FORD MOTOR (F) Company Report

Federal prosecutors unsealed a nine-count indictment charging First Brands founder Patrick James and his brother Edward with running a years-long fraud that bilked lenders out of billions before the auto-parts supplier’s Chapter 11 collapse.
First Brands entered bankruptcy with more than $9 billion in liabilities and only $12 million in cash.
Prosecutors allege the brothers used fake and inflated invoices, double- and triple-pledged collateral, falsified financial statements and “round-trip” payments; a former executive has pleaded guilty and is cooperating.
The collapse disrupted supply chains for automakers including Ford and GM and exposed major lenders such as Jefferies and UBS.
A court order allowed First Brands to secure $48 million in prepayments to sustain operations; the company employs about 17,000 workers in North America while some units are winding down.

1 day ago

Bloomberg

Ford appoints Lisa Drake president of Ford Energy

Management Change

New Projects/Investments

Hiring

Lisa Drake named president of Ford Energy, effective immediately; will report to John Lawler, vice chair
Tasked with launching Ford’s new battery energy storage systems (BESS) business, formation announced in December 2025
Oversees end-to-end operations: battery cell manufacturing, system assembly, and sales for utility-scale and residential solutions
Previously served as VP, Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems, leading the industrial plan for batteries and electric propulsion engineering

3 days ago

Press Release

Ford Motor gains FDIC approval for industrial bank charter

New Projects/Investments

FDIC approved deposit insurance for Ford Credit Bank, enabling Ford to charter a Utah-based industrial bank that can accept FDIC-insured deposits to fund auto loans.
Approval is conditional on establishing and capitalizing the bank within 12 months, maintaining strong capital and liquidity with explicit parental support, and meeting a 15% Tier 1 leverage threshold.
Ford Credit Bank will primarily acquire retail installment contracts from independent Ford dealers and fund lending largely through consumer savings accounts and time deposits gathered via digital channels.
Access to lower-cost retail deposits is expected to enhance funding flexibility and reduce Ford’s cost of capital as auto demand cools and the industry shifts toward EVs.

8 days ago

Morningstar

Ford in talks with BYD for hybrid battery packs

New Projects/Investments

Ford is in preliminary talks with China’s BYD to import lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs for some hybrid models, with no agreement finalized.
Proposed plan would ship BYD batteries to Ford plants outside the U.S.—in Germany, Spain, Thailand or Turkey—for use in globally sold hybrids.
These discussions align with Ford’s shift under its Ford+ reset from large all-electric vehicles to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and smaller EVs, including canceling the F-150 Lightning.
Ford’s EV restructuring is expected to cost $19.5 billion, about half attributed to the canceled F-150 Lightning, as it nears completion of its Michigan BlueOval Battery Park and plans to license CATL technology for a $30,000 UEV-based pickup.

Jan 15, 2026, 4:36 PM

Bloomberg

Ford plans eyes-off EV, sports-car debut

Product Launch

New Projects/Investments

Eyes-off driving system planned for a mainstream all-electric vehicle in 2028, featuring a $30,000 model on the UEV platform with new software architecture and AI assistant.
UEV program’s first vehicle is a $30,000 midsize pickup expected to reach market in 2027.
Rival GM will launch a similar eyes-off system with an AI assistant in 2028 on the Cadillac Escalade IQ, starting above $127,000.
Ford will unveil a new high-performance sports car at the Detroit Auto Show and a January 15 racing event, amid speculation of a gravel-focused supercar, Mustang variants, or a Ford GT revival.

Jan 6, 2026, 9:39 PM

CNBC

Ford announces record U.S. sales in 2025

Revenue Acceleration/Inflection

Ford’s total U.S. sales rose 6.0% to 2,204,124 vehicles in 2025—the highest annual volume and market share (13.2%) since 2019, up 0.6 pp year-over-year.
F-Series remained America’s best-selling truck with 828,832 units sold (+8.3%), while the F-150 Hybrid achieved a record 84,934 sales (+15.0%) in 2025.
Electrified vehicles drove growth: hybrid sales set a new annual record at 228,072 units (+21.7%) and EV sales reached 84,113 across three nameplates.

Jan 6, 2026, 2:16 PM

8-K

Ford Motor selects PVS for logistics at Kentucky Truck Plant

New Projects/Investments

Precision Vehicle Solutions has been chosen to manage finished-vehicle logistics at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP) and Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP).
The Kentucky Truck Plant, Ford’s largest and most complex U.S. facility, produces over 460,000 trucks and SUVs annually and ships to approximately 65 destinations by rail and shuttle.
With KTP and LAP added, PVS now supports around 15% of North American finished-vehicle production sites and nearly 50% of Ford and GM’s U.S. footprint.
Operations begin immediately, with PVS overseeing the full rail-and-shuttle flow—including direct rail loading, shuttle transfers, yard operations—and implementing its ERM safety and standardized procedures.

Jan 5, 2026, 11:37 PM

Press Release

Evolution Metals & Technologies completes merger ahead of NASDAQ debut

M&A

Delisting/Listing Issues

Business combination between Welsbach Technology Metals Acquisition Corp. and Evolution Metals LLC has closed, forming Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp.
EM&T will begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Markets under the ticker EMAT on January 6, 2026.
Mission to build a U.S.-based, vertically integrated supply chain for rare earth magnets and battery materials, leveraging over 18 years of commercial-scale operations to reduce reliance on China.

Jan 5, 2026, 9:01 PM

Press Release

Ford announces EV restructuring and guidance update

Guidance Update

New Projects/Investments

Demand Weakening

Ford will record about $19.5 billion in special items (mostly in Q4 2025) related to EV asset impairments and program cancellations, with approximately $5.5 billion in cash effects mainly in 2026 and 2027.
These charges include an $8.5 billion write-down of Model e long-lived assets and a $3 billion impairment on Ford’s BlueOval SK joint-venture battery plants, plus $1 billion of additional program cancellation expenses in Q4 2025.
Company raises 2025 adjusted EBIT guidance to about $7 billion and reaffirms adjusted free cash flow guidance of $2–3 billion, trending toward the high end.
Ford is launching a battery energy storage business, repurposing Kentucky and Michigan plants to produce LFP cells and systems, targeting at least 20 GWh of annual capacity by late 2027.

Dec 15, 2025, 9:07 PM

8-K

Ford redeploys capital into trucks, hybrids, EVs and battery storage

New Projects/Investments

Guidance Update

Ford shifts to higher-return opportunities—Ford Pro, trucks and vans, hybrids and a new battery energy storage business; expects Model e profitability by 2029, with improvements beginning in 2026
Rationalizes U.S. EV assets with $19.5 billion in special items (majority in Q4 2025) and $5.5 billion in cash effects, mostly in 2026–2027
Launches a battery energy storage systems business, investing $2 billion, repurposing Kentucky plant for 5 MWh+ modules and targeting 20 GWh annual capacity by late 2027
Raises 2025 guidance: adjusted EBIT to ~$7 billion and reaffirms adjusted free cash flow of $2–3 billion, trending toward the high end
Expands U.S. production with new “Built Ford Tough” pickups, hybrids and EVs, and will hire thousands of new employees