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Tesla Inc.'s surprise agreement with rival Ford Motor Co. to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger network opens the door for other automakers to follow suit, analysts say.

With about 17,000 charging connectors, Tesla has the largest and most reliable fast-charge network in the U.S. Ford customers will gain access to roughly 12,000 next year as part of the first such agreement between Tesla and another automaker.

The deal provides Tesla with additional customers and revenue for its coast-to-coast infrastructure of direct-current chargers, which make road trips and long commutes possible. It more than doubles the number of fast-charger plugs available to Ford customers from all charging partners.

"We're all shocked that Ford has announced this," Loren McDonald, CEO of consulting firm EVAdoption, told Automotive News. "But now that Ford has made the decision, it's easier for everyone else. The ice has been broken and now the dominoes can fall."

…

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s biggest EV battery producer, is joining Tesla Inc. and BYD Co. in adding a focus on the booming solar sector.

CATL said it is researching the development of perovskite cells, among the most promising methods to drive new improvements in solar panel performance. It also on Thursday struck an agreement with JA Solar Technology Co., China’s fourth-biggest module maker, to cooperate on scientific innovations, marketing and storage.

“We are building a pilot test line,” CATL said in a response to questions, without providing details on timelines or capacity.  

The moves come as the world is on track to install a record number of solar panels this year, propelled by China’s relentless deployment of clean energy.

Global investment in the technology this year will surpass spending on oil production for the first time, according to the International Energy Agency. EV-to-battery producer BYD be…

Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley says Chinese electric vehicle makers are its main rivals in the sector, but the company has hurdles competing on cost at a smaller scale.

"We see the Chinese as the main competitor, not GM or Toyota," Farley said Thursday at the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Finance Summit. "The Chinese are going to be the powerhouse."

China, the world's largest auto market, has some of the best battery technology and dominates EV production, Farley said. He cited BYD, Geely, Great Wall, Changan and SAIC as among the "winners" among Chinese automakers.

To beat Chinese automakers, Farley said Ford needs distinctive branding, which he believes it has, or lower costs. "But how do you beat on them on cost if their scale is five times yours?" Farley said. "The Europeans let (Chinese automakers) in - so now they are selling in high volume in Europe."

Ford said in February it would invest $3.5 billion to build an electric vehicle battery plant …

It's been nearly 16 months since Ford Motor Co. split into separate business units for electric and gasoline-powered vehicles.

The company recently restructured its earnings reports to give more insight into the profits and losses for each unit and, in doing so, confirmed what many had long believed: Its internal combustion business is making most of its profits while EVs are deep in the red.

Despite the strong bottom line in the traditional business, called Ford Blue, challenges remain. The company is looking to remove billions in costs that are preventing it from making even more money. Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue, said the company is making progress on those cost-cutting plans but has more work to do.

Galhotra, 57, spoke with Staff Reporter Michael Martinez this month. Here are edited excerpts.

Q: You've said Ford Blue is a growth business. How much longer will that be true?

A: We are a growth business because of the strength…

Volkswagen Group and its Audi unit have agreed to an $85 million settlement in principle over violations of Texas environmental laws stemming from its diesel cheating scandal, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Thursday. 

The settlement stipulates that the German automakers pay a civil penalty of $85 million for their unlawful actions, Paxton said.

Earlier this month, the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state environmental lawsuit against Volkswagen and Audi could go forward.

Volkswagen, which declined to comment on Thursday, previously settled U.S. actions prompted by the emissions scandal for more than $20 billion, but that did not shield it from local and state government liability, courts ruled previously.

"If a company thinks they will avoid accountability when they violate Texas laws, endanger Texans, and pollute our environment, they’re dead wrong. Volkswagen and Audi are finding that out the hard way, and now they are payi…

Starting next spring, Ford EV owners will have access to roughly 12,000 Tesla Superchargers via adapters in the first direct partnership of its kind between two competing electric vehicle makers.

And starting in 2025, Ford Motor Co. will stop building its EVs with traditional Combined Charging System (CCS) ports, replacing them with Tesla's preferred North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port, removing the need for a special adapter.

"Widespread access to fast-charging is absolutely vital to our growth as an EV brand, and this breakthrough agreement comes as we are ramping up production of our popular Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning and preparing to launch a series of next-generation EVs starting in 2025," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.

Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk made the announcement Thursday evening on Twitter. Tesla operates about 17,000 superchargers in the U.S., so Ford will have access to the majority of them.

