford to cut 3200 jobs in Europe, aims to move some product development back

US automaker Ford plans to eliminate 3,200 jobs in Germany and expressed its&nbsp;concern for the future of the company's facilities in the continent's largest economy.&nbsp;The announcement coincided with concerns in the EU that companies would relocate their operations to the US as a result of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which was recently approved and provides tax breaks for batteries and electric automobiles built in the US.

The majority of the job cuts, according to a spokeswoman for the IG Metall union, would occur in Cologne, where Ford has a sizable facility, however, all locations around Germany are under threat.

"We at IG Metall are extremely concerned about the future of the German development divisions and, as a whole, about the future of the German Ford sites," said a statement from the union after an extraordinary meeting with management.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/swiggy-lays-off-380-employees-ceo-apologises-for-the-extremely-difficult-decision-554448">Swiggy lays off 380 employees, CEO apologises for the 'extremely difficult decision'</a>

Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.&nbsp;

The development centre has "successfully designed models for the European market, which often brought global success for the company,"&nbsp;according to IG Metall, a union that represents employees in the important electrical and metal industries.

If given the opportunity, Ford's German employees can continue to create popular electric vehicles for Europe, according to the union.

Also watch |&nbsp;Music giant Spotify Inc. to cut jobs: Layoffs to start as soon as this week

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However, IG Metall warned that the US business risked "taking the axe to its own future" with the proposed layoffs and urged the automaker to rethink the decision.

Ford recently announced that it will significantly increase its investment in Germany in an effort to sell all of its passenger cars as electrified by 2030.

(With inputs from agencies)

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US automaker Ford plans to eliminate 3,200 jobs in Germany and expressed its concern for the future of the company's facilities in the continent's largest economy.

US automaker Ford plans to eliminate 3,200 jobs in Germany and expressed its concern for the future of the company's facilities in the continent's largest economy. The announcement coincided with concerns in the EU that companies would relocate their operations to the US as a result of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which was recently approved and provides tax breaks for batteries and electric automobiles built in the US. The majority of the job cuts, according to a spokeswoman for the IG Metall union, would occur in Cologne, where Ford has a sizable facility, however, all locations around Germany are under threat. "We at IG Metall are extremely concerned about the future of the German development divisions and, as a whole, about the future of the German Ford sites," said a statement from the union after an extraordinary meeting with management. Also read | Swiggy lays off 380 employees, CEO apologises for the 'extremely difficult decision' Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP. The development centre has "successfully designed models for the European market, which often brought global success for the company," according to IG Metall, a union that represents employees in the important electrical and metal industries. If given the opportunity, Ford's German employees can continue to create popular electric vehicles for Europe, according to the union. Also watch | Music giant Spotify Inc. to cut jobs: Layoffs to start as soon as this week However, IG Metall warned that the US business risked "taking the axe to its own future" with the proposed layoffs and urged the automaker to rethink the decision. Ford recently announced that it will significantly increase its investment in Germany in an effort to sell all of its passenger cars as electrified by 2030. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ford to cut 3,200 jobs in Europe; plans to move some work to the US

Ford is recalling over 600,000 SUV's worldwide over fire risks from possible cracked fuel injectors and urged owners to have their cars inspected. Watch full video to know more.

World Business Watch | Ford recalls over 600,000 SUVs over fire risks

Ford has disbanded ARGO AI, the company making autonomous vehicles for Ford. Tesla is under investigation. Is the automobile industry taking a U-turn on AI? Molly Gambhir tells you more

Gravitas: Are AI cars losing ground?

Ford and Volkswagen, two of the largest automakers in the world are shutting down the joint effort to develop self-driving through the startup. Argo AI reports ford concluded that large-scale profitable commercialisation of self-driving cars was further out than expected.

World Business Watch: Blow to self-driving car industry; Ford, Volkswagen pull plug on Robotaxis

Car manufacturing of Ford Motors is unable to deliver vehicles as it does not have its signature blue brand name badges and nameplates that specify the car models.

WION Fineprint: Ford falls short of brand-name images

The disruption in the supply chain, labour shortage, and a plethora of other factors have hampered the deliveries of cars across the globe. While most auto companies are troubled by the lack of semiconductors, Ford Motors is facing a rather unique problem.

The disruption in the supply chain, labour shortage, and a plethora of other factors have hampered the deliveries of cars across the globe. While most auto companies are troubled by the lack of semiconductors, Ford Motors is facing a rather unique problem. Reportedly, the US-based car manufacturer has had to delay its deliveries because it didn’t have the blue oval badges that are usually strapped on the exterior of its vehicles. The iconic blue-coloured badge with Ford written on it has been one of the most identifiable features of the car brand. However, due to supply chain constraints, the company is unable to get its hands on the badges and car model-specific nameplates. Read more: Ford confirms it will layoff about 3,000 employees globally amid restructuring Some reports suggest that Ford has considered workarounds such as 3-D printing the badge. However, it dropped the plan after the 3-D printed insignia did not meet the standards of quality. According to Ford, the snarl (whether only caused by badges or another item is yet not known) has impacted the deliveries of its cars, including the popular F-series pickup trucks. Data suggest that approximately 40,000 to 45,000 Ford vehicles, at the end of the third quarter, have not been shipped to the dealers because they do not have some of the important parts. The global auto industry has been wrestling with various supply-chain disruptions for more than a year. Semiconductor has been one of the most sought-after piece of equipment that has been hard to come by. However, the fact that Ford cannot get its hands on basic equipment such as a badge suggests that the supply chain crisis goes beyond a silicon chip. While there is a backlog of deliveries, Ford has not made matters easier for itself by recently recalling more than 200,000 SUVs in the United States due to some issues with the fan motors. Read more: Ford recalls over 200,000 SUVs as faulty fan motor leads to fire incidents As reported by WION, the recalled cars were mainly Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2015 through 2017 model years. This was the second time that these car models have been recalled in the last six months (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Shortage of Ford’s iconic oval blue-coloured badge hits car deliveries

Ford has said inflation-related supplier costs will run about $1 billion higher than expected in the current quarter. It can also result in the firm lacking parts for around 50,000 vehicles.

