Ford donates $1.25 million to Texas flood relief, launches recovery efforts
As of the morning of July 10, the death toll from the catastrophic flooding of the Guadalupe River in central Texas rose to 119 people, according to a USA TODAY report.
To help in the search and recovery, Ford, its dealers in Texas and Ford Philanthropy are donating $1.25 million to local charities to support the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country as well as local affiliates of Ford's "Building Together" partners.
Ford Philanthropy, which used to be called Ford Fund until last year, is a nonprofit funded by Ford Motor Co. Formed in 1949, Ford and its philanthropic arm have donated $2.3 billion to charities in that time, according to fordphilanthorpy.org. Last month, Ford launched its new "Building Together" program aimed at unifying Ford corporate leaders, employees, dealerships and nonprofit groups when responding to a crisis.
Ford gives back: Bryan Cranston champions Ford's new philanthropy push at revived Detroit landmark
Beyond the money, Ford employees, dealers and nonprofits will provide immediate help and lay the foundation for recovery by running shelters and reunification centers and distributing emergency food boxes.
'All of us at Ford are deeply saddened by the devastating floods in Central Texas and our thoughts are with all the families and communities who are mourning the loss of loved ones," said Elena Ford, Ford's chief dealer engagement officer, in an email to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Ford offers payment relief
Beyond the money, Ford said the automaker's dealers in Texas are providing loaner vehicles to the American Red Cross to help it widen its response efforts in reaching impacted areas.
Also, Ford said that on July 17, Ford employees and dealers will come to the North Texas Food Bank to pack food boxes for local Texas families, including those impacted by the floods.
On July 10, Ford Volunteer Corps members started preparing to deploy to Texas with Team Rubicon. A longtime partner with Ford Philanthropy, Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief and aid nationwide. Through Ford's new Extended Volunteer Paid Time Off Policy, Ford's trained volunteers will join Team Rubicon's mission as the recovery efforts begin in Texas.
Finally, Ford Credit is offering a deferred payment option to customers in FEMA Designated Areas. Ford Credit and Lincoln Automotive Financial Services are offering payment extensions of up to 60 days for customers affected by the storms, straight-line winds and flooding in Texas.
Elena Ford said the automaker's dealers have always been deeply rooted in their communities and are known to step up when help is needed, such as in this case.
"As search and rescue efforts continue and recovery begins, we're standing alongside our Texas Ford Dealers, Ford Philanthropy, and nonprofit partners to ensure critical support gets to those who need it most," Ford said.
Toyota also lends a hand
Ford's news comes after Toyota Motor North America said on July 8 that it was partnering with Toyota Financial Services, distributors Gulf States Toyota and Southeast Toyota and Vic Vaughan Toyota of Boerne and Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide, to provide a combined donation of more than $600,000 to help people impacted by the floods in Texas.
The group's relief efforts include donations to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country's Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, along with matching contributions, in-kind donations and volunteerism. Also, Toyota Financial Services is offering payment relief options to affected customers.
"When disasters like this occur, it's important to help our neighbors and communities in their time of need," said Ted Ogawa, chief executive officer, Toyota Motor North America. "Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this horrible tragedy."
General Motors spokeswoman Tara Kuhnen said the automaker is providing the American Red Cross with pickups and SUVs to aid in recovery efforts.
"Our participation and contribution to the Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program equips the Red Cross with the immediate resources to respond quickly and provide critical shelter and supplies to those impacted by the tragic flooding," Kuhnen said in a statement.
Additionally, GM has activated OnStar Full Crisis Mode services in Texas, Kuhnen said. That means anyone in an OnStar-equipped Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet or GMC vehicle impacted by the floods can press the in-vehicle blue button for complimentary crisis assist services, or the red emergency button if they are in need of immediate emergency help.
