Ford and South Korean battery manufacturer SK On are getting a huge $9.63 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to build three battery manufacturing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky for electric vehicles.

In June 2023, it was initially revealed Ford and SK On would be getting a $9.2 billion loan to help with the construction of three factories. It’s unclear why the loan amount has increased, but it is the largest loan provided by the US government’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. This program aims to help American firms catch up with industry-leading Chinese battery makers.

Read: Rivian’s Georgia Plant Gets A $6.6 Billion Lifeline Thanks To Taxpayers

The money will be provided to Blue Oval SK, a joint venture operated by the two companies. They’ve already invested over $11 billion in the construction of the three plants. Production at the first of the two plants in Kentucky is scheduled to start in early 2025, while the Tennessee site will be ready to start manufacturing in late 2025.

When all three sites are up and running, they’ll be capable of producing 120 GWh of EV batteries annually.

Speaking with Reuters, Blue Oval SK said it took 18 months for the Department of Energy to complete the loan process due to the time needed to conduct due diligence, including market, credit, financial, legal, and regulatory reviews.

This isn’t the only significant EV loan announced in recent weeks; just before Donald Trump returns to the presidency, the DOE announced a conditional commitment to loan $7.54 billion to the joint venture operated by FCA US and Samsung SDI to establish two lithium-ion battery cell and module manufacturing plants in Kokomo, Indiana. Rivian also recently received approval for a $6.57 billion loan from the DOE, although that loan has come under the microscope of Vivek Ramaswamy, who will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk.

We’re constantly hearing about an EV downturn and how automakers are changing their electrification strategies because consumers aren’t consuming. And sure, sales of electric cars are down in countries like Germany, but in the US people are still buying EVs, and they’re buying more of them than they did 12 months ago.

EV registrations climbed 5 percent in October versus the same month in 2023, topping out at 101,403, according to data from S&P Global Mobility. And it wasn’t Tesla driving that growth, but legacy automakers.

Related: Global EV Sales Shatter Records In November Thanks To China’s Unstoppable Growth

Chevrolet’s EV sales jumped 38 percent to 6,741 helped by demand for the Blazer and Equinox, while Cadillac Lyriq registrations grew threefold to 2,489 and the Hummer shifted 1,015 electric trucks, four times as many as it did last October. 

Like the Equinox, Honda’s Prologue, which is built on the same GM platform and in the same Mexican GM plant, wasn’t available in 2023, but made its presence felt this year. It found 4,168 homes, only 12 fewer than Chevy did of its version. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 facelift also gave its sales numbers the desired nip and tuck, boosting registrations from 3,555 to 4,485.

Although the overall number of EV sales is up, the rate of growth has slowed and some models registered fewer deliveries than previously. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance, was down from 3,949 to 3,479 according to S&P Global Mobility’s spreadsheet and Rivian R1S sales dropped by more than 500 to 2,456. There are also fears that the EV segment relies heavily on tax credit availability to boost demand, and public interest could wane if Trump pulls the plug on the incentives when he takes office.

BEST SELLING EVs USA

Tesla’s registration numbers actually fell by 1.8 percent, and if you remove Tesla from the equation, EV sales increased not by 5 percent, but by 11 percent. And this isn’t a blip for Tesla: the automaker’s numbers have fallen in seven of the first 10 months of 2024, Auto News reports, and that’s despite the facelifted Model 3 and Cybertruck being new for this year. While the Model 3 gained ground, the Model Y fell back, sales tumbling from more than 25,000 to under 22,000.

But before anyone gets the idea that Tesla is falling behind in the EV race, we should make clear that it still outperformed the second best-selling brand’s EV models six times over. Or every single brand in the 2nd to 12th spots combined.

EV REGISTRATIONS USA

The electrification of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) fleet is in the crosshairs as Donald Trump prepares to return to the Oval Office next month. Reports suggest the incoming administration may be eyeing the cancellation of multi-billion-dollar EV contracts, potentially derailing years of progress toward modernizing and decarbonizing the USPS’s aging delivery trucks.

According to a Reuters report citing unnamed sources, Trump’s transition team is exploring ways to rollback key postal EV initiatives, including contracts with Ford and Oshkosh. A plan could be announced shortly after Trump becomes President, and if he does try to end the roll-out of electric delivery trucks, it could be one of many moves made to unwind decarbonization efforts initiated by the current Biden administration.

Read: Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota Beg Trump Not To Axe EV Tax Credits

In early 2021, Oshkosh secured a contract to supply USPS with its next-generation delivery vehicles, with initial targets of assembling between 50,000 to 165,000 EVs over the course of 10 years. In 2023, Congress provided USPS with $3 billion to go towards the purchase of 66,000 EVs, approximately 45,000 of which are now expected to come from Oshkosh, while the others will come from established brands, including Ford.

Unwinding EV Investments Won’t Be Easy

Reuters notes that severing the contracts USPS has signed with Oshkosh and Ford could be challenging, as it’s an autonomous federal agency with a governing body. In a statement, Oshkosh said it’s “fully committed to our strong partnership with the USPS and looks forward to continuing to provide our postal carriers with reliable, safe, and sustainable modern delivery vehicles, even as USPS’ needs continue to evolve.”

