There appears to be no end in sight for the ongoing UAW strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. Now in its third week, the strike has attracted nationwide attention, especially now that workers across the country are now participating in it, as the UAW opted to expand actions against GM and Stellantis last week. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden visited a UAW picket line in Michigan and explicitly supported the worker’s actions. Last night, former president Donald Trump offered remarks at a non-union automotive supplier in Clinton Township, Michigan. The GOP frontrunner had a lot to say about electric cars, claiming they will harm the United States auto industry, per Automotive News.
Speaking at Drake Enterprises, Donald Trump claimed that Ford and GM EVs would “spell the death of the U.S. auto industry,” and that both companies are “either stupid or they’re gutless” for endorsing federal emissions standards that encourage a broad pivot to battery electric vehicles. “They want to allow your gas-powered Suburbans, Silverados and Ford F-150s to die,” Trump said. “Under a Trump administration, gasoline engines will be allowed.” Currently, there is no federal ban on internal combustion engines, although Ford, GM, and Stellantis did support a non-binding executive order calling for 50 percent of automobiles sold in the United States to be battery powered.
Although the former president was ostensibly in Michigan to offer remarks on the ongoing UAW strike, he didn’t address the specific issues that prompted the union to organize against, like two tier wages and cost-of-living adjustments, among other areas of concern. “In other words, your current negotiations don’t mean as much as you think. I mean, I watch you out there with the pickets, but I don’t think you’re picketing for the right thing,” said Trump. The comments were related to his assertion that fully electric vehicle production would result in job losses in the United States.
Ford currently has two facilities in the United States capable of producing electric vehicles. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan is responsible for the Ford F-150 Lightning, while Kansas City Assembly plant produces the Ford E-Transit, Ford Transit, and Ford F-150. Ford underestimated demand for the fully electric van and is making plans to increase output at the facility.
The Blue Oval’s pivot to fully electric vehicles is underway, although it recently indicated it intends to push back some previous production run rate goals. Additionally, the automaker revealed it had paused construction on Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, although no reason was given for the change. Aside from fully electric vehicles, the company wants to sell more hybrid vehicles in the United States and plans to quadruple hybrid sales within the next five years.
We’ll be following the ongoing strike closely, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more 2023 Ford-UAW news, UAW news, and for ongoing Ford news coverage.
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Trump misses the whole point once again!!
Exactly
Trump also misses the whole point, when he claimed he would visit the UAW strikers, but when he found out Biden was going to visit them he changed his mind and acted like the mind of a two year old and said he'll go visit the non-union workers! He's a real ditz! That's the same way he acted while in Office!
Yes, let consumers decide what type of power they want for their vehicles. The grid isn’t ready and these current versions don’t have ample range in comparison to gasoline engine powered vehicles. As for the onion(sic) in regards to the auto builders, it’s a spaghetti plate mess with enough blame to go around.
Even less range when you tow or the temp drops.
Trump is right. The car companies are going to lose billions of $$. Ford already has and they will want more and more government subsidies to survive. Subsidies = mine and your tax dollars supporting public traded companies.
Tough. Every automaker, in the Western World, operates in a way that means common vehicle platforms for about 80% of all light vehicles made. With both China (who is now the single largest new car market in the world) and Western Europe, both demanding a move to EV's, the United States no longer drives the decisions on new vehicle development. One of my sibling and their spouse are Big Three/Detroit Three product development engineers, and they're two of the people who told me this. One of my extended family is a Big Three/Detroit Three assembly plant manager/director. That's the third source of that information. And I am an auto supplier engineering products sales rep, of 40+ years, and my Big Three/Detroit Three engineering contacts are my fourth source of that info. It's either go along woth the EV push, or watch product development cost, to stick with ICE vehicles and not spread the cost around world wide sales, go up by at least 40%, and subsequently see a huge increase in new vehicle prices. Everybody has to deal with this new reality.