A Stellantis spokesperson did not immediately provide a comment when asked whether the company plans to give any aid to Texas.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
36 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Doug Ford says things that Mark Carney can't as Donald Trump's trade war escalates
Doug Ford says the quiet part out loud. The loquacious Ontario premier has always been quotable, but rarely more so than when he's railing against U.S. President Donald Trump's trade attack on Canada. Helpfully playing the bad cop to partner Mark Carney 's good cop, Ford , as a subnational leader, can get away with saying things the prime minister cannot . To wit, hours before Trump slapped a 35 per cent tariff on goods not covered in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the premier came out swinging. 'I told the prime minister, do not roll over. Hit that guy back as hard as we possibly can. And that's what we need to do — and we can do it,' he told reporters Thursday morning in Thunder Bay. 'Prime Minister Carney is trying his best, but this guy (Trump) will say something one day, and he'll wake up — and the cheese slips off the cracker — and then all of a sudden he goes the other way. And you're thinking, 'How do you deal with a guy like this?'' Indeed. Carney, who is in daily contact with Ford, values the premier's counsel so much that he stayed at Ford's Muskoka cottage last week on the eve of the first ministers' meeting at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville. 'We were up till 12:30 a.m. at night, chatting in front of the fireplace, solving all of the world's problems,' a giddy Ford said the following afternoon. For Canada's economy, the biggest problem in the world right now is Trump. Still, despite all of his 'elbows up' rhetoric during this spring's federal election campaign, Carney left the tough talk to Ford and struck a more measured tone early Friday. 'While the Canadian government is disappointed by this action, we remain committed to CUSMA, which is the world's second-largest free trade agreement by trading volume,' the prime minister said in a statement. 'The U.S. application of CUSMA means that the U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of its lowest for all of its trading partners. Other sectors of our economy — including lumber, steel, aluminum, and automobiles — are, however, heavily impacted by U.S. duties and tariffs,' he noted without mentioning the massive trade pact is up for renegotiation next year. 'For such sectors, the Canadian government will act to protect Canadian jobs, invest in our industrial competitiveness, buy Canadian, and diversify our export markets.' Although Ford backs that approach — acknowledging more than 90 per cent of what Canada sends stateside is covered under CUSMA and therefore won't face the new tariff — he wants the Americans to at least fear a counterstrike. 'The federal government needs to hit back with a 50 per cent tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum. Canadian workers and businesses are desperate for certainty. Let's work together, united, to deliver it,' the premier said on social media Thursday night. There is ample evidence that Ford's warnings — delivered online and in his many appearances on the U.S. cable news channels Trump watches — get noticed in Washington. When he threatened to shut off the export of electricity Ontario sells to 1.5 million customers in New York, Michigan and Minnesota, Howard Lutnick, the excitable U.S. secretary of commerce, was immediately on the horn to complain. After Ford outlawed the sale of U.S. alcohol in LCBO outlets — robbing Kentucky bourbon distillers of their largest single customer — Pete Hoekstra, the American ambassador to Canada, expressed his displeasure publicly and privately. 'They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine. There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with … because of some of those steps,' Hoekstra said in undiplomatic remarks behind closed doors at a summit in Bellevue, Washington. Four months after the premier reminded American consumers how much Canadian content was in their beloved pickup trucks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent conceded that point this week. Asked about the Ford Motor Co. announcement that Trump's tariffs cost the firm $800 million (U.S.) in the second quarter this year, Bessent noted the Ford F-150, America's bestselling vehicle, is manufactured using Quebec aluminum. 'I think maybe the aluminum tariffs hit them harder. We will be negotiating with Canada on those,' he said on CNBC. With tariffs on imported products now hovering at around 15 per cent, their highest rate since the Great Depression — and up from two per cent last year under former president Joe Biden — U.S. consumers will feel the pinch sooner rather than later. That's why the Ontario premier's mantra is Trump's tariffs are a tax that will make life more expensive for Americans. So, as Canadian political and business leaders wait for prices to rise south of the border in hopes of making U.S. consumers more ornery about inflation, expect Ford to keep talking smack and Carney to keep quietly encouraging that.