Analysts from investment banking firm Jefferies believe that the Trump administration won’t completely cancel the contracts, but could push for fewer EVs and more ICE-powered vehicles to be included. “Given the need for the replacement of aging equipment, we are confident that the USPS will be receiving new vehicles in 2025. The mix of that order could potentially change to appease an administration that is more hostile to (EVs),” the analysts wrote.

The USPS electrification plan isn’t just about trucks as it also involves deploying 14,000 EV chargers across the country. These chargers, sourced from Siemens, Rexel/ChargePoint, and Blink, are intended to support the broader fleet transition. Whether the Trump administration will interfere with this infrastructure rollout remains unclear, but any disruptions could further complicate the USPS’s EV ambitions.

Prison barbwire fencing. Credit: Alex Potemkin, Getty Images.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is closing a women’s prison and other facilities “after years of abuse and decay,” the Associated Press has reported. The bureau is suspending operations at a minimum-security satellite camp in Wisconsin. 

The camp is adjacent to FCI Oxford, Wisconsin’s federal prison, the AP reported. According to the bureau, such camps “provide inmate labor to the main institution and to off-site work programs.” FCI Oxford is located in southern central Wisconsin, north of Wisconsin Dells. 

The bureau previously announced the closure of a federal prison in Dublin, California, which staff and incarcerated people named “the rape club,” according to AP reporting in 2022. 

The bureau is closing minimum-security prison camps in Florida, Minnesota and West Virginia. It’s also suspending operations at minimum-security satellite camps in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the AP reported. 

Such facilities have seen frequent escapes and an influx of contraband, according to the AP. Oxford’s satellite camp had an escape in 2022; the man was later arrested in connection with a retail theft offense. 

The camp at FCI Oxford was cleared out in June, the AP reported. For the three satellite camps, employees have been or will be moved to adjacent low-security prisons while the minimum-security incarcerated people are moved elsewhere. 

The AP reported that the bureau pointed to efficiencies and infrastructure concerns for the moves. This included a $26 million estimate for repairs to a camp at FCI Englewood in Littleton, Colorado.  

In June of last year, the bureau announced FCI Oxford would transition from medium security to low security, in support of the First Step Act signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. 

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Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court election next spring already had high stakes, with majority control on the line. But a judge’s ruling this week restoring collective bargaining rights to roughly 200,000 teachers and other public workers in the state further intensifies the contest.

The liberal-controlled court has already delivered a major win to Democrats by striking down Republican-drawn legislative maps. Pending cases backed by liberals seek to protect abortion access in the state and kneecap Republican attempts to oust the state’s nonpartisan elections leader.

Now, the court could be poised to notch another seismic win for Democrats, public teachers and government workers by restoring the collective bargaining rights they lost 13 years ago in a fight that decimated unions, sparked massive protests and emboldened Republicans who later restricted rights for private-sector unions.

Liberals gained the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years following a 2023 election that had deep involvement from the Republican and Democratic parties, broke turnout records and shattered the national record for spending on a court race.

Abortion took center stage in that race. Now, it appears that union rights could be a major issue in the 2025 contest to replace a retiring liberal justice.

“You can make the argument that this race is more important than the race for the Legislature or the governor,” said Rick Esenberg, president of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said Wednesday. “I don’t think you can understate the importance of this race to the voters, no matter which side of the political divide you are on.”

The April 1 election will pit Brad Schimel, a Republican judge who supports President-elect Donald Trump and served as Wisconsin’s attorney general from 2015 until 2019, against Susan Crawford, a liberal judge whose former law firm represented teachers in a lawsuit that sought to overturn the anti-collective bargaining law.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, then controlled by conservatives, upheld the law known as Act 10 in 2014.

Crawford’s past attempt to overturn Act 10 raises questions about whether she could rule objectively on it, Schimel said in a statement to The Associated Press. His campaign on Monday branded Crawford as a “radical” and said she would be a “pawn” of the Democratic Party if elected.

Schimel, when he was attorney general, said he would defend Act 10 and opposed having its restrictions applied to police and firefighter unions, which were exempt from the law.

Treating public safety workers differently from others makes the law unconstitutional, Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost ruled Monday. He sided with teachers and restored collective bargaining rights, a decision affecting about 200,000 workers in the state, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

The Republican-controlled Legislature promptly appealed.

Crawford’s former law firm is not involved in the current case.

Crawford didn’t directly address a question from the AP about whether she would recuse herself from any case involving Act 10. But her campaign spokesperson, Sam Roecker, said Crawford “will make a decision at that time about whether she can be fair and impartial, based on the particular facts and parties.”

Roecker said Schimel’s immediate condemnation of the court’s ruling Monday “shows he has already prejudged this case.” Schimel didn’t respond to a request for comment on whether he would recuse himself from any case involving Act 10.

The appeal of Monday’s ruling striking down Act 10 would typically first be heard by a state appeals court — a process that could take months. But the public workers who sued could ask the state Supreme Court to take the case directly, which would make it possible for a ruling before the new justice is seated in August.