Good luck to them, it's short sighted. China is on the verge of the largest demographic collapse in known human history, along with the economic collapse that must inevitably follow such a thing. Not to mention that it's a real possibility that China just seizes foreign assets at some point, anyway. Western Europe's combined population is still less than the US.
All this is great if the customers go along. If not, the Big 3 will lose their asses. The US is still a large market and dictating to customers what they WILL drive failed before and will again
Auto manufacturers are exceedingly good at marketing things people have no interest in. They made it through the '70s and into the '80s basically making garbage and people bought their products during the malaise era. Trucks are another example of auto manufacturers dictating tastes. They've convinced Americans that an ill-handling fuel guzzling full size living room on wheels is the safest most efficient way to go pick up a coffee from Starbucks so EVs will be no different.
Try towing a heavy trailer with one of those BEV crossovers.
I’m sorry I could read what you wrote. I’m too busy power washing the image of your profile pic out of my eyes.
Yes!
He didn't take a salary while in office. Yeah the voters voted him out thanks to the help of dead people.
He sold out the country for billions and had to have his small hands twisted to "donate" his salary.
Reports say he never did. Without his tax returns, if he said he did then he DID NOT
Most of us did well under his economic policies. He never sold out anything. You just can't defend Biden & Son getting chicom money in plain sight. That's treason. Then you folks complain that FORD is building so many vehicles in China. Can't have it both ways. You voted for that traitor.
Biden is the biggest sellout POTUS in history. Look at all of the illegals pouring in. Takes money from the chicoms that he probably has stashed in his stupid CORVETTE or in the box next to the lawn mower.
If you really believe what you just wrote then u need to do your research but not on far right sights because there is evidence it's affecting what sense God gave u...
So I guess you’re fine with senile Joe’s open borders and forcing green energy on us. I wish you well on that lectric(sic) F150. You voted for it.
Why does big oil still get hundreds of billions a year of tax dollars when there racking in record profits and ripping everyone off while knowing their product is deadly?
Works for me. Can’t walk or ride stupid bikes on the interstate. BEV’s are a joke in their range. Your onion(sic) buddies want to cut their own throats with their childish action.
It's Rouge, not Rogue. Correction needed.
Fixed! Thank you.
He is correct on the whole ev situation
Hes wrong about everything in his entire life. If he would have left the hundreds of millions her inherited and stole he would be richer but everything he touches dies.
I have many concerns with EV's... Cost, Range, Charging, Electrical Grid, Battery Disposal, Govt Subsidies, Individual Autonomy, etc. But killing jobs is not one of them. Some unskilled labor jobs might be in jeopardy but I think the need for trained labor will probably end up about the same.
Ford has already said there are much fewer parts in electric cars and much less labor is needed to put them together vs. ICE cars. Translation: Jobs WILL be lost!
How many unemployed oil pipeline workers are making solar panels. I'll give you a minute.
I was talking about the workers on strike! I thought he would have gone to support them.. Not show up to a non-union shop!! Those workers deserve better treatment!! Share the wealth Big Three!! You guys already charge a arm and a leg for these new vehicles!! Who can afford an average monthly payment of $1000.00 or more on a new truck?? I bet the guy making it can't!!
Your favorite and current POTUS is in large part to blame for vehicle prices being what they are. Under his watch, the supply lines are still a mess therefore prices rise. Aside from that, your talking point about the ability of a for example a FORD employee to afford and F150 is a mute point. As long as FORD is selling them, who cares who buys them?
Once a Tool always a Tool!!.........Trump knows best lol!!
All I can say is consider the source...that kind of says it all...
You can tell Trump, with a few minutes of planning, I can make it to Biden’s second inauguration driving my EV.
Too bad Biden won't
While your sitting in line waiting for a charge while ICE owners whiz past you on the way to Trump's second inauguration
Gee you mean that beast limousine isn’t a BEV?
Your Ev will be on fire first, so you won't get there for Pres Trump.
Three fire apparatus builders are also pushing all electric apparatus now. The dirty downplayed secret is that they have a small diesel engine for backup but I digress. The fire truck may burn up itself before it gets there