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
More than 300,000 Fords just got recalled for a brake issue you can't ignore
Ford is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles over concerns that problems with the power brake assist system could lead to a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the safety notice, noting that the issue could extend stopping distances for a vehicle in motion. The affected vehicles are 2025 versions of Ford's Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger. According to the NHTSA, the vehicles might also experience malfunctions in the electronic brake booster (EBB) module when using the advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, which could similarly interfere with the power brake assist system and cause an accident. For affected vehicles, the EBB issue can be resolved with an over-the-air software update or at a dealer for free. The new recall is the latest in a spate of recent recalls for the auto maker. In July, Ford recalled almost 700,000 vehicles over a fuel leak problem that could cause a fire under the hood. That recall, which impacted some Bronco Sport and Ford Escape models, was the result of a yearlong investigation into ongoing problems with the vehicles' fuel injectors. Just prior to that, an even wider recall was issued over worries about the low-pressure fuel pump on more than 850,000 Ford vehicles. Car recalls are on the rise broadly, but Ford's issues stand out. The manufacturer tops the list for the most vehicle recalls in the U.S., though the company's leadership hopes to nip future issues in the bud by holding new vehicles for an extra phase of quality checks. 'What we're going to see long term is fewer recalls and lower warranty costs because of this new process,' Ford CEO Jim Farley said in an earnings call last year. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ford reports net loss of $36m in Q2 2025
Ford has disclosed its financial outcomes for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, revealing a net loss of $36m, mainly due to special charges and electric vehicle programme cancellation costs. For the second quarter, Ford reported total revenue of $50.2 billion, a 5% increase from the second quarter of 2024. Despite this, the company's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at $2.14bn (£2.8bn last year Q2), with $0.8bn in adverse tariff-related impacts. Ford noted that looking ahead, it has adjusted its full-year 2025 outlook, now expecting an adjusted EBIT of $6.5bn to $7.5bn, including about $2bn in net 'tariff-related headwinds', and aims to generate $3.5bn to $4.5bn in adjusted free cash flow. These projections are a revision from the initial guidance provided in February and the subsequent withdrawal in May due to tariff uncertainties. The updated guidance mirrors 'strong' performance across Ford's divisions and continued cost improvements. The net tariff-related headwind is a result of a $3bn gross adverse EBIT impact, mitigated by $1bn from recovery actions, Ford estimates. The operational cash flow for the quarter was substantial, at $6.3bn, with an adjusted free cash flow of $2.8bn. By the end of the quarter, Ford's cash reserves were $28.4bn, with liquidity at $46.6bn. The company also announced a Q3 regular dividend of 15 cents per share, set to be paid on 2 September to shareholders on record as of 11 August. Ford Pro reported $2.3bn in EBIT with a 12.3% margin on $18.8bn in revenue. Software and services are said to have contributed significantly to Ford Pro's EBIT, with paid subscriptions growing 24% year-over-year (YoY) to 757,000. However, Ford's EV division - Model e - faced challenges, reporting a Q2 EBIT loss of $1.3bn, marking an $179 m increase in losses from the previous year quarter. The results were affected by net tariff-related expenses, investments in electric vehicles, and costs from the new battery plant launch in Marshall, Michigan, US. The segment's doubled revenue to $2.4bn was overshadowed by flat EBIT performance YoY for its first-generation products, the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, when excluding tariff impacts. Ford Blue posted $661m in EBIT, highlighting profitable market share gains and 'higher' net pricing, although these were offset by tariff-related issues and a decline in segment revenue by 3% to $25.8bn. Ford Credit's performance was significant, with an 88% increase in Q2 earnings before taxes compared to the prior year. Ford CFO Sherry House said: 'We recorded our fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year cost improvement, excluding the impact of tariffs, building on progress we made last year when we closed roughly $1.5 billion of our competitive cost gap in material cost. 'Our balance sheet keeps getting stronger, further enabling our ability to invest in areas of strength. We are remaking Ford into a higher-growth, higher-margin and more durable business – and allocating capital where we can compete, win and grow.' "Ford reports net loss of $36m in Q2 2025" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