Crawford has been endorsed by the state teachers union, which was gutted after Act 10 became law, as well as the Wisconsin Democratic Party and all four of the current liberal justices on the court. In addition to suing to overturn the anti-union law, Crawford also previously represented Planned Parenthood in a case to expand Wisconsin abortion access.

Christina Brey, spokesperson for the statewide teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, said she couldn’t speculate about whether Crawford would hear a case challenging Act 10.

Brey said Crawford won the union’s endorsement because “we believe she is going to be the most dedicated and most impartial, constitution-believing judge to put on the Supreme Court.”

Schimel is endorsed by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, all five of the state’s Republican congressmen, the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, and a host of law enforcement agencies and officials, including 50 county sheriffs.

If Crawford wins, liberal control of the court would be locked up until at least 2028, the next time a liberal justice is up for election.

Candidates have until Jan. 1 to enter the April 1 race. The winner will serve a 10-year term.

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletter to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup. This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.

Union rights take center stage in high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

The sub-compact SUV market has a new electric contender, and it’s wearing a familiar face. Ford’s Puma Gen-E has officially joined the lineup in Europe as a fully electric alternative to the popular mild-hybrid Puma. With ST-level power, a respectable (if not groundbreaking) 376 km (234 miles) of range, and increased interior practicality, the Puma Gen-E steps into the EV ring with plenty to prove.

But does it deliver enough to hold its own against Stellantis’s electric arsenal or the reborn Renault 4? Let’s dive in.

A Familiar Punch, but Not Quite a Knockout

The Fiesta-based Puma Gen-E runs on a single electric motor mounted on the front axle, producing 166 hp (124 kW) and 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque. This makes it technically less powerful by 2 hp than the hybrid Puma ST, which is the most potent version of the small SUV, but with a welcome bump of 42 Nm in torque. However, tipping the scales at 1,553 kg (3,426 pounds), the Gen-E gains some heft courtesy of its 43 kWh battery pack.

That added weight shows in the numbers: a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 8 seconds flat, making it 0.6 seconds slower than the ST variant. The top speed is capped at a modest 160 km/h (99 mph), signaling its city-focused intentions. It’s certainly not going to embarrass hot hatches at the lights, but for an electric crossover in this class, these specs land squarely in the “adequate” column.

More: Ford Slashes 14% Of European Workforce As EV Demand Fizzles

And the range? Depending on trim, Ford claims between 347-376 km (216-234 miles) on a single charge. That’s a little behind competitors like the Jeep Avenger or Peugeot E-2008 from Stellantis, which feature slightly larger battery capacities in the 50-54 kWh range. The Puma Gen-E’s smaller pack is reflected in its WLTP numbers, but Ford touts an impressive efficiency of 13.1 kWh/100 km.

On the plus side, it supports 100 kW DC fast charging, juicing the battery from 10-80% in about 23 minutes, a stat that softens the blow of its middling range. If you’re wondering, the charging port is located in the same spot with the fuel cap in the ICE-powered Puma.

A Mustang-Inspired Nose and More Room for Junk in the Trunk

Where the Puma Gen-E makes a stronger case for itself is in its design and practicality. The SUV receives a revised front bumper with a closed-off grille and sleeker intakes that nod to the Mustang Mach-E. Beyond that, it’s business as usual, with minor updates like unique alloy wheels, a slightly tweaked rear spoiler, and—of course—the absence of tailpipes.

Inside, Ford plays the practicality card, leveraging the compact electric motor to carve out more storage. The boot offers a generous 574 liters (20.3 cubic feet), plus a 43-liter (1.5 cubic feet) frunk, perfect for charging cables or groceries. Even better, the cleverly named “Megabox” under the boot floor has been upsized to a “Gigabox.” Marketing semantics aside, it seems genuinely useful.

The digital cockpit is shared with the regular Puma, including the 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, introduced earlier this year as part of the mid-lifecycle update. However, the electric version features a raised center console with a new storage compartment taking advantage of the space normally occupied by the gearbox.

Pricing And Rivals

The Puma Gen-E is being produced at the Ford Otosan plant in Craiova, Romania, although the electric drive units are being shipped from Halewood, UK. Ford has already started accepting orders, with deliveries expected to commence in spring 2025.

The Puma Gen-E enters the European market with a starting price of €36,900 ($38,800) in Germany, making it Ford’s most affordable EV offering in the region. For context, the gas-powered Puma starts at €28,900 ($30,400), while the hybrid Puma ST goes for €40,600 ($42,700). That puts the Gen-E in a competitive sweet spot for buyers willing to go electric but not quite ready to splurge on a Mustang Mach-E or the Capri EV.

Rivals of the Ford Puma Gen-E include the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior, Peugeot E-2008, and Opel Mokka Electric from Stellantis, alongside the Renault 4 E-Tech, and the Mini Aceman.

Ford

BYD was the sixth-largest automaker in the third quarter of this year, selling more new vehicles than Ford for the first time in its history. It may even end the year having sold over 4 million vehicles and could overtake Ford for the entire 2024.

