View Interior Photos of the 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron
In addition to a fully digital gauge cluster, you get this honkin' display just to its right.
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Ford Pauses Mustang Mach-E Sales Due to Door Lock Issue
Ford Motor Company F is issuing a global recall for around 317,000 Mustang Mach-E vehicles due to a malfunction that could cause drivers to become locked out or, in some cases, leave the occupant trapped inside the recall affects Mach-E models from the 2021 to 2025 model years, both in the United States and abroad. Ford has instructed its dealers not to sell or deliver any affected vehicles, which are manufactured in Mexico, until a forthcoming software update addresses the issue arises when the car is shut off and the occupants exit using the mechanical interior door handles. The doors might stay locked after closing, posing a danger if a child or pet remains inside. Ford warned that in such situations, a person who exits may be unable to quickly re-enter and assist someone still inside who cannot open the door from within, potentially leading to serious harm, especially in high far, Ford says no injuries or accidents have been linked to the defect. The automaker is working on a software fix, expected to become available in the third quarter. Until then, the stop-sale order remains active. While current owners will be eligible for the update, some may need to visit a dealership rather than receiving it over the air. Once the fix is ready, Ford will contact owners via mail to arrange a service appointment at no January through May this year, Ford sold 19,258 Mach-E units in the United States, up 2.8% from the same period last year. In contrast, sales of the gas-powered Mustang fell 18% to 19,309 company recently increased the Mach-E's price by up to $2,000, partly in response to a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and parts imposed by President Donald Trump. Ford estimates these tariffs will cost the company $2.5 billion in 2025, though it aims to offset $1 billion of that through pricing and cost-cutting strategies. Ford carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at better-ranked stocks in the auto space are CarGurus, Inc. CARG, Strattec Security Corporation STRT and Michelin MGDDY, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Zacks Consensus Estimate for CARG's 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 4.96% and 25%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have improved 30 cents and 44 cents, respectively, in the past 60 Zacks Consensus Estimate for STRT's fiscal 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.49% and 8.11%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have improved 73 cents and $1.63, respectively, in the past 60 Zacks Consensus Estimate for MGDDY's 2025 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 1.69% and 37.76%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 have improved by a penny in the past 30 days. EPS estimates for 2026 have improved by 3 cents in the past seven days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ford Motor Company (F) : Free Stock Analysis Report Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Michelin (MGDDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report CarGurus, Inc. (CARG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Ford, GM battery tech battle intensifies as Michigan plant faces political headwinds
The electric vehicle fight between rivals Ford Motor Co. and General Motors is turning bitter — and a politically fraught battery factory in Michigan is the latest battleground. Even as EV sales fall far short of expectations for now, Detroit automakers are racing for battery supremacy in hopes of locking up market share for electric vehicles, which are still widely believed to be the future of the industry. The latest leg of the battery supply chain race is all about affordability, and that's where Ford's BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Mich., comes into play. The $2.5 billion factory is being geared up to launch production next year of lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, a pillar of the automaker's strategy to expand market share with more affordable EVs. But the plant is a lightning rod for controversy because Ford is licensing technology from Chinese battery behemoth CATL. The first-of-its-kind deal, announced in 2023, was structured in a way that would allow the factory to receive production tax credits under the Biden-led Inflation Reduction Act. That is, until lawmakers sought to change the rules. Future Product Find our what powertrains, redesigns and freshenings are planned for the next four years. View the list Brand future product timelines A proposed budget bill by the U.S. House would make the factory ineligible for the subsidy and 'imperils' the project and its 1,700 jobs, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford said at the Mackinac Policy Conference in May. The plant — a key economic development project for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — has been targeted by anti-China politicians and 'not in my backyard' local activists from the outset, but Bill Ford told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that industry competitors are now piling on. Sign up for the quarterly Automotive News U.S. Sales report to get data and news sent to your inbox as soon as it's compiled. 'We do know that others in our industry are trying to submarine it to hurt us,' Ford said. 'That's just sour grapes, frankly.' Ford stopped short of naming names, but four people familiar with the matter told Automotive News affiliate Crain's Detroit Business that GM is behind lobbying efforts for tighter rules around 'foreign entities of concern' and language in the budget bill that targets licensing agreements such as the Ford-CATL deal in Marshall. Ford views it as an attack by its longtime rival. To GM, it's nothing personal, just a bid to shore up its business strategies. The behind-the-scenes battery feud comes as automakers look to outdo each other through 'made in the USA' marketing campaigns amid Trump tariffs and pressure to increase U.S. production. While Ford boasts an industry-leading final assembly footprint in the U.S., its business with CATL in Marshall is a political vulnerability. A GM source familiar with its lobbying activity said the company's support of the tighter restrictions on business ties to China is about ensuring a level playing field. GM officials have touted battery investments in North America and the automaker's partnerships with battery manufacturers in allied countries, such as South Korea's LG Energy Solution. 'GM has been investing in a resilient critical minerals and battery supply chain to support American innovation, manufacturing and economic security,' GM spokeswoman Liz Winter said in an email to Crain's. The company declined to comment on specific lobbying efforts. Other automakers have not pushed for the tighter controls on EV production incentives like GM has, the sources told Crain's. Stellantis and Toyota Motor North America, which have been slower in their electrification approaches, declined to comment about their stance on the proposed rule changes. GM is, by far, the biggest spender among automotive companies on Capitol Hill this year, racking up a record $8.2 million in lobbying expenditures in the first quarter, according to Open Secrets, which compiles online government records. That's more than the company has spent on lobbying in a single quarter since recordkeeping started in 1998, and it's more than six times that of the next highest-spending automaker, Toyota. While GM has sought to build out a battery supply chain not dependent on China, the automaker has previously explored options to procure CATL battery technology in the U.S. GM had considered setting up a plant with CATL in Illinois mirroring the Ford-CATL licensing deal, according to two people who were involved in the talks, but it was scrapped in 2023 after the political backlash from the Ford-CATL plant in Marshall. GM declined to comment on the previously unreported project or about talks with CATL. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the trade