World Business Watch: Ford sees inflation lifting quarterly supply costs by $1 billion

US automobile major Ford is recalling a 198,000 SUVs in the country after 25 fire incidents were reported in these vehicles. There would be an additional recall for 1,175 Mustang Mach-e electric vehicles because of a manufacturing defect.

Fire risk leads to massive Ford SUV recall, around 0.5 million vehicles recalled in 1 week

Ford Motor Co was dealt a blow as they were forced to recall more than 200,000 SUVs in the United States due to some issues with the fan motors. In the recent past, a number of cars manufactured by the company caught fire due to the heating and cooling of the fan motors, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The recalled cars were mainly Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2015 through 2017 model years. This was the second time that these car models were recalled in the last six months.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-and-his-supporters-are-threat-to-democracy-says-joe-biden-512218">Donald Trump and his supporters are 'threat to American democracy': Joe Biden</a>

Back in May this year, Ford recalled around 66,000 cars from the 2021 model year. There were a number of complaints regarding engine fires and the company had identified circuit boards as the main problem.

According to documents submitted by the company to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the engine fires have resurfaced but this time, the cause is something different.&nbsp;

The documents claimed that 25 such fires were reported by the customers and it was mainly due to the fan motors. Twelve out of them ended up causing massive damage to the cars while in one instance, the driver reported injuries to their hand and fingers, according to documents accessed by Reuters.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison-for-electoral-fraud-512272">Myanmar's Suu Kyi sentenced to three years in prison for electoral fraud</a>

While there were reports that the company has advised the users to keep their cars outside, Ford denied it and it has announced that they will replace the front blower motor assembly at no cost to the owners. The process will start on September 12 and will cover all complainants.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ford Motor Co was dealt a blow as they were forced to recall more than 200,000 SUVs in the United States due to some issues with the fan motors. In the recent past, a number of cars manufactured by the company caught fire due to the heating and cooling of the fan motors, Reuters reported.

Ford Motor Co was dealt a blow as they were forced to recall more than 200,000 SUVs in the United States due to some issues with the fan motors. In the recent past, a number of cars manufactured by the company caught fire due to the heating and cooling of the fan motors, Reuters reported. The recalled cars were mainly Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2015 through 2017 model years. This was the second time that these car models were recalled in the last six months. Also read | Donald Trump and his supporters are 'threat to American democracy': Joe Biden Back in May this year, Ford recalled around 66,000 cars from the 2021 model year. There were a number of complaints regarding engine fires and the company had identified circuit boards as the main problem. According to documents submitted by the company to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the engine fires have resurfaced but this time, the cause is something different. The documents claimed that 25 such fires were reported by the customers and it was mainly due to the fan motors. Twelve out of them ended up causing massive damage to the cars while in one instance, the driver reported injuries to their hand and fingers, according to documents accessed by Reuters. Also read | Myanmar's Suu Kyi sentenced to three years in prison for electoral fraud While there were reports that the company has advised the users to keep their cars outside, Ford denied it and it has announced that they will replace the front blower motor assembly at no cost to the owners. The process will start on September 12 and will cover all complainants. (With inputs from agencies)

Ford recalls over 200,000 SUVs as faulty fan motor leads to fire incidents

Ford plans to cut 3,000 jobs across the US, Canada and India, the automaker said in a letter to employees, describing the reductions as part of a "reshaping" to get more competitive in the electric vehicle (EV) market.

Ford to layoff 3,000 employees in US, Canada, India to get competitive in electric vehicle market

Ford Motors has confirmed that it is going ahead with layoffs, a move that was being speculated for a long time. The decision will affect about 3,000 jobs in the US, Canada and India, including salaried and contractual employees. It has also started notifying workers about the same through internal e-mail, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Ford had&nbsp;reportedly been planning to layoff employees as it is moving ahead with its plans to focus on electric vehicles.&nbsp;

During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, Chief Executive Jim Farley had hinted at the job cuts. Bloomberg had also reported in July that Ford could cut up to 8,000 jobs.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-electric-vehicle-push-fords-closed-factories-in-india-may-be-reopened-report-470522">In electric vehicle push, Ford's closed factories in India may be reopened: Report</a>

Earlier in March, the automaker had announced the decision to split itself into two businesses and “go all in” on electric vehicles. One of its auto businesses will focus on electric vehicles, dubbed Ford Model e, while the other will work on internal combustion engines, called Ford Blue.&nbsp;

Chief Executive Farley had said, "Ford is going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us startup speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model e together with Ford Blue’s industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that startups can only dream about." 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Ford Motors has confirmed that it is going ahead with layoffs, a move that was being speculated for a long time. The decision will affect about 3,000 jobs in the US, Canada and India, including salaried and contractual employees.

Ford Motors has confirmed that it is going ahead with layoffs, a move that was being speculated for a long time. The decision will affect about 3,000 jobs in the US, Canada and India, including salaried and contractual employees. It has also started notifying workers about the same through internal e-mail, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Ford had reportedly been planning to layoff employees as it is moving ahead with its plans to focus on electric vehicles. During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, Chief Executive Jim Farley had hinted at the job cuts. Bloomberg had also reported in July that Ford could cut up to 8,000 jobs. Also Read | In electric vehicle push, Ford's closed factories in India may be reopened: Report Earlier in March, the automaker had announced the decision to split itself into two businesses and “go all in” on electric vehicles. One of its auto businesses will focus on electric vehicles, dubbed Ford Model e, while the other will work on internal combustion engines, called Ford Blue. Chief Executive Farley had said, "Ford is going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us startup speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model e together with Ford Blue’s industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that startups can only dream about." (With inputs from agencies)

Ford confirms it will layoff about 3,000 employees globally amid restructuring

India: Tata Motors Ltd signed an agreement on Sunday to buy Ford Motor’s manufacturing plant in the western state of Gujarat for 7.26 billion rupees.