During the July-September period, BYD sold 1.13 million vehicles, representing a 38% increase from the same period last year and making it the most successful quarter ever for the brand. Ford sold approximately 40,000 fewer vehicles over the same period, slipping from the sixth-largest car manufacturer to seventh. Ford was holding on to a narrow lead for the January-September period, having delivered 3.3 million vehicles globally, slightly ahead of the 3.25 billion shipped by BYD.

Read: Leaked BYD Email Pressures Suppliers To Slash Costs For 2025 EV Price Wars

BYD is not the only Chinese company giving traditional legacy automakers something to worry about. Sales at Geely jumped 14% through the third quarter after it delivered 820,000 vehicles. That placed it ahead of Nissan and behind Honda in ninth position. China’s third-largest car manufacturer, Chery, also rose to 12^th in the ranking, reporting a 27% rise in sales to 550,000 units.

As Nikkei Asia reports, sales of many brands from Japan, Europe, and the US fell last quarter. For example, Toyota’s sales dropped 4% to 2.73 million, although it still holds a commanding lead over the VW Group which reported a 7% decline in sales to 2.17 million vehicles. Hyundai Motor Group retained its position in third, but its sales also fell, down 3% to 1.77 million units. Things were even worse at Stellantis as its sales plummeted by 20% to 1.14 million.

A surge in sales for brands like BYD is boosting their financials, too. During the third quarter, the carmaker posted revenues of 201 billion yuan, the equivalent of $27.6 billion, higher than Tesla at $25.2 billion.

BYD makes more EVs than anyone, and it makes them for less money than most Western automakers can comprehend. But there is a cost, and it’s being paid by the workers in its supply chains, according to a new report investigating human rights risks in the EV industry.

Amnesty International’s Recharge for Rights study ranked 13 automakers according to how they address human rights risks in their mineral supply chains. BYD came bottom with a score of just 11 out of a potential 90 points, with Mitsubishi not far behind on 13 points.

Related: Microsoft’s AI Helps Find Promising New Battery Material With 70% Less Lithium

Hyundai (21), Geely and Nissan (22 apiece) came out looking like bad guys but Tesla (49) and top-rated Mercedes (51) performed far better. Not that even Benz’s score was enough to please the Amnesty investigators, who suggest that only a total of 68 points or more shows an adequate commitment to human rights issues.

Although EVs don’t produce tailpipe emissions, their batteries need huge quantities of minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. And while many of us are aware of the environmental damage caused by mining lithium, Amnesty International says the cobalt mining industry is ripe for the abuse of workers, some of whom in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which generates 25 percent of the world’s supply, are children.

BYD was marked down for refusing to reveal the name of the smelter, refiner, and mine that supply its minerals, but Geely, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and GM were all guilty of a lack of transparency. In contrast, the best-rated brands were able to provide supply-chain mapping.

Human rights score

“As the global transition to electric vehicles gains momentum, drives global competition and allows for huge profit, Amnesty International is calling on all car makers to improve their human rights due diligence efforts and bring them in line with international human rights standards,” said the organization’s Agnès Callamard.

The need for automakers to prove the origins of their batteries’ minerals to be eligible for EV credits has improved transparency, Wired notes. And there are steep fines (and market access restrictions) awaiting companies who flout rules governing supply chain welfare contained in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive that came into force in Europe this summer.

But Callamard believes there’s more to be done.

“Those lagging behind need to work harder and faster to show that human rights isn’t just a fluff phrase, but an issue they take seriously,” she says. “It’s time to shift gears and ensure electric vehicles don’t leave behind a legacy of human rights abuses – instead, the industry must drive a just energy future that leaves no one behind.”

Automakers in the US have joined forces to ask Donald Trump not to scrap EV tax credits when he takes office next January. Volkswagen, GM, Toyota and other companies have invested tens of billions in developing electric vehicles and adapting plants to build them, and are worried they’ll be rendered uncompetitive if the incoming Republican government axes the sweetener.

Writing to Trump in a November 12 letter that has only recently come to light, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation argued that the incentives made available via President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act helped ensure America’s auto industry was “globally competitive” at a time when automakers are increasingly worried about the threat posed by their Chinese rivals.

Related: Is Time Running Out For $7,500 EV Tax Credits? Experts Advise Buyers To Hurry

But in the same letter the automakers also expressed their concern about “federal and state emissions regulations (particularly in California and affiliated states) that are out-of-step with current auto market realities and increase costs for consumers,” Reuters reports.

Biden’s team introduced tough tailpipe rules that get increasingly tighter the closer we get to 2035, the date California wants to ban the sale of combustion cars, a move that will be echoed in other states as well. But the automakers say this can only be achieved by selling more EVs, despite dealers finding that most customers would still rather have a combustion car or a hybrid.

Given Trump’s known stance on green matters – he previously rolled back President Obama’s emissions regulations, and his team has vowed to attack Biden’s rules – it seems entirely possible that automakers will be given more time to clean up their cars’ CO2 outputs. However, Politico reports that Trump probably won’t be able to claw back the $7.5 billion already earmarked for charging infrastructure projects because the funds have been committed.

