By DETROIT (Reuters) - The impact of the global semiconductor shortage on the auto industry spread on Saturday, as Stellantis warned its highly profitable pickup trucks were hit, while Ford Motor Co said it would cut more U.S. production.Stellantis, the world’s fourth largest automaker, said it will build and hold for final assembly its Ram 1500 Classic trucks at its Warren, Michigan, and Saltillo, Mexico, assembly plants. When chips become available, the vehicles will be completed and shipped to dealers.The action will last “a number of weeks,” a Stellantis spokeswoman said, declining to...…By DETROIT (Reuters) - The impact of the global semiconductor shortage on the auto industry spread on Saturday, as Stellantis warned its highly profitable pickup trucks were hit, while Ford Motor Co said it would cut more U.S. production.Stellantis, the world’s fourth largest automaker, said it will build and hold for final assembly its Ram 1500 Classic trucks at its Warren, Michigan, and Saltillo, Mexico, assembly plants. When chips become available, the vehicles will be completed and shipped to dealers.The action will last “a number of weeks,” a Stellantis spokeswoman said, declining to...WW…

By DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co said on Monday that due to the global semiconductor chip shortage the U.S. automaker is building certain 2021 light-duty full-size pickup trucks without a fuel management module, hurting those vehicles’ fuel economy performance.The lack of the active fuel management/dynamic fuel management module means affected models, equipped with the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine with both six-speed and eight-speed automatic transmission, will have lower fuel economy by one mile per gallon, spokeswoman Michelle Malcho said.Malcho emphasized all trucks are still...…By DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co said on Monday that due to the global semiconductor chip shortage the U.S. automaker is building certain 2021 light-duty full-size pickup trucks without a fuel management module, hurting those vehicles’ fuel economy performance.The lack of the active fuel management/dynamic fuel management module means affected models, equipped with the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine with both six-speed and eight-speed automatic transmission, will have lower fuel economy by one mile per gallon, spokeswoman Michelle Malcho said.Malcho emphasized all trucks are still...WW…

By DETROIT (Reuters) - Electric vehicle startup Canoo Inc on Wednesday said it will introduce an American-built pod-like electric pickup truck in 2023, following in the footsteps of several rivals also entering the most popular segment of the U.S. automotive market.Slideshow Canoo Executive Chairman Tony Aquila revealed the timing for the truck ahead of an Automobility LA event on Thursday. He said the Los Angeles-based company would begin taking pre-orders in the second quarter of 2021.Aquila told Reuters he was aiming to launch the rounded, snub-nosed truck in the first quarter of 2023,...…By DETROIT (Reuters) - Electric vehicle startup Canoo Inc on Wednesday said it will introduce an American-built pod-like electric pickup truck in 2023, following in the footsteps of several rivals also entering the most popular segment of the U.S. automotive market.Slideshow Canoo Executive Chairman Tony Aquila revealed the timing for the truck ahead of an Automobility LA event on Thursday. He said the Los Angeles-based company would begin taking pre-orders in the second quarter of 2021.Aquila told Reuters he was aiming to launch the rounded, snub-nosed truck in the first quarter of 2023,...WW…

By , DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Wednesday said the global semiconductor chip shortage could shave up to $2 billion from 2021 profit, but the U.S. automaker’s highly profitable big pickups and SUVs won’t suffer any production cuts.Slideshow After reporting a fourth-quarter profit of $2.8 billion and a 2021 profit outlook some saw as conservative, GM shares were down 4.5% in early trading.Chief Executive Mary Barra, in a media briefing, said GM “won’t lose any production” of its high-profit full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, although the supply of computer chips “is still a bit...…By , DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Wednesday said the global semiconductor chip shortage could shave up to $2 billion from 2021 profit, but the U.S. automaker’s highly profitable big pickups and SUVs won’t suffer any production cuts.Slideshow After reporting a fourth-quarter profit of $2.8 billion and a 2021 profit outlook some saw as conservative, GM shares were down 4.5% in early trading.Chief Executive Mary Barra, in a media briefing, said GM “won’t lose any production” of its high-profit full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, although the supply of computer chips “is still a bit...WW…

By , (Reuters) - Automakers around the world are shutting assembly lines because of a global shortage of semiconductors that in some cases has been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s actions against key Chinese chip factories, industry officials said.The shortage, which caught much of the industry off-guard and could continue for many months, is now causing Ford Motor Co, Subaru Corp and Toyota Motor Corp to curtail production in the United States.Automakers affected in other markets include Volkswagen, Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.The problems stem from a...…By , (Reuters) - Automakers around the world are shutting assembly lines because of a global shortage of semiconductors that in some cases has been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s actions against key Chinese chip factories, industry officials said.The shortage, which caught much of the industry off-guard and could continue for many months, is now causing Ford Motor Co, Subaru Corp and Toyota Motor Corp to curtail production in the United States.Automakers affected in other markets include Volkswagen, Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.The problems stem from a...WW…

