The charges announced today largely reflect the cost of overestimating the pace of the energy transition that distanced us from many car buyers' real-world needs, means and desires. They also reflect the impact of previous poor operational execution, the effects of which are being progressively addressed by our new team. The company said that the charges include cash payments of 6.5bn, to be paid out over the next four years.
Chinese state-owned carmaker Chery is pressing ahead with its rapid UK expansion by launching a fourth brand in the British market, underlining its ambition to become a long-term player in one of Europe's most competitive automotive landscapes. The group confirmed it will introduce vehicles under the Lepas brand, a new line focused on battery-electric and hybrid SUVs aimed at younger families. While Lepas is being developed primarily with Europe in mind, the UK will be one of its early launch markets.
China is banning Tesla-style concealed door handles on electric vehicles to address safety concerns regarding people getting trapped inside their cars. The ban will take effect on January 1st next year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's announcement, and will require all vehicles sold in China to have mechanical release door handles on the inside and outside.
Even as auto industry executives, analysts and policy experts warn of an electric-vehicle slowdown in the United States, one crucial part of the EV transition didn't slow down at all in 2025: the nation's fast-charging network. America's EV public fast-charging network grew at a staggering pace last year, the charging analytics firm Paren reported Wednesday. The record-breaking year saw more than 18,000 new fast-charging ports installed nationwide.
Life as a startup carmaker is hard-just ask Lucid Motors. When we met the brand and its prototype Lucid Air sedan in 2017, the company planned to put the first cars in customers' hands within a couple of years. But you know what they say about plans. A lack of funding paused everything until late 2018, when Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund bought itself a stake. A billion dollars meant Lucid could build a factory-at the cost of alienating some former fans
Ford beat earnings estimates in three straight quarters through Q3 2025, with a stunning 367% surprise in Q1. The stock responded by going... nowhere. Up 47% over the past year but still trading at $13.60, barely above where it sat in 2016. That's the Ford pattern in a nutshell: promise without payoff, execution without escape velocity.