The automakers also urged Trump to make legislative changes that would help speed up the development and rollout of self-driving cars. But when it came to automatic emergency braking, which the Democrats have insisted must be mandatory (and meet a tough universal standard) from 2029, the car companies asked for more time.

The automotive industry’s transition to electric vehicles continues to expose the growing pains of even the biggest players. On Wednesday, Ford announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs across Europe by the end of 2027, citing financial challenges tied to the EV shift and rising competition. The automaker is also scaling back operations at its Cologne plant in Germany, attributing the move to sluggish demand for its EVs.

Ford pointed to “unprecedented competitive, regulatory, and economic headwinds” as the driving forces behind the cuts, emphasizing that its European passenger vehicle business has endured “significant losses” in recent years.

The Job Cuts Amount to 2.3% of Ford’s Global Workforce

The planned reductions represent nearly 14% of Ford’s European workforce or 2.3% of its global personnel. Unsurprisingly, Germany and the UK will bear the brunt of these layoffs, with only “minimal reductions” expected across other European markets. The cuts are set to unfold over the next three years, with Ford pledging to consult with social partners throughout the process.

More: Ford Ranger EV Promises To Be An “Exciting” Gamechanger

Adding to the grim outlook, Ford announced more short-time working days at its Cologne facility for the first quarter of 2025. The company cited “lower-than-expected” EV demand as the reason, exacerbating concerns over the viability of its current strategy.

The facility is home to production for the fully electric Ford Explorer and Capri, which share their underpinnings with the VW ID.4 and ID.5. This measure is a follow-up to the recent adjustment on the EVs production schedule, with employees already working alternate weeks until the end of the year.

Emission Targets and Consumer Disconnect

Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice president for Transformation and Partnerships, defended the job cuts as a painful but necessary step: “It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe.” Yet the broader picture reveals frustration with the regulatory environment.

As with most automakers, Ford is not happy with the strict emission regulations in Europe, saying there is a “misalignment” between CO2 targets and consumer demand for electrified vehicles.

Ford Calls for Policy Overhaul

This disconnect has prompted Ford to escalate its lobbying efforts. In a recent letter to the German government, CFO John Lawler urged policymakers to improve market conditions for EVs. The letter outlined key asks, including “public investments in charging infrastructure, meaningful incentives, improved cost competitiveness, and greater flexibility in meeting CO2 compliance targets.”

While Ford is clearly seeking ways to navigate the EV transition, its European troubles underline a larger industry-wide challenge: balancing regulatory pressure with market realities. For now, the road ahead for Ford, and others, remains bumpy.

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Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford has opposed the state’s voter identification law.

The 2011 law requires proof of identification to vote. Because of court challenges, it didn’t take effect until 2016.

Crawford was one of three lawyers in a 2011 lawsuit challenging the requirement, which the Supreme Court rejected.

In 2016, Crawford said the law would be “acceptable” if voters could sign an affidavit swearing to their identity rather than providing proof of identification.

In 2018, she called the law “draconian.”

A University of Wisconsin-Madison study estimated the law prevented 4,000-11,000 Milwaukee and Dane county residents from voting in the 2016 presidential election.

The University of California, Berkeley, reported in 2023 that many studies found voter ID laws have little to no impact on voter turnout nationally, while others indicate “a disproportionate negative impact” on minority groups.

Crawford, a Dane County judge, is running April 1, 2025, against conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

• Wisconsin Legislative Council: 2011 Wisconsin Act 23
• University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalsm: Wisconsin’s voter ID controversy: What you need to know
• Wisconsin Circuit Court Access: Dane County Case Number 2011CV004669 League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network Inc et al vs. Scott Walker et al
• Justia: League of Women Voters of Wis. Educ. Network, Inc. v. Walker

Has Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford opposed Wisconsin’s voter ID law? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

As the year comes to a close, automakers are eager to make deals. Ford is no stranger to this game plan and it’s coming to market with some serious incentives. Not only will it agree to install a charger for those who buy or purchase some EVs, but it’ll stack discounts and financing deals onto that too. Here’s a breakdown of what to look for if you want an electric Ford.

First and foremost, these deals all include Ford’s “Power Promise” that it launched earlier this year. That means that buyers or lessees will get a charger installed at their home (if applicable) included in the cost of the car itself. That on its own is already a big cost savings and is a major hurdle to overcome for many EV buyers.

More: You Can Get A Tesla For Under $20K From Hertz, But You Probably Shouldn’t

On top of that, InsideEVs points out that those who lease a Mustang Mach-E get up to $3,000 off in bonus cash. That can be combined with the $7,500 federal tax incentive to effectively lop off $10,500 from the price of a Mach-E—not to mention any additional state-level tax breaks.

That’s a screaming deal on a mostly good electric vehicle. Those who prefer to buy the Mach-E still get a good deal. That includes 0% APR for 72 months and $5,000 in bonus cash. Notably, the Mach-E doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit when bought. Nevertheless, buyers still get the free charger installation.

On the F-150 Lightning side of the world, the pickup gets the same APR and bonus cash deal for buyers. In this case, that deal is only available to buyers who select the XLT and Platinum+ trim levels. Customers interested in leasing the truck get $3,500 in lease cash along with $3,000 bonus cash.