By , DETROIT/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Monday it will close its three plants in Brazil this year and take pretax charges of about $4.1 billion as the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the company’s under use of its manufacturing capacity.Production will cease immediately at Ford’s plants in Camaçari and Taubaté, with some parts production continuing for a few months to support inventories for aftermarket sales. The Troller plant in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, will continue to operate until the fourth quarter.Ford officials said the action was part of the $11 billion global...…By , DETROIT/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Monday it will close its three plants in Brazil this year and take pretax charges of about $4.1 billion as the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the company’s under use of its manufacturing capacity.Production will cease immediately at Ford’s plants in Camaçari and Taubaté, with some parts production continuing for a few months to support inventories for aftermarket sales. The Troller plant in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, will continue to operate until the fourth quarter.Ford officials said the action was part of the $11 billion global...WW…

By , WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - When Jennifer Granholm was governor of auto-manufacturing Michigan, she led a charge that secured a whopping $1.35 billion in federal funding for companies to make electric cars and batteries in her state.As President-elect Joe Biden’s expected energy secretary, Granholm now faces a bigger task: making good on his campaign promise to help the United States compete with China on electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a $2 trillion plan to fight climate change.Biden has said China was set to dramatically outpace the United States in EV production. But the...…By , WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - When Jennifer Granholm was governor of auto-manufacturing Michigan, she led a charge that secured a whopping $1.35 billion in federal funding for companies to make electric cars and batteries in her state.As President-elect Joe Biden’s expected energy secretary, Granholm now faces a bigger task: making good on his campaign promise to help the United States compete with China on electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a $2 trillion plan to fight climate change.Biden has said China was set to dramatically outpace the United States in EV production. But the...WW…

By DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it has ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, a move aimed at ensuring the U.S. automaker’s workers have access to vaccines when they are rolled out nationally.Ford’s purchase mirrors efforts by U.S. states and cities to buy equipment to store millions of doses of Pfizer’s vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8 C (36-46 F).Health care providers and states are preparing for a new type of vaccines by Pfizer and...…By DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it has ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, a move aimed at ensuring the U.S. automaker’s workers have access to vaccines when they are rolled out nationally.Ford’s purchase mirrors efforts by U.S. states and cities to buy equipment to store millions of doses of Pfizer’s vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8 C (36-46 F).Health care providers and states are preparing for a new type of vaccines by Pfizer and...WW…

By DETROIT (Reuters) - Quality is once again Job One at Ford Motor Co.Taking a page from the automaker’s ad slogan of the 1980s and ‘90s, Ford’s new chief executive, Jim Farley, is aiming to rein in rising warranty repair costs that are a key reason why the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker’s financial performance in North America has lagged that of its archrival, General Motors Co.As part of its new effort to cut warranty costs, Ford has told suppliers it will charge them upfront for half the cost of a warranty problem. Suppliers might get some of the money back if they resolve problems more...…By DETROIT (Reuters) - Quality is once again Job One at Ford Motor Co.Taking a page from the automaker’s ad slogan of the 1980s and ‘90s, Ford’s new chief executive, Jim Farley, is aiming to rein in rising warranty repair costs that are a key reason why the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker’s financial performance in North America has lagged that of its archrival, General Motors Co.As part of its new effort to cut warranty costs, Ford has told suppliers it will charge them upfront for half the cost of a warranty problem. Suppliers might get some of the money back if they resolve problems more...WW…

By , DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co is developing an electric van aimed at business users, joining a growing list of carmakers planning EVs for the same segment which includes customers such as Amazon.com Inc and United Parcel Service Inc, five people familiar with the plans told Reuters.That multibillion-dollar strategy could enable GM, Ford Motor Co and at least two EV startups to build and deliver more electric vehicles at a time when consumer demand for battery-powered models is still a small fraction of overall industry sales, while targeting a potentially lucrative market...…By , DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co is developing an electric van aimed at business users, joining a growing list of carmakers planning EVs for the same segment which includes customers such as Amazon.com Inc and United Parcel Service Inc, five people familiar with the plans told Reuters.That multibillion-dollar strategy could enable GM, Ford Motor Co and at least two EV startups to build and deliver more electric vehicles at a time when consumer demand for battery-powered models is still a small fraction of overall industry sales, while targeting a potentially lucrative market...WW…