Connect with us
ford ev manufacturing at rouge ev center ford ev manufacturing at rouge ev center

News

Ford will reportedly cut 8,000 jobs from ICE production to focus on EVs

The manufacturing technology in the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is just as innovative as the F-150 Lightning. It is the first Ford plant without traditional in-floor conveyor lines and instead uses robotic Autonomous Guided Vehicles to move F-150 Lightning trucks from workstation to station in the plant.

Published

on

Ford will reportedly eliminate as many as 8,000 jobs in the next few weeks, and the cuts are expected to come to positions in combustion engine manufacturing. Ford has made a primary push toward electrifying its lineup with a full commitment to EVs. Eliminating ICE jobs would surely help boost profits as it would funnel available capital toward electric projects.

Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter,” stated that Ford would eliminate jobs from its “Ford Blue” division within the coming weeks. Ford split its ICE and EV projects into separate internal divisions earlier this year, with ICE projects falling under the Ford Blue moniker. EV projects are aligned with the “Model e” unit within the Detroit-based legacy automaker.

The division of the two powertrains within Ford’s production lines is intended to help generate a new consumer experience for EV drivers. Model e is tasked with creating a “new shopping, buying and ownership experience” for future customers using simple, intuitive e-commerce platforms. This includes the potential removal of the dealership model, which could bring in non-negotiable, set prices for electric vehicles. Tesla adopted this strategy, which does not use the traditional dealership platform. Customers generally dislike going to automotive dealerships and attempting to bargain with a salesperson. This model has helped alleviate dealership anxiety.

Teslarati spoke to Ford press representatives regarding Bloomberg’s report, and they were unwilling to comment “in any fashion.” However, given recent circumstances with other car companies, it would not be outlandish to suggest Ford may be making cuts.

Advertisement

Tesla and Rivian are just two automakers in the entire automotive sector who have announced they will reduce employee headcount, but both companies state they grew too quickly in some areas. Throughout the tech sector, Apple has also stated they will freeze hiring, joining Microsoft and Google as companies who will temporarily pause onboarding in some areas.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has said in the past that eliminating some positions would be a good way to boost profits. Farley has widely led the company’s efforts into electrification, spearheading the development and expansion of several new all-electric models that will release in various regions over the next decade. The elimination of employees from an ICE unit that only has a few years left may be beginning as Ford prepares to transition to between 40 and 50 percent of its new sales being of electric models by 2030.

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.

Advertisement

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

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.

The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.

Advertisement

Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.

The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.

UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch

This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.

Advertisement

The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.

Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.

The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.

Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.

The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.

Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:

New Grok Voice Commands

“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”

Advertisement

Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App

“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”

Caraoke With Scoring

“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”

Automatic Navigation

“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.

In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”

Advertisement

Preferred Routes

“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”

Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App

“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”

Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App

“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”

Rear Display Lock

“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”

Advertisement

Other Improvements

  • Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
  • Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
  • Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
  • Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Continue Reading

News

Tesla’s reason for Starlink integration on Cybercab might surprise you

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s reason for Starlink integration on Cybercab might surprise you, as the company’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, finally shed some light on the reason they are putting a satellite internet terminal on its ride-hailing-geared vehicle.

On Monday, Tesla officially confirmed that it would integrate Starlink V5 terminals into Cybercab vehicles, something many Tesla fans had figured the company would do, as the vehicle is primarily geared toward giving rides without any passenger intervention.

Advertisement

The ability to access the internet would allow riders to work or play in the car with their devices. It seemed like a more-than-reasonable feature to add to the Cybercab, which made its way off the production lines for the first time earlier this year.

Tesla reveals first vehicle model to receive Starlink integration

However, the move is not for the rider, as Elluswamy confirmed on Monday night. Instead, it’s actually for Tesla to be able to have a constant connection to the cars in the Robotaxi fleet so it can troubleshoot issues, contact riders, or resolve other issues.

Elluswamy said:

Advertisement

“It is still not required for safe operation of the vehicle. Connectivity is primarily meant for navigation, customer service and, in general, fleet management.”

Many initially assumed the option of constant connectivity would be enabled on the Cybercab for passenger entertainment or work. With the Cybercab, passengers won’t be doing anything but enjoying the ride, so it seemed more than logical that they would be hanging out with Starlink internet access as an amenity.

Advertisement

However, Tesla’s primary concern with Robotaxi is safety, and nailing these first unsupervised rides is a crucial step to setting a good narrative on how effective driverless transportation can be.

Being able to get in touch with passengers or a vehicle if something is wrong is a crucial part of the overall experience, and preventative measures are being taken by Tesla to ensure a smooth process, even in the worst-case.

Continue Reading