Tata motors to buy Ford's India plant

Tata Motors has signed an agreement to buy Ford Motor’s manufacturing unit in India’s western Gujarat state for Rs 7.26 billion rupees ($91.5 million).

The agreement signed between the Indian automaker's subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd and Ford India Pvt Ltd (FIPL) includes land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and equipment, and also covers all the employees, pegged at 1,400, in Sanand.

On Sunday, the two companies signed a unit transfer agreement (UTA), Tata Motors said in a statement.

“With our manufacturing capacity nearing saturation, this acquisition is timely and a win-win for all stakeholders,” it said.

Ford’s manufacturing unit is near the existing manufacturing plant of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited. The Indian automaker said that the acquisition of the Sanand plant will unlock a manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per year that could increase to 420,000.

Watch |&nbsp;Tata motors to buy Ford's India plant

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It added that Ford India will continue to operate its powertrain manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain manufacturing plant from Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on mutually agreed terms.

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, in a statement said, "The agreement with FIPL signed today is beneficial to all stakeholders and reflects Tata Motors' strong aspiration to further strengthen its market position in the Passenger Vehicles segment and to continue to build on its leadership position in the Electric Vehicle segment. It will accelerate the growth and development of the Indian auto industry by taking a progressive step forward towards building a future-ready Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat".&nbsp;

Last year, Ford stopped production in the country after failing to make a dent in the Indian passenger vehicle market despite having a presence for over two decades. It had captured less than 2 per cent of the vehicle market.

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Tata Motors has signed an agreement to buy Ford Motor’s manufacturing unit in India’s western Gujarat state for Rs 7.26 billion rupees ($91.5 million). The agreement signed between the Indian automaker's subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd and Ford India Pvt Ltd (FIPL) includes land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and equipment, and also covers all the employees, pegged at 1,400, in Sanand.

Tata Motors has signed an agreement to buy Ford Motor’s manufacturing unit in India’s western Gujarat state for Rs 7.26 billion rupees ($91.5 million). The agreement signed between the Indian automaker's subsidiary Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd and Ford India Pvt Ltd (FIPL) includes land and buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and equipment, and also covers all the employees, pegged at 1,400, in Sanand. On Sunday, the two companies signed a unit transfer agreement (UTA), Tata Motors said in a statement. “With our manufacturing capacity nearing saturation, this acquisition is timely and a win-win for all stakeholders,” it said. Ford’s manufacturing unit is near the existing manufacturing plant of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited. The Indian automaker said that the acquisition of the Sanand plant will unlock a manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per year that could increase to 420,000. Watch | Tata motors to buy Ford's India plant It added that Ford India will continue to operate its powertrain manufacturing facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain manufacturing plant from Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on mutually agreed terms. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, in a statement said, "The agreement with FIPL signed today is beneficial to all stakeholders and reflects Tata Motors' strong aspiration to further strengthen its market position in the Passenger Vehicles segment and to continue to build on its leadership position in the Electric Vehicle segment. It will accelerate the growth and development of the Indian auto industry by taking a progressive step forward towards building a future-ready Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat". Last year, Ford stopped production in the country after failing to make a dent in the Indian passenger vehicle market despite having a presence for over two decades. It had captured less than 2 per cent of the vehicle market. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Tata Motors to acquire Ford’s Indian manufacturing plant for over $91 million

With an aim to reduce costs and putting more investments in EV space, America's Ford is planning to cut up to 8,000 jobs in the coming weeks.

Ford to cut thousands of jobs to help fund EV investments

Ford Motor Co is recalling nearly million vehicles due to a gear shifting problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 5 car models to be recalled as defects do not allow gear system to work appropriately.

Ford recalls nearly 3 million vehicles in US again

US auto major Ford has wrapped up India operations and now it's left over assets are being taken over by Indian firms. Indian automaker Tata motors has signed an agreement to potentially buy a Ford motor manufacturing facility in the Western state of Gujarat.

Indian Auto giant Tata Motors to buy Ford's plant

Indian auto giant Tata to buy Ford motor's India plant

US automaker Ford has dropped plans to make Electric Vehicles in India for exports. While it explodes options for its two factories in the country that stopped manufacturing last year so Ford is in the dilemma as to what to do with these factories but it has right now taken a U-Turn on its plans to make electric vehicles in the country.

US automaker Ford makes U-Turn on India EV plans

Ford Motor Co on Thursday said that plans to make electric vehicles for export from India were dropped. It is exploring options for its two factories in the country that have stopped production. The production was stopped last year.

The US&nbsp;carmaker said in February it would manufacture EVs in India and also got approval for the Indian government's $3.5-billion production-linked incentive scheme for making clean-fuel vehicles.

"After careful review, we have decided to no longer pursue EV manufacturing for exports from any of the Indian plants," a spokesperson for Ford India said in an email to Reuters.

There were no further details from the company on its U-turn. Reuters said that the company is going ahead with its business restructuring plans.

"We continue to work closely with unions and other stakeholders to deliver an equitable and balanced plan to mitigate the impacts of restructuring," the spokesperson added.

Talks for the sale of the Sanand plant in Gujarat with Tata Motors were progressing well, while Ford was pursuing multiple suitors for its Chennai factory, India's Economic Times newspaper said in a report, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ford had said earlier that it was considering production of electric vehicles for export from India.

The company had less than 2% of the Indian passenger vehicle market when it stopped production in the country last year, having struggled for more than two decades to generate profits.