In a market where several car brands are offering deals right now, these ones from Ford are competitive to say the least. Don’t forget that state tax incentives could add to these discounts too. 

Ford is cutting back on production of its brand new European EVs before most people on the continent have even seen either car on the road. The long-running Fiesta died so Ford could repurpose its Cologne plant to build the Explorer SUV and Capri crossover, but both models are feeling the effect of a slowdown in the EV market.

The German factory received a $2 billion makeover to get it ready to build the new Ford EVs which are based on VW’s MEB electric platform, and was supposed to prepare the automaker for the huge EV demand the car industry was sure was coming.

Related: Ford Delays Electric Truck And Axes 3-Row EV Plans, Will Build Hybrids Instead

But the country’s Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger revealed that workers at the Cologne site have been told to work fewer hours, Ford having applied to German government to gain approval to temporarily move its staff to part-time roles. Employees will only work alternate weeks between now and the end of the year, removing three weeks from the production cycle.

“We can confirm that Ford will apply for short-time work from the Federal Employment Agency due to the rapidly deteriorating market conditions for electric vehicles,” a Ford spokeswoman told the news site. “The significantly lower than expected demand for electric vehicles, especially in Germany, requires a temporary adjustment of production volumes.”

Ford began Explorer production in June and added the Capri in September, a couple of months after the crossover made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. But Kölner Stadt-Anzeige has seen documentation confirming that the plant is building far more EVs than it can sell and claims that even after New Year the production lines will be forced to idle on certain days, and daily output will fall from 630 to 480 units.

The end of EV subsidies in Europe, poor consumer confidence, and discussion about rolling back the 2035 ban on combustion engines have conspired to limit demand for EVs on the continent. But Ford isn’t only suffering in Europe. Although its EV sales in the US have risen, Ford recently announced that it was scrapping planned electric SUVs and would build hybrids instead.

Ford has high hopes for their next-generation of electric vehicles, but their current models continue to struggle. That’s clear today as the automaker reported an 8.3% drop in EV sales compared to October of last year.

The big loser was the F-150 Lightning, which saw a 49.8% drop in sales. Given the steep decline, it’s not surprising the company recently announced plans to temporarily halt production later this month until early next year.

More: Ford Halts F-150 Lightning Production Until 2025 Over Weak EV Demand

While buyers turned their backs on the electric pickup, they embraced the Mustang Mach-E as sales were up 21.3% to 3,313 units. That upward trend could continue in the future as Ford recently announced pricing for the 2025 model would start at $36,495 which is $3,500 less than its predecessor.

Meanwhile, E-Transit sales rocketed up 181.1%, but before popping the champagne, consider this: they only sold 1,088 units. It’s hard to celebrate when the numbers are still so small. A triple-digit percentage increase doesn’t mean much when the baseline is barely on the radar.

Ford US Sales

While Ford doesn’t breakdown hybrid sales in a similar fashion, the automaker reported a 38.5% jump in October. That outpaced sales of conventionally powered models, which were up 14.1% to 148,268 units.

It’s not immediately clear which eco-friendly models performed best, but Ford has previously credited strong truck sales. During their third quarter earnings bonanza, the automaker revealed they “commanded 77% of the U.S. hybrid truck market during the quarter, with hybrid truck sales up 42%.”

Putting hybrids aside, Bronco sales were up 104.7%, while the Bronco Sport saw a 13% improvement for the month. Mustang sales were off by 37% and they’re down 1% year-to-date.

Over at Lincoln, the company continues to see strong demand for the facelifted Aviator as well as the redesigned Nautilus. The luxury brand could also get a boost from the 2025 Navigator, but it won’t arrive until next spring.

Ford October 2024 US Sales

Ford will slash company bonuses as part of a new system that will only reward employees when certain goals are met in a bid to cut costs.

Chief executive Jim Farley is eager to save money while also improving the quality of Ford models. Company bonuses will now be tied to a performance system to keep employees more accountable. Manager bonuses will be slashed by 65% of their current total. Speaking on Ford’s recent third-quarter earnings presentation, Farley said, “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but we are not fully satisfied.”

Read: Own A Ford? Stellantis Wants You And They’re Ready To Pay You To Switch

“When we meet or exceed our targets for those factors – and we achieve the ambitious goals of Ford+ – the team is rewarded,” a Ford spokesman added. “We are focused on lowering our costs, improving our quality and making Ford a higher growth, higher margin, more capital efficient and more resilient business.”

The spokesman told Reuters that bonuses could be adjusted depending on the company’s performance through the fourth quarter.

Slashing bonuses isn’t the only way that Ford is looking to save money and offset the $1 billion charge it took after canceling plans for a three-row electric SUV. Late last week it was revealed the carmakeer will idle the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, which builds the F-150 Lightning, from mid-November until January 6, 2025.

By pausing production, Ford will be able to clear some of the existing F-150 Lightning inventory, but the move still caught many off guard. Indeed, sales of the electric truck were up 86% through the first nine months of the year compared to 2023. Ford already reduced output at the truck’s production facility from two shifts to one and clearly isn’t selling as many examples as it had originally forecast.

