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Ford Motor Company made a $3 Billion dollar investment in a Marshall Michigan (pop just under 7000) plant (Near Battle Creek MI) to build batteries for electric cars.
While at the same time closing the $5.8 billion Blue Oval SK battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky. 1600 workers were laid off. (population 1900)
The Kentucky plant was to supply batteries for the F150 Lightening to be built in the Blue Oval City plant in Heywood County, Tennessee.
HOWEVER - the Federal Government stopped issuing incentives! The elimination of the $7,500 credit for new EVs and the $4,000 credit for used EVs, which ended September 30, 2025, significantly reduced EV demand and disrupted Ford’s long-term EV battery strategies.
Without incentives, a battery powered vehicle is more expensive than gasoline powered. The mass market moves based on dollars. With the wealthier buyer choosing battery power at times because they can.
The solution for Ford was to pivot! The Tennessee plant will produce gas powered trucks for model year 2029
Meanwhile, Lucid Motors just announced the layoff of 1500 workers or 18% of the work force in the Casa Grande, Arizona assembly plant. (Pop of Casa Grande is 69,000)
When the Government steps in to the business arena, more times than not it is a failure. The state of CA has a mandate for 2035 for 100% of new vehicles sold to have zero emissions. (ZEV) ZEV regulations are technology-forcing policies, incentivizing automakers to develop vehicles with longer electric ranges and lower emissions This is actually a tiered thing making it's way to 100% by model year 2035. Plus as always there are loop holes and exceptions. Which is a reason Ford split the company into two pieces several years ago. There is Ford Motor Company and Blue Oval. Blue Oval builds vehicles with electric power in some variation. My question in all of this legislation is what are the results?? Will we really get that much more significant cleaner air in the US?
Ford is sitting on $23 Billion in cash and cash equivalent accounts. (Which is slightly more than GM has) From the outside one might suggest, expand the North American market to other models that were built in the past. The problem is the Government. With a mandate to build a different power train in a short period of time, this becomes very expensive. Ford dropped $5.8 billion in Kentucky and ended up with nothing. When the Federal Government ended incentives in 2025, that market segment radically changed. Or fell off a cliff.
The current administration has paved the way for lower cost gasoline vehicles to be built. The unknown is what happens after 2028.
It is rather easy to write legislation. Execution become where the rubber meets the road.
And whatever happens, it is you and me that ultimately pays the bill. EVEN if you never buy a new vehicle again, the market changes radically when Uncle Sam steps into the marketplace. It might leave you breathless.
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While at the same time closing the $5.8 billion Blue Oval SK battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky. 1600 workers were laid off. (population 1900)
The Kentucky plant was to supply batteries for the F150 Lightening to be built in the Blue Oval City plant in Heywood County, Tennessee.
HOWEVER - the Federal Government stopped issuing incentives! The elimination of the $7,500 credit for new EVs and the $4,000 credit for used EVs, which ended September 30, 2025, significantly reduced EV demand and disrupted Ford’s long-term EV battery strategies.
Without incentives, a battery powered vehicle is more expensive than gasoline powered. The mass market moves based on dollars. With the wealthier buyer choosing battery power at times because they can.
The solution for Ford was to pivot! The Tennessee plant will produce gas powered trucks for model year 2029
Meanwhile, Lucid Motors just announced the layoff of 1500 workers or 18% of the work force in the Casa Grande, Arizona assembly plant. (Pop of Casa Grande is 69,000)
When the Government steps in to the business arena, more times than not it is a failure. The state of CA has a mandate for 2035 for 100% of new vehicles sold to have zero emissions. (ZEV) ZEV regulations are technology-forcing policies, incentivizing automakers to develop vehicles with longer electric ranges and lower emissions This is actually a tiered thing making it's way to 100% by model year 2035. Plus as always there are loop holes and exceptions. Which is a reason Ford split the company into two pieces several years ago. There is Ford Motor Company and Blue Oval. Blue Oval builds vehicles with electric power in some variation. My question in all of this legislation is what are the results?? Will we really get that much more significant cleaner air in the US?
Ford is sitting on $23 Billion in cash and cash equivalent accounts. (Which is slightly more than GM has) From the outside one might suggest, expand the North American market to other models that were built in the past. The problem is the Government. With a mandate to build a different power train in a short period of time, this becomes very expensive. Ford dropped $5.8 billion in Kentucky and ended up with nothing. When the Federal Government ended incentives in 2025, that market segment radically changed. Or fell off a cliff.
The current administration has paved the way for lower cost gasoline vehicles to be built. The unknown is what happens after 2028.
It is rather easy to write legislation. Execution become where the rubber meets the road.
And whatever happens, it is you and me that ultimately pays the bill. EVEN if you never buy a new vehicle again, the market changes radically when Uncle Sam steps into the marketplace. It might leave you breathless.
Action