Several car makers are planning to make EVs in India, with the government offering billions of dollars in incentives to build EVs and their parts locally as it seeks to cut oil imports and pollution.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ford Motor Co on Thursday said that plans to make electric vehicles for export from India were dropped. It is exploring options for its two factories in the country that have stopped production.

Ford Motor Co on Thursday said that plans to make electric vehicles for export from India were dropped. It is exploring options for its two factories in the country that have stopped production. The production was stopped last year. The US carmaker said in February it would manufacture EVs in India and also got approval for the Indian government's $3.5-billion production-linked incentive scheme for making clean-fuel vehicles. "After careful review, we have decided to no longer pursue EV manufacturing for exports from any of the Indian plants," a spokesperson for Ford India said in an email to Reuters. There were no further details from the company on its U-turn. Reuters said that the company is going ahead with its business restructuring plans. "We continue to work closely with unions and other stakeholders to deliver an equitable and balanced plan to mitigate the impacts of restructuring," the spokesperson added. Talks for the sale of the Sanand plant in Gujarat with Tata Motors were progressing well, while Ford was pursuing multiple suitors for its Chennai factory, India's Economic Times newspaper said in a report, citing people familiar with the matter. Ford had said earlier that it was considering production of electric vehicles for export from India. The company had less than 2% of the Indian passenger vehicle market when it stopped production in the country last year, having struggled for more than two decades to generate profits. Several car makers are planning to make EVs in India, with the government offering billions of dollars in incentives to build EVs and their parts locally as it seeks to cut oil imports and pollution. (With inputs from agencies) Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

U-turn from Ford, will not make electric vehicles in India for exports 

Ford motor has announced a new range of lightning electric pickup trucks and automaker has openly challenged Tesla and all either EV makers globally, how has it happened take a look at this story.

Ford to dominate EV market with new range of lightning electric pickup truck

American Automobile giant Ford has vowed to triple planned production as it unveils a new electric truck. Ford is planning to set the bar high for the EV market.

Ford vows to triple planned production as it unveils new electric truck

Last year in September, US carmaker Ford announced that it will stop manufacturing vehicles in India due to accumulating losses of more than $2 billion. Ford had two manufacturing plants in India - one in Sanand (Gujarat) and one in Chennai (Tamil Nadu).&nbsp;

Now, the shuttered factories may be reborn and contribute to the nation's EV push. The Economic Times newspaper reported last week that the government in Tamil Nadu is "holding talks with Ford" to explore if its factory there can be "converted to a plant manufacturing and exporting electric vehicles".&nbsp;

The report also quoted Ford as saying that it was "exploring the possibility of using a plant in India as an export base."&nbsp;

Another report by the same media outlet, which was published three weeks ago, noted that Tata Motors is in advanced negotiations to take over Ford India's Sanand plant in Gujarat.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co said on Monday (April 11) it has signed a preliminary deal to buy lithium from a Lake Resources NL facility in Argentina, marking the first time the automaker has publicly announced where it will procure the electric vehicle battery metal.&nbsp;

The deal is a major bet by Ford on direct lithium extraction (DLE), a relatively new breed of technology that filters the metal from brines and uses far less acreage than open-pit mines and evaporation ponds.&nbsp;

Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said in February that his company was working on deals to secure supply of key raw materials for batteries such as lithium, nickel, rare earths and copper.&nbsp;

"This is one of several agreements we're exploring to help Ford secure raw materials to support our aggressive EV acceleration plan," said Ford spokesperson Jennifer Flake.&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)

Last year in September, US carmaker Ford announced that it will stop manufacturing vehicles in India due to accumulating losses of more than $2 billion. Ford had two manufacturing plants in India - one in Sanand (Gujarat) and one in Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Last year in September, US carmaker Ford announced that it will stop manufacturing vehicles in India due to accumulating losses of more than $2 billion. Ford had two manufacturing plants in India - one in Sanand (Gujarat) and one in Chennai (Tamil Nadu). Now, the shuttered factories may be reborn and contribute to the nation's EV push. The Economic Times newspaper reported last week that the government in Tamil Nadu is "holding talks with Ford" to explore if its factory there can be "converted to a plant manufacturing and exporting electric vehicles". The report also quoted Ford as saying that it was "exploring the possibility of using a plant in India as an export base." Another report by the same media outlet, which was published three weeks ago, noted that Tata Motors is in advanced negotiations to take over Ford India's Sanand plant in Gujarat. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co said on Monday (April 11) it has signed a preliminary deal to buy lithium from a Lake Resources NL facility in Argentina, marking the first time the automaker has publicly announced where it will procure the electric vehicle battery metal. The deal is a major bet by Ford on direct lithium extraction (DLE), a relatively new breed of technology that filters the metal from brines and uses far less acreage than open-pit mines and evaporation ponds. Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said in February that his company was working on deals to secure supply of key raw materials for batteries such as lithium, nickel, rare earths and copper. "This is one of several agreements we're exploring to help Ford secure raw materials to support our aggressive EV acceleration plan," said Ford spokesperson Jennifer Flake. × (With inputs from agencies)

In electric vehicle push, Ford's closed factories in India may be reopened: Report

Ford motor and general motors will each halt manufacturing next week at a Michigan plant it's due to part shortages. Number two US automaker Ford said it would suspend manufacturing at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant next week where it builds the Mustang.

Ford, GM to halt production in United States

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called US President Joe Biden as a “damp sock puppet in human form” after he was snubbed from a White House summit meeting of top business leaders, including the CEOs of General Motors and Ford.

Musk was riled up when Biden left out the name of Tesla in a Twitter post where he said, “Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before.”

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I meant it when I said the future was going to be made right here in America. Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before. <a href="https://t.co/5E3ecA93MR">pic.twitter.com/5E3ecA93MR</a>
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1486494532007079937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Replying to Biden's Twitter post, Musk wrote the name of "Tesla" in all caps. In another tweet, he said, "Biden is a damp Socks puppet in human form."