Ford dealerships across the US are also being rewarded up to $1,000 for each F-150 Lightning XLT, Flash, Lariant, or Platinum model they order from one of the carmaker’s regional hubs, or ‘Rapid Replenishment Centers.’

The state of charging infrastructure remains a primary concern for many debating whether to switch to EVs. So, when Ford opted to become the first non-Tesla automaker to commit to Tesla’s NACS charge port, it triggered a slew of other manufacturers to do the same.

By adopting NACS in favors of CCS, Ford’s vehicles will be able to have access to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network. However, there was one catch: the ports will only start appearing on Fords from 2025. Luckily for existing Ford EV owners, the company decided to offer Tesla’s CCS to NACS adapter completely free of charge.

Read: Ford Mustang Mach-E And F-150 Lightning Owners Can Get Tesla Charging Adaptor Soon

However, it’s not been smooth sailing. With free adapter reservations opened in February, some customers still await the port converter. Now, to try and expedite the rollout, Ford will offer its own branded adapter.

According to a report by The Verge, Tesla has been slow to manufacture enough adapters. Some of the earlier units that were sent out have also had issues. Some customers reported slow charging. In more severe cases, using the adapter has led to port damage, with Ford asking some of those affected by the sub-par converters to stop using them while they send out a replacement.

Ford’s self-branded adapters will be made by EV equipment supply company Lectron. Ford has confirmed that the new adapters are unrelated to the ones that were deemed faulty. However, Lectron themselves haven’t been immune to issues, with their “Vortex” NACS to CCS adapters initially having a design flaw that could make them unlatch while charging. These adapters were recalled and replaced.

While the road to getting Fords to charge at Supercharger locations around the country certainly hasn’t been straightforward, efforts are clearly being made to offer customers the option. Despite the spotty rollout of adapters, Ford says that they remain committed to its “Power Promise,” which includes offering free home chargers to new EV customers.

Ford is temporarily shutting down F-150 Lightning production as part of a plan to deal with lukewarm demand for electric vehicles that is causing problems for multiple automakers.

The Lightning line at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan will be idled from the middle of November until January 6, 2025, Auto News reports. Granted, that timeframe includes Ford’s regular one-week holiday shutdown, but it’s still an embarrassing fall from grace for a truck that’s supposed to be one of Ford’s halo models.

Related: Tesla Cybertruck Blasts Past Mach-E Into 3rd Place For Q3

And the decision might come as a surprise if you’ve been following Lightning news during 2024. Sales of the electric truck climbed 86 percent in the first nine months of this year versus the same period in 2023, although things weren’t perfect. Early this year Ford was forced to water down its sales predictions and cut jobs at the Rouge plant when it took the Lightning production from two shifts to one. And the F-150’s showy Tesla Cybertruck rival easily knocked it off the top of the electric truck sales chart. Tesla sold 16,692 Cybertrucks in Q3 to Ford’s 7,162 Lightnings.

Ford hasn’t revealed how much F-150 EV inventory it holds (it had 100 days of all F-150 types as of last month, per Cox Automotive), but the fact that it’s shutting the line suggests it has far too many finished Lightnings hanging around and wants to pare that inventory back. And to prevent it finding itself in the same situation with other EVs a couple of years down the road, Ford announced in August that it was delaying the introduction of another large electric truck and scrapping a planned three-row electric SUV. It will concentrate on developing smaller models and hybrids instead.

The electric slowdown has caught many automakers off guard and Ford isn’t the only brand who has been forced to idle production lines to get back on track. Fiat announced in September that it would pause production of its 500e in Italy for one month, but recently extended the shutdown for another three weeks as a result of continued poor sales.

Fortunately for Ford, it hasn’t thrown all its eggs in the electric basket and can still offer buyers combustion-engined trucks. But Fiat killed off its combustion 500 and has now been forced to re-engineer the EV model to accept a hybrid powertrain, a project that will take a couple of years.

We’ve contacted Ford for a comment and will provide an update on this story as soon as they respond.

Ford F-150 Lightning sales more than doubled in the third quarter, but CEO Jim Farley appears more excited about the company’s upcoming mid-size electric pickup. Tentatively dubbed the Ranger EV, the model is slated to go into production in 2027 and be based on an all-new platform developed by a ‘skunkworks’ team focused on developing affordable, next-generation electric vehicles.

The automaker hasn’t said much about the truck, but it will be the first vehicle based on the new architecture. The company has also stated the pickup will “cater to customers who want more for their money – more range, more utility, [and] more usability.”

More: Flip-Flopping Ford Delays Electric Truck And Axes 3-Row EVs, Will Build Hybrids Instead

While that’s a lot of marketing malarkey, Farley recently talked about the truck during the company’s third quarter earnings call. He said, I’ve seen a lot of game-changing products but the mid-sized truck has “got to be one of the most exciting.”

The executive went on to describe it as an “incredible package” in a segment Ford knows extremely well. More interestingly, he said the model will match the “cost structure of any Chinese auto manufacturer building in Mexico in the future,” suggesting it will be both affordable and profitable.