Musk…

In today’s market, customer loyalty is no longer guaranteed. As inventory levels start to stabilize and high prices and limited incentives persist, protecting your dealership’s loyalty customers from competitors’ conquest attempts is paramount. To ensure both immediate and long-term success, it’s crucial for dealerships to proactively take intentional actions to safeguard their customer base against the competition’s efforts to win them over. What's the best place to start? By staying in consistent contact after a sale, dealers are empowered to proactively prevent customer defection and build customer loyalty. Get started with these customer engagement templates and best practices to: Build trust through personalized messaging that proves you know – and can care for – your customers best. Keep in consistent contact with buyers by speaking to their specific and evolving needs and in their preferred channel of communication. Engage buyers by effectively working the service dri…

GM CEO Mary Barra makes her first visit to China since the pandemic as the U.S. auto giant loses ground to electric rivals in that market. Stellantis invests in a startup making lithium-sulfur EV batteries. Plus, a conversation with Redwood Materials' Jackson Switzer about the larger scope of the recycling company's business in 2023.

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Hyundai and Kia are under pressure from lawsuits and regulators after a wave of car thefts last year. The wave was prompted by a TikTok video that showed how to hot-wire Hyundai and Kia vehicles that lack an anti-theft device.

Here’s the fallout by the numbers:

9 million: Hyundai and Kia vehicles on the road without immobilizers 9: Cities suing the automakers 18: State attorneys general who have petitioned NHTSA to issue a recall of vehicles without immobilizers 8: Fatalities related to stolen Hyundai and Kias without immobilizers, according to NHTSA 68: Insurance companies suing Hyundai and Kia over the vehicles $200 million: Settlement amount Hyundai and Kia agreed this month to pay to consumers in a class-action lawsuit over the lack of immobilizers $600 million: How much attorneys estimate the insurance industry will end up paying out to affected owners $5 billion: How much attorneys estimate a nationwide recall of the Hyundai and Kia vehicles would cost 96: P…

Jose Muñoz wears a number of hats at Hyundai.

He is global COO of Hyundai Motor Co. in South Korea and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motors North America. In March, Muñoz, 57, was elected to the automaker's board of directors in Seoul. Hyundai has been on an expansion roll in North America under Muñoz, announcing plans last year to invest $5.5 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing capacity near Savannah, Ga., and introducing its first U.S.-made EV at its Montgomery, Ala., plant, the Genesis Electrified GV70.

He spoke this month with Senior Editor Lindsay Chappell. Here are edited excerpts.

Q: What do you anticipate the U.S. market will do this year? Are we in for sluggish sales?

A: Everybody thought so. But to be honest, we are cautiously optimistic. The market continues to grow. There is pent-up demand from the past couple of years, and now there is more supply. So it's been good for us. So far we've seen that retail is growing at a good pace, …

A group of 27 Senate Republicans on Thursday called on the Biden administration to drop its plan to drastically cut vehicle emissions through 2032 and ramp up EV sales.

In a letter led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., lawmakers said the administration plan will "effectively mandate a costly transition to electric cars and trucks in the absence of congressional direction." The EPA proposal issued in April estimates sharp emissions cuts would result in 67 percent of new light duty vehicle sales as electric by 2032.

The EPA, which did not immediately comment Thursday, proposed a 56 percent reduction in projected light duty fleet average emissions over 2026 requirements. The EPA also proposed new stricter emissions standards for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks through 2032.

The Biden administration's push to ramp up EV sales is facing significant protests from Republicans in Congress. Environmental groups say the administration should go farthe…

Two of the largest dealership groups in the country expanded their footprints this month while a regional group as well as a partnership also bought stores.

Here's a look at the deals involving domestic and import stores in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Alabama and Indiana.

Two transactions involved an auto retailer ranked on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups.

Ciocca expands in Pennsylvania

Ciocca Dealerships acquired its second Stellantis dealership with a Pennsylvania purchase this month.

The group on May 15 bought Forrer Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Duncannon, Pa., from dealer Jeff Forrer. The store was renamed Ciocca Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Duncannon.

Duncannon is north of Harrisburg.

It marks Ciocca's first acquisition since its August purchase of Flemington Car & Truck Country in New Jersey, the company confirmed.

Ciocca Dealerships, of Allentown, Pa., ranks No. 51 on Automotive News' lis…