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Starts with a T 
Ends with an A 
ESL in the middle
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Musk also said that "Biden is treating the American public like fools".

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Biden is a damp 🧦 puppet in human form
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Biden's Twitter post came hours after he concluded&nbsp;his meeting with CEOs of General Motors and Ford at the White House, along with other business leaders to discuss his administration's “Build Back Better” legislation.

When asked why Tesla was not included in that event, White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted the three firms in attendance were “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers” — an indication that Tesla was snubbed because its hourly employees aren’t unionized, reported the New York Post.

This is the second time that Musk was purposefully left out of the meeting.

Last year, Biden invited executives from these companies last year when signed an executive order with the goal of making all vehicles sold in the US electric by 2030.

Musk addressed Tesla’s exclusion from the electric vehicle summit at the Code Conference in California last September.

The billionaire noted that White House officials “didn’t mention Tesla once.”

He accused the Biden administration of being "a little biased" and "seems to be" controlled by unions.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called US President Joe Biden as a “damp sock puppet in human form” after he was snubbed from a White House summit meeting of top business leaders, including the CEOs of General Motors and Ford.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called US President Joe Biden as a “damp sock puppet in human form” after he was snubbed from a White House summit meeting of top business leaders, including the CEOs of General Motors and Ford. Musk was riled up when Biden left out the name of Tesla in a Twitter post where he said, “Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before.” I meant it when I said the future was going to be made right here in America. Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before. pic.twitter.com/5E3ecA93MR — President Biden (@POTUS) January 27, 2022 × Replying to Biden's Twitter post, Musk wrote the name of "Tesla" in all caps. In another tweet, he said, "Biden is a damp Socks puppet in human form." Starts with a T Ends with an A ESL in the middle — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022 × Musk also said that "Biden is treating the American public like fools". Biden is a damp 🧦 puppet in human form — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022 × Biden's Twitter post came hours after he concluded his meeting with CEOs of General Motors and Ford at the White House, along with other business leaders to discuss his administration's “Build Back Better” legislation. When asked why Tesla was not included in that event, White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted the three firms in attendance were “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers” — an indication that Tesla was snubbed because its hourly employees aren’t unionized, reported the New York Post. This is the second time that Musk was purposefully left out of the meeting. Last year, Biden invited executives from these companies last year when signed an executive order with the goal of making all vehicles sold in the US electric by 2030. Musk addressed Tesla’s exclusion from the electric vehicle summit at the Code Conference in California last September. The billionaire noted that White House officials “didn’t mention Tesla once.” He accused the Biden administration of being "a little biased" and "seems to be" controlled by unions. (With inputs from agencies)

'Biden is a damp sock puppet’: Musk reacts angrily after White House CEO summit snub

For much of last year, established automakers like General Motors and Ford Motor Co. operated in a different reality from Tesla, the electric car company.

GM and Ford closed one factory after another — sometimes for months on end — because of a shortage of computer chips, leaving dealer lots bare and sending car prices zooming. Yet Tesla racked up record sales quarter after quarter and ended the year having sold nearly twice as many vehicles as it did in 2020, unhindered by an industrywide crisis.

Tesla’s ability to conjure up critical components has a greater significance than one year’s car sales. It suggests that the company, and possibly other young electric car businesses, could threaten the dominance of giants like Volkswagen and GM sooner and more forcefully than most industry executives and policymakers realize. That would help the effort to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change by displacing more gasoline-powered cars sooner. But it could hurt the millions of workers, thousands of suppliers and numerous local and national governments that rely on traditional auto production for jobs, business and tax revenue.

Tesla and its enigmatic CEO, Elon Musk, have said little about how the carmaker ran circles around the rest of the auto industry. Now it’s becoming clear that the company simply had a superior command of technology and its own supply chain. Tesla appeared to better forecast demand than businesses that produce many more cars than it does. Other automakers were surprised by how quickly the car market recovered from a steep drop early in the pandemic and had simply not ordered enough chips and parts fast enough.

When Tesla couldn’t get the chips it had counted on, it took the ones that were available and rewrote the software that operated them to suit its needs. Larger auto companies couldn’t do that because they relied on outside suppliers for much of their software and computing expertise. In many cases, automakers also relied on these suppliers to deal with chip manufacturers. When the crisis hit, the automakers lacked bargaining clout.

Just a few years ago, analysts saw Musk’s insistence on having Tesla do more things on its own as one of the main reasons the company was struggling to increase production. Now, his strategy appears to have been vindicated.

Cars are becoming increasingly digital, defined by their software as much as their engines and transmissions. It’s a reality that some old-line car companies increasingly acknowledge. Many, including Ford and Mercedes-Benz, have said in recent months that they are hiring engineers and programmers to design their own chips and write their own software.

“Tesla, born in Silicon Valley, never outsourced their software. They write their own code,” said Morris Cohen, a professor emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in manufacturing and logistics. “They rewrote the software so they could replace chips in short supply with chips not in short supply. The other carmakers were not able to do that.”

“Tesla controlled its destiny,” Cohen added.

Tesla sold 936,000 cars globally in 2021, an 87% increase for the year. Ford, GM and Stellantis, the company formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot, all sold fewer cars in 2021 than they did in 2020.

Measured by vehicles delivered globally, Tesla vaulted past Volvo and Subaru in 2021, and some analysts predicted that it could sell 2 million cars this year, as factories in Berlin and Austin, Texas, come online and a plant in Shanghai ramps up production. That would put Tesla in the same league as BMW and Mercedes — something few in the industry thought possible just a couple of years ago.

GM and Ford, of course, sell many more cars and trucks. Both companies said last week that they sold around 2 million vehicles last year just in the United States.

Tesla, which rarely answers questions from reporters, did not respond to a request for comment for this article. It has said little publicly about how it managed to soar in a down market.

