London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Ford CEO reveals EV reality: America 'cannot continue to import' batteries, earth minerals

Ford CEO reveals EV reality: America 'cannot continue to import' batteries, earth minerals

Ford builds EV plant in Tennessee despite $3B profit loss expectation for 2023
While American consumers and politicians seem to remain split on whether to go pedal-to-the-metal on electric vehicle (EV) production, Ford’s CEO has shared a critical message to those who want them to rule the roads sooner than later.

"No one makes more full-size trucks than we do in America. We have to on-shore this stuff," Ford Motor Company president and CEO Jim Farley told "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade on Friday. "We have to have mines and processing to build a digital economy here in the U.S. We cannot continue to import batteries and rare earth from overseas. We have to move it to America."

"We're willing to invest," Farley continued, "but we have to have people in partnership with government that's going to improve mines, improve processing. These sites are really important. We can build all the plants, but what's the good if we're importing batteries?"

The CEO appeared on Fox News from Ford’s newest EV plant just outside Memphis, Tennessee, to discuss the company’s latest investment in the American economy as well as ongoing improvements within the EV market.

On Thursday, the automaker announced it's expecting a $3 billion loss due to Model e investments geared to rapidly boost production of electric vehicles to an annual rate of 600,000 globally by the end of 2023 and two million in 2026.

"As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capabilities, develop knowledge, build volume and gain share," Ford CFO John Lawler told media ahead of an investor call Thursday.

Model e reportedly lost $2.1 billion in 2022 and its cumulative 2021 through 2023 loss is projected at $6 billion.

Earth minerals like nickel, lithium and cobalt are essential for building EVs and their batteries, but recently, mineral shortages and closures of domestic mines could threaten the U.S. auto industry’s ability to produce enough EVs by the Biden administration’s 2035 goal.

Farley echoed Lawler’s sentiments that Ford’s electric vehicle division is still in its "startup" phase, where companies "invest to build plants like this or develop the new vehicles before you scale."

According to its CEO, Ford has "learned a lot" about the EV market and engineering with their first generation of electric cars.

"The key is scaling and getting the manufacturing facility more efficient. But we make all of our full-sized trucks in America, and we're going to bet on this new full-size electric Ford, and it's going to be built here in Tennessee, and we're going to continue to bet on America," Farley explained. "So we're in investment mode, but that's what you have to do if you want to build a new business."

Once completed and open for business, Ford’s Tennessee EV plant expects to create 6,000 new jobs and generate $5.6 billion, the CEO noted. The all-new, all-electric truck will be equipped with updatable software similar to smartphones – a technological advancement not previously featured in any of their EVs.

"This is a feel-good story. This is us investing in America," Farley said. "And we're building a brand-new plant for a brand new big truck."

"We think we're going to be able to deliver technology so on a sunny day on the highway, you're going to be able to go to sleep in your Ford, or do something else," the CEO continued. "So this would be the first Ford that will have partial autonomy that's going to give Americans time back. And who doesn't want more time?"
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×