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Ford CEO Jim Farley named in Newsweek’s list of Greatest Auto Disruptors as Exec. of the Year

Jim Farley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford

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Ford CEO Jim Farley has been named in Newsweek’s 2022 List of Greatest Auto Disruptors, capturing the title of Executive of the Year.

Farley took over as Ford’s frontman in late 2020 and has spearheaded the company’s transition to electrification. It is no secret Farley has contributed greatly to Ford’s continuing effort to bring competitive, electric options to the Detroit-based automaker’s lineup with new takes on legendary names like Mustang and the F-150.

“Ford president and CEO Jim Farley’s grandfather worked on the line that built the Model T more than 100 years ago. Now Farley has been tasked with advancing the Ford family legacy of auto disruption and innovation into the twenty-first century by moving the company to the forefront of the industry’s digital future,” Newsweek writes regarding Farley. “The steps taken in 2021 to push Ford forward toward this goal, blending the company’s storied history with goals around sustainability and digital innovation, are why Farley is Newsweek’s Auto Disruptors Executive of the Year. Farley has introduced electric vehicles starting with iconic nameplates: Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and Lincoln Zephyr. Those models can be modified without stops at dealerships. Their connected technologies allow for digital range, suspension, and handling upgrades wirelessly.”

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Farley has been one of the biggest figures behind the evident transition of the American automotive industry, along with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. While Tesla and Musk essentially started the EV movement, disrupting a major sector and forcing companies to get on board or get left behind, Farley and Ford can be given credit for committing to the EV movement more than any other traditional OEM. “This digital transformation has ripped its way through business and, after years of talking about it, it’s finally arrived in our industry,” Farley said in an interview for his new award. “I think Tesla deserves a lot of credit for their acknowledgment of the shift more than 10 years ago.”

Farley also commented on the development of Ford’s BlueOval City, a $5.6 billion campus in Tennessee that will revolutionize the way the company builds cars, thanks to its 6,000 employees.

“This is our chance to build a carbon-neutral plant and do so in a socioeconomic location where there was very high unemployment and not a lot of jobs,” Farley said. “So it’s kind of like what we did in the ’20s in the company [when] lots of people moved from the South and overseas to work to get $5 a day from Mr. Ford.”

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(Credit: Ford)

Among the other Disruptors in Newsweek’s article were Euisun Chung, Hyundai’s Executive Chair, who was named Visionary of the Year, Hyundai Motor Group, which was named Research and Development Team of the Year, and Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President for Nissan, who won Designer of the Year.

Newsweek’s full list of its Greatest Auto Disruptors is available here.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

First Tesla Cybercab rolls off Giga Texas production line

Tesla’s official account on X shared an image showing employees gathered around the first Cybercab built at Gigafactory Texas.

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Credit: Tesla/X

Tesla has produced the first Tesla Cybercab at Texas Gigafactory, marking a key milestone ahead of the planned autonomous two-seater’s production in April. The two-seat Robotaxi, which was unveiled in 2024, is designed without pedals or a steering wheel and represents Tesla’s most aggressive step yet toward fully autonomous mobility.

Tesla’s official account on X shared an image showing employees gathered around the first Cybercab built at Gigafactory Texas. Elon Musk echoed the milestone, writing, “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab!”

Previous comments from Musk on X reiterated the idea that production of the Cybercab “starts in April.” The vehicle will launch without traditional driver controls, and it will rely entirely on Tesla’s vision-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.

The Cybercab is positioned to compete with autonomous services such as Waymo. While Tesla has deployed Model Y vehicles in limited Robotaxi operations in Austin and the Bay Area, a serious ramp of the service to other cities across the United States is yet to be implemented. The production of the Cybercab could then be seen as a push towards the company’s autonomy plans.

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Musk has linked the Cybercab to Tesla’s proposed “Unboxed” manufacturing process, which would assemble large vehicle modules separately before integrating them, rather than following a traditional production line. The approach is intended to cut costs, reduce factory footprint, and speed up output.

That being said, Elon Musk has set expectations for the Cybercab’s production ramp. As per Musk, it would likely take some time before meaningful volumes of the Cybercab are produced because it is such a new and different vehicle. But when the vehicle hits its pace, volumes will be notable. 

“Initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk noted.

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Elon Musk

California city weighs banning Elon Musk companies like Tesla and SpaceX

A resolution draft titled, “Resolution Ending Engagement With Elon Musk-Controlled Companies and To Encourage CalPERS To Divest Stock In These Companies,” alleges that Musk “has engaged in business practices that are alleged to include violations of labor laws, environmental regulations, workplace safety standards, and regulatory noncompliance.”

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Credit: Tesla

A California City Council is planning to weigh whether it would adopt a resolution that would place a ban on its engagement with Elon Musk companies, like Tesla and SpaceX.

The City of Davis, California, will have its City Council weigh a new proposal that would adopt a resolution “to divest from companies owned and/or controlled by Elon Musk.”

This would include a divestment proposal to encourage CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System, to divest from stock in any Musk company.

A resolution draft titled, “Resolution Ending Engagement With Elon Musk-Controlled Companies and To Encourage CalPERS To Divest Stock In These Companies,” alleges that Musk “has engaged in business practices that are alleged to include violations of labor laws, environmental regulations, workplace safety standards, and regulatory noncompliance.”

It claims that Musk “has used his influence and corporate platforms to promote political ideologies and activities that threaten democratic norms and institutions, including campaign finance activities that raise ethical and legal concerns.”

If adopted, Davis would bar the city from entering into any new contracts or purchasing agreements with any company owned or controlled by Elon Musk. It also says it will not consider utilizing Tesla Robotaxis.

Hotel owner tears down Tesla chargers in frustration over Musk’s politics

A staff report on the proposal claims there is “no immediate budgetary impact.” However, a move like this would only impact its residents, especially with Tesla, as the Supercharger Network is open to all electric vehicle manufacturers. It is also extremely reliable and widespread.

Regarding the divestment request to CalPERS, it would not be surprising to see the firm make the move. Although it voted against Musk’s compensation package last year, the firm has no issue continuing to make money off of Tesla’s performance on Wall Street.

The decision to avoid Musk companies will be considered this evening at the City Council meeting.

The report comes from Davis Vanguard.

It is no secret that Musk’s political involvement, especially during the most recent Presidential Election, ruffled some feathers. Other cities considered similar options, like the City of Baltimore, which “decided to go in another direction” after awarding Tesla a $5 million contract for a fleet of EVs for city employees.

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Tesla launches new Model 3 financing deal with awesome savings

Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has launched a new Model 3 financing deal in the United States that brings awesome savings. The deal looks to move more of the company’s mass-market sedan as it is the second-most popular vehicle Tesla offers, behind its sibling, the Model Y.

Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.

It includes three Model 3 configurations, including the Model 3 Performance. The rate applies to:

  • Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive
  • Model 3 Premium All-Wheel-Drive
  • Model 3 Performance

The previous APR offer was 2.99%.

Tesla routinely utilizes low-interest offers to help move vehicles, especially as the rates can help get people to payments that are more comfortable with their monthly budgets. Along with other savings, like those on maintenance and gas, this is another way Tesla pushes savings to customers.

The company had offered a similar program in China on the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, but it had ended on January 31.

The Model 3 was the second-best-selling electric vehicle in the United States in 2025, trailing only the Model Y. According to automotive data provided by Cox, Tesla sold 192,440 units last year of the all-electric sedan. The Model Y sold 357,528 units.

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