“We have used alternative parts and programmed software to mitigate the challenges caused by these shortages,” the company said in its third-quarter earnings report.

The performance is a stark turnaround from 2018, when Tesla’s production and supply problems made it an industry laughingstock. Many of the manufacturing snafus stemmed from Musk’s insistence that the company make many parts itself.

Other car companies have realized that they need to do some of what Musk and Tesla have been doing all along and are in the process of taking control of their onboard computer systems.

Mercedes, for example, plans to use fewer specialized chips in coming models and more standardized semiconductors, and to write its own software, said Markus Schäfer, a member of the German carmaker’s management board who oversees procurement.

In the future, Mercedes will “make sure we have customized, standardized chips in the car,” Schäfer said in an interview Wednesday. “Not 1,000 different chips.”

Mercedes will also design its own vehicle hardware, he said. Without mentioning Tesla, Schäfer added, “Probably some others were earlier going down this road.”

Doing more on its own also helps explain why Tesla avoided shortages of batteries, which have limited companies like Ford and GM from selling lots of electric cars. In 2014, when most carmakers were still debating whether electric vehicles would ever amount to anything, Tesla broke ground on what it called a gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada, to produce batteries with its partner, Panasonic. Now, that factory helps ensure a reliable supply.

“It was a big risk,” said Ryan Melsert, a former Tesla executive who was involved in construction of the Nevada plant. “But because they have made decisions early on to bring things in-house, they have much more control over their own fate.”

As Cohen of Wharton pointed out, Tesla’s approach is in many ways a throwback to the early days of the automobile, when Ford owned its own steel plants and rubber plantations. In recent decades, the conventional auto wisdom had it that manufacturers should concentrate on design and final assembly and farm out the rest to suppliers. That strategy helped reduce how much money big players tied up in factories but left them vulnerable to supply chain turmoil.

It also helps that Tesla is a much smaller company than Volkswagen and Toyota, which in a good year produce more than 10 million vehicles each. “It’s just a smaller supply chain to begin with,” said Melsert, who is now CEO of American Battery Technology Co., a recycling and mining firm.

The Tesla lineup is also more modest and easier to supply. The Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV accounted for almost all of the company’s sales in 2021. Tesla also offers fewer options than many of the traditional carmakers, which simplifies manufacturing.

“It’s a more streamlined approach,” said Phil Amsrud, a senior principal analyst who specializes in automotive semiconductors at IHS Markit, a research firm. “They are not trying to manage all these different configurations.”

Tesla software, which can be updated remotely, is considered the most sophisticated in the auto business. Even so, the company’s cars likely use fewer chips, analysts said, because the company controls functions like battery cooling and autonomous driving from a smaller number of centralized, onboard computers.

“Tesla has fewer boxes,” Amsrud said. “The fewer the components you need right now, the better.”

Of course, Tesla could still run into problems as it tries to replicate the growth it achieved in 2021 — it is aiming to increase sales about 50% a year for the next several years. The company acknowledged in its third-quarter report that its creative maneuvering around supply chain chaos might not work so well as it increased production and needed more chips and other parts.

The electric vehicle market is also becoming much more competitive as the traditional carmakers belatedly respond with models that people want to buy rather than the small electric vehicles typically made to appease regulators. Ford said this past week that it would nearly double production of the Lightning, an electric version of its popular F-150 pickup truck, because of strong demand. Tesla’s pickup truck won’t go on sale for at least another year.

The outlook for the traditional carmakers is likely to improve this year as shortages of semiconductors and other components ease, and as manufacturers get better at coping.

Tesla vehicles still suffer from quality problems. The company told regulators in December that it planned to recall more than 475,000 cars for two separate defects. One could cause the rearview camera to fail, and the other could cause the front hood to open unexpectedly. And federal regulators are investigating the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can accelerate, brake and steer a car on its own.

“Tesla will continue to grow,” said Stephen Beck, managing partner at cg42, a management consulting firm in New York. “But they are facing more competition than they ever have, and the competition is getting stronger.”

The carmaker’s fundamental advantage, which allowed it to sail through the chip crisis, will remain, however. Tesla builds nothing but electric vehicles and is unencumbered by habits and procedures that have been rendered obsolete by new technology. “Tesla started from a clean sheet of paper,” Amsrud said.

For much of last year, established automakers like General Motors and Ford Motor Co. operated in a different reality from Tesla, the electric car company. GM and Ford closed one factory after another — sometimes for months on end — because of a shortage of computer chips, leaving dealer lots bare and sending car prices zooming.

