U.S.-imposed tariffs are hitting American firms’ bottom line

Sep 27, 2018
The CEO of one of the nation’s largest automakers says metal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration earlier this year have cost his company $1 billion in profits and sales. Ford boss Jim Hackett made the comment at a gathering of business leaders in New York on Wednesday. The administration imposed the steel and aluminum […]
Jim Hackett, president and chief executive officer, Ford Motor stands outside the headquarters as they celebrate the production of the 10,000,000 Mustang on August 8, 2018 in Dearborn, Michigan.
JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images

Trade war forces automakers Ford and Volvo to cancel big plans

Sep 10, 2018
President Donald Trump’s tariffs — and talk of more — are driving global automakers to make some big decisions. Volvo, which has a Chinese parent company and makes a couple vehicles on the mainland there, canceled a planned initial public offering of its stock, citing the dark cloud of tariffs. Ford, which makes a version of […]
This photo taken on May 22, 2018 shows an imported Ford Mustang displayed at a showroom in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province
/AFP/Getty Images

The White House hosts an artificial intelligence summit

May 9, 2018
An “Artificial Intelligence for American Industry” summit is being hosted at the White House today. Executives from Amazon, Facebook, Ford and IBM will be there. One big topic on the agenda? Government regulation. Turns out the federal government hasn’t written any regulations just for artificial intelligence.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Car companies have started offering monthly subscriptions for drivers who don't want to own

May 9, 2018
What do BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo have in common? They're all offering car subscriptions that let drivers rent vehicles by the month for a flat fee that includes maintenance and insurance.
Canvas is a subscription service that lets drivers rent Ford and Lincoln vehicles by the month. 
Photo courtesy of Ford

Ford Motor Co. will phase out its traditional sedans in North America

Apr 26, 2018
Ford Motor Co. announced it’s going to stop making cars for the North American market, save the Mustang and Focus Active. The automaker plans to phase out five of its cars to focus on SUVs, trucks and crossovers. Dan Neil writes about cars for the Wall Street Journal. He talked with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal about […]

U.S. automakers could be headed down a rocky road

Apr 25, 2018
For years, low gas prices fueled sales of SUVs and pickup trucks, and low interest rates made it easier for car buyers to trade up every time some shiny new technology came along. But with gas prices and interest rates rising, and tariffs on imported aluminum and steel driving up costs, automakers are facing an […]

Automakers step up autonomous car plans

Jan 16, 2018
The future of driving may be closer than we thought. General Motors has announced plans to mass produce a fully autonomous car without a steering wheel or pedals in 2019 — if it gets the go-ahead from federal regulators. Ford and other manufacturers aren’t far behind.  Click the audio player above to hear the full […]

For public good, not for profit.

What happens when sexual harassment becomes ingrained in work culture?

Dec 20, 2017
While some industries may be going through a watershed moment of zero tolerance for sexual harassment, other workplaces may be much slower to change. A recent investigation by the New York Times into two Chicago-based Ford Motor Co. factories shows an entrenched culture of harassment and sexual assault. Senior correspondent Susan Chira, along with her colleague […]

Detroit carmakers cut production amid sales slump

Aug 1, 2017
July sales are down across the board for the Detroit Three automakers, 15.5 percent for GM, 10 percent for Chrysler and 7.5 percent for Ford. That makes seven straight months of declines for the U.S. auto industry at large. Now, considering the last two years basically broke every kind of sales record in the books, […]

Ford can’t seem to catch a break

Jul 26, 2017
Ford shares have been on a steady slide for the past three years now. That’s quite a remarkable place for Ford to be, especially given the company continues to put out the F-150 pickup, the hottest selling truck in the world. Shareholders don’t seem very impressed by Ford’s plans to transition into a future powered […]