Speaking of which, Farley said there’s a “global price war” fueled by “overcapacity, a flood of new EV nameplates, and massive compliance pressure.” The executive stated no automaker is immune from the challenges and they’re expecting “roughly 150 new EV nameplates to hit North America by the end of 2026.”

This has resulted in some automakers slashing prices and embracing a ‘race to the bottom’ mentality. Farley isn’t a fan as he said “very aggressive lease tactics” carry “huge residual risk” and can damage brands.

While Ford lowered prices for the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, the automaker was able to cut their costs by $5,000 per unit over the past 24 months. These efforts will help enable the automaker to save $1 billion on EVs this year and Farley said they’re going to stay “laser-focused on cost and getting leaner as a company.”

Third quarter earnings continue to trickle in and the latest come from Ford, which revealed revenues of $46.2 billion and a net income of $0.9 billion. The former number jumped by $2.4 billion, although net income fell by $0.3 billion compared to a year ago.

While the results were mixed, the automaker pinned some of the blame on a $1 billion hit from electric vehicle missteps. The big kicker there was the cancellation of three-row electric SUVs as well as a “retiming” of the launch of the redesigned F-150 Lightning, which is codenamed Project T3. It’s now slated to arrive in the second half of 2027 and have “features and experiences never seen on any Ford truck,” including upgraded bi-directional charging and advanced aerodynamics.

More: GM Reports Q3 Revenues Of Nearly $49 Billion, Chevy Equinox Appears To Be A Hit

Getting back to today’s news, the automaker said their third quarter results highlight “long-term value creation made possible by a winning lineup of internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles for retail and commercial customers combined with an advantaged strategy and global footprint.” However, the automaker noted “electric vehicle pricing pressure” and that was recently seen on the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, which is $3,500 cheaper than its predecessor.

On the EV front, they weighed heavily on the quarter as Ford Model E posted a 33% drop in revenue compared to last year. This contrasts to the ICE-powered Ford Blue unit, which saw revenues climb 3%.

Despite the mixed results, Ford noted costs are down and sales are up. The company also has an assortment of new and updated models on the horizon including the facelifted Maverick and Bronco Sport as well as the new Expedition and Navigator.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said, “We are in a strong position with Ford+ as our industry undergoes a sweeping transformation. We have made strategic decisions and taken the tough actions to create advantages for Ford, versus the competition, in key areas like Ford Pro, international operations, software and next-generation electric vehicles. Importantly, over time, we have significant financial upside as we bend the curve on cost and quality, a key focus of our team.”

Wall Street wasn’t thrilled as Ford stock closed up slightly at $11.37 per share, before dropping below $11 afterhours. On the bright side, investors can expect a dividend of 15 cents per share.

Analysts often tell us that the high price of EVs is one of the main reasons they’re not selling in the volumes automakers had hoped for. But that thinking doesn’t apply to the Tesla Cybertruck, whose sales are surging despite a six-figure price. It seems that, for a certain type of buyer, the Cybertruck’s brute, sci-fi appeal is well worth the price of admission.

Cybertrucks found 16,692 new owners in the US in Q3, making the pickup the country’s third most popular EV, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. Its move into the number three spot came at the expense of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, whose sales dropped by almost 10 percent to 13,392. Honda’s Prologue bagged fifth place with 12,644 units sold and 11,590 Americans bough the sixth-placed Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Related: EV Discounts Drive U.S. Record Sales Boom In Q3, But Can It Last?

As if you hadn’t already guessed, the Cybertruck’s Q3 performance also completed Tesla’s lock-out of the EV sales chart’s top three positions. But the angular truck has a long way to go before it can think of ascending to first or second spot. Second place in the Jul-Sept period went to the freshly facelifted Model 3, whose sales climbed 9.7 percent to 58,423, and the Model 3 hung onto first despite its deliveries dropping 9.1 percent to 86,801.

Other Q3 EV winners include the Cadillac Lyriq (up 139.4 percent to 7,224 units), Ford F-150 Lightning (up 104.5 percent but still miles behind the Cybertruck at 7,162), Nissan Leaf (up 187.5 percent to 4,514) and Lexus RZ (up 96.7 percent to 2,742). Toyota bZ4X sales also improved by 45.3 percent to 4,109 in a period where its Subaru Solterra twin made a more modest 34.4 percent gain to 3,752.

But not everyone can be a winner. VW ID.4 sales dropped 57.8 percent to 4,518, the Tesla Model S plummeted 46.7 percent to 1,669, Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 lost 56.9 percent of its sales, which fell to 2,158,  the Audi A8 e-tron found only 1,745 buyers (down 51.5 percent) and BMW’s i7 slipped 47 percent to just 573. America’s least popular EV was the Genesis G80. Only 155 people bought one of those, 67.1 percent fewer than in Q3 2023.

When looking at sales by brand, it’s no surprise that Tesla reigns supreme with 166,923 cars sold. Ford trails far behind in second place with 23,509 units (up 12 percent), while Chevrolet, with a 25.6 percent sales boost, rounds out the top three with 19,993 units.

US EV SALES Q3

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US EV SALES YTD (Q1-Q3)