For much of last year, established automakers like General Motors and Ford Motor Co. operated in a different reality from Tesla, the electric car company. GM and Ford closed one factory after another — sometimes for months on end — because of a shortage of computer chips, leaving dealer lots bare and sending car prices zooming. Yet Tesla racked up record sales quarter after quarter and ended the year having sold nearly twice as many vehicles as it did in 2020, unhindered by an industrywide crisis. Tesla’s ability to conjure up critical components has a greater significance than one year’s car sales. It suggests that the company, and possibly other young electric car businesses, could threaten the dominance of giants like Volkswagen and GM sooner and more forcefully than most industry executives and policymakers realize. That would help the effort to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change by displacing more gasoline-powered cars sooner. But it could hurt the millions of workers, thousands of suppliers and numerous local and national governments that rely on traditional auto production for jobs, business and tax revenue. Tesla and its enigmatic CEO, Elon Musk, have said little about how the carmaker ran circles around the rest of the auto industry. Now it’s becoming clear that the company simply had a superior command of technology and its own supply chain. Tesla appeared to better forecast demand than businesses that produce many more cars than it does. Other automakers were surprised by how quickly the car market recovered from a steep drop early in the pandemic and had simply not ordered enough chips and parts fast enough. When Tesla couldn’t get the chips it had counted on, it took the ones that were available and rewrote the software that operated them to suit its needs. Larger auto companies couldn’t do that because they relied on outside suppliers for much of their software and computing expertise. In many cases, automakers also relied on these suppliers to deal with chip manufacturers. When the crisis hit, the automakers lacked bargaining clout. Just a few years ago, analysts saw Musk’s insistence on having Tesla do more things on its own as one of the main reasons the company was struggling to increase production. Now, his strategy appears to have been vindicated. Cars are becoming increasingly digital, defined by their software as much as their engines and transmissions. It’s a reality that some old-line car companies increasingly acknowledge. Many, including Ford and Mercedes-Benz, have said in recent months that they are hiring engineers and programmers to design their own chips and write their own software. “Tesla, born in Silicon Valley, never outsourced their software. They write their own code,” said Morris Cohen, a professor emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in manufacturing and logistics. “They rewrote the software so they could replace chips in short supply with chips not in short supply. The other carmakers were not able to do that.” “Tesla controlled its destiny,” Cohen added. Tesla sold 936,000 cars globally in 2021, an 87% increase for the year. Ford, GM and Stellantis, the company formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot, all sold fewer cars in 2021 than they did in 2020. Measured by vehicles delivered globally, Tesla vaulted past Volvo and Subaru in 2021, and some analysts predicted that it could sell 2 million cars this year, as factories in Berlin and Austin, Texas, come online and a plant in Shanghai ramps up production. That would put Tesla in the same league as BMW and Mercedes — something few in the industry thought possible just a couple of years ago. GM and Ford, of course, sell many more cars and trucks. Both companies said last week that they sold around 2 million vehicles last year just in the United States. Tesla, which rarely answers questions from reporters, did not respond to a request for comment for this article. It has said little publicly about how it managed to soar in a down market. “We have used alternative parts and programmed software to mitigate the challenges caused by these shortages,” the company said in its third-quarter earnings report. The performance is a stark turnaround from 2018, when Tesla’s production and supply problems made it an industry laughingstock. Many of the manufacturing snafus stemmed from Musk’s insistence that the company make many parts itself. Other car companies have realized that they need to do some of what Musk and Tesla have been doing all along and are in the process of taking control of their onboard computer systems. Mercedes, for example, plans to use fewer specialized chips in coming models and more standardized semiconductors, and to write its own software, said Markus Schäfer, a member of the German carmaker’s management board who oversees procurement. In the future, Mercedes will “make sure we have customized, standardized chips in the car,” Schäfer said in an interview Wednesday. “Not 1,000 different chips.” Mercedes will also design its own vehicle hardware, he said. Without mentioning Tesla, Schäfer added, “Probably some others were earlier going down this road.” Doing more on its own also helps explain why Tesla avoided shortages of batteries, which have limited companies like Ford and GM from selling lots of electric cars. In 2014, when most carmakers were still debating whether electric vehicles would ever amount to anything, Tesla broke ground on what it called a gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada, to produce batteries with its partner, Panasonic. Now, that factory helps ensure a reliable supply. “It was a big risk,” said Ryan Melsert, a former Tesla executive who was involved in construction of the Nevada plant. “But because they have made decisions early on to bring things in-house, they have much more control over their own fate.” As Cohen of Wharton pointed out, Tesla’s approach is in many ways a throwback to the early days of the automobile, when Ford owned its own steel plants and rubber plantations. In recent decades, the conventional auto wisdom had it that manufacturers should concentrate on design and final assembly and farm out the rest to suppliers. That strategy helped reduce how much money big players tied up in factories but left them vulnerable to supply chain turmoil. It also helps that Tesla is a much smaller company than Volkswagen and Toyota, which in a good year produce more than 10 million vehicles each. “It’s just a smaller supply chain to begin with,” said Melsert, who is now CEO of American Battery Technology Co., a recycling and mining firm. The Tesla lineup is also more modest and easier to supply. The Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV accounted for almost all of the company’s sales in 2021. Tesla also offers fewer options than many of the traditional carmakers, which simplifies manufacturing. “It’s a more streamlined approach,” said Phil Amsrud, a senior principal analyst who specializes in automotive semiconductors at IHS Markit, a research firm. “They are not trying to manage all these different configurations.” Tesla software, which can be updated remotely, is considered the most sophisticated in the auto business. Even so, the company’s cars likely use fewer chips, analysts said, because the company controls functions like battery cooling and autonomous driving from a smaller number of centralized, onboard computers. “Tesla has fewer boxes,” Amsrud said. “The fewer the components you need right now, the better.” Of course, Tesla could still run into problems as it tries to replicate the growth it achieved in 2021 — it is aiming to increase sales about 50% a year for the next several years. The company acknowledged in its third-quarter report that its creative maneuvering around supply chain chaos might not work so well as it increased production and needed more chips and other parts. The electric vehicle market is also becoming much more competitive as the traditional carmakers belatedly respond with models that people want to buy rather than the small electric vehicles typically made to appease regulators. Ford said this past week that it would nearly double production of the Lightning, an electric version of its popular F-150 pickup truck, because of strong demand. Tesla’s pickup truck won’t go on sale for at least another year. The outlook for the traditional carmakers is likely to improve this year as shortages of semiconductors and other components ease, and as manufacturers get better at coping. Tesla vehicles still suffer from quality problems. The company told regulators in December that it planned to recall more than 475,000 cars for two separate defects. One could cause the rearview camera to fail, and the other could cause the front hood to open unexpectedly. And federal regulators are investigating the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can accelerate, brake and steer a car on its own. “Tesla will continue to grow,” said Stephen Beck, managing partner at cg42, a management consulting firm in New York. “But they are facing more competition than they ever have, and the competition is getting stronger.” The carmaker’s fundamental advantage, which allowed it to sail through the chip crisis, will remain, however. Tesla builds nothing but electric vehicles and is unencumbered by habits and procedures that have been rendered obsolete by new technology. “Tesla started from a clean sheet of paper,” Amsrud said.

Why Tesla soared as other automakers struggled to make cars

Automakers line up electronic vehicle models to take on Tesla

The new design of Tesla's new Cybertruck has been captured by a drone. The electric-car maker's much-anticipated Cybertruck would come with a high-end four-motor variant.

Known for making eye-popping statements on social media, Musk said the truck's “wiper is what troubles [him] most” as they are “comically large.”

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BREAKING: New Tesla Cybertruck design spotted at Fremont test track!!! 
 
Source: <a href="https://t.co/OeVhsaq71h">https://t.co/OeVhsaq71h</a> <a href="https://t.co/VyyYpuZ48U">pic.twitter.com/VyyYpuZ48U</a>
— Sawyer Merritt 📈🚀 (@SawyerMerritt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1469353138893250570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Calling the electric pick-up truck "insane technology bandwagon," Musk said the Cybertruck would have both front and rear-wheel steer that would "not just (turn) like a tank – it can drive diagonally like a crab."

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CGI IRL
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1469360749629911045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The vehicle would compete with pickup trucks such as GMC's Hummer EV, Ford's F-150 Lightning, and Rivian's R1T.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-latest-innovation-troll-philanthropy-435952" hreflang="en">Elon Musk's latest innovation: Troll philanthropy</a>

Of those, R1T is driven by four individual motors powering all four wheels and GMC's Hummer can drive diagonally.

During its previous launch, the truck's supposedly unbreakable window glass splintered twice when hit with a large metal ball.

The failure overshadowed the truck’s slick unveiling, with some analysts panning its looks. The truck, a stainless-steel-covered triangle, resembles the much-derided Pontiac Aztek SUV sold by General Motors in the early 2000s.

With the truck, Tesla is gunning for buyers with fierce brand loyalty.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-is-thinking-of-quitting-his-jobs-and-becoming-an-influencer-435797" hreflang="en">Tesla CEO Elon Musk is thinking of quitting his jobs and becoming an influencer</a>

Tesla's pick-up truck, first announced in 2019, is made of stainless steel used in rockets and Musk has touted receiving several hundred thousand orders for the Cybertruck when preorders were opened.

Tesla’s pickup is more likely to appeal to weekend warriors who want an electric vehicle that can handle some outdoor adventure. And it could end up cutting into Tesla’s electric vehicle sedan sales instead of winning over traditional pickup truck drivers.

Musk said he would give updates on the product roadmap on the next earnings call. Cybertruck production is expected to begin next year and reach volume production in 2023.

Tesla has struggled to meet delivery targets for its sedans, and some fear the new vehicle will shift the company’s attention away from the goal of more consistently meeting its targets.

The company has so far avoided a major crisis from supply-chain woes and the global semiconductor shortage, issues that have hurt legacy automakers.

Musk is the world's richest person, worth $294 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The new design of Tesla's new Cybertruck has been captured by a drone. The electric-car maker's much-anticipated Cybertruck would come with a high-end four-motor variant.

The new design of Tesla's new Cybertruck has been captured by a drone. The electric-car maker's much-anticipated Cybertruck would come with a high-end four-motor variant. Known for making eye-popping statements on social media, Musk said the truck's “wiper is what troubles [him] most” as they are “comically large.” BREAKING: New Tesla Cybertruck design spotted at Fremont test track!!! Source: https://t.co/OeVhsaq71h pic.twitter.com/VyyYpuZ48U — Sawyer Merritt 📈🚀 (@SawyerMerritt) December 10, 2021 × Calling the electric pick-up truck "insane technology bandwagon," Musk said the Cybertruck would have both front and rear-wheel steer that would "not just (turn) like a tank – it can drive diagonally like a crab." CGI IRL — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2021 × The vehicle would compete with pickup trucks such as GMC's Hummer EV, Ford's F-150 Lightning, and Rivian's R1T. Also read | Elon Musk's latest innovation: Troll philanthropy Of those, R1T is driven by four individual motors powering all four wheels and GMC's Hummer can drive diagonally. During its previous launch, the truck's supposedly unbreakable window glass splintered twice when hit with a large metal ball. The failure overshadowed the truck’s slick unveiling, with some analysts panning its looks. The truck, a stainless-steel-covered triangle, resembles the much-derided Pontiac Aztek SUV sold by General Motors in the early 2000s. With the truck, Tesla is gunning for buyers with fierce brand loyalty. Also read | Tesla CEO Elon Musk is thinking of quitting his jobs and becoming an influencer Tesla's pick-up truck, first announced in 2019, is made of stainless steel used in rockets and Musk has touted receiving several hundred thousand orders for the Cybertruck when preorders were opened. Tesla’s pickup is more likely to appeal to weekend warriors who want an electric vehicle that can handle some outdoor adventure. And it could end up cutting into Tesla’s electric vehicle sedan sales instead of winning over traditional pickup truck drivers. Musk said he would give updates on the product roadmap on the next earnings call. Cybertruck production is expected to begin next year and reach volume production in 2023. Tesla has struggled to meet delivery targets for its sedans, and some fear the new vehicle will shift the company’s attention away from the goal of more consistently meeting its targets. The company has so far avoided a major crisis from supply-chain woes and the global semiconductor shortage, issues that have hurt legacy automakers. Musk is the world's richest person, worth $294 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. (With inputs from agencies)

Drone captures first look of Tesla Cybertruck; Elon Musk reveals biggest concern about it

The two automakers GM and Ford are cutting additional production due to the nagging semiconductor shortage. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, said it will extend by two weeks a halt to Chevrolet Blazer SUV production at its Ramos plant in Mexico because of the ongoing chips shortage as it resumes production at other North American plants.

Production cuts extended due to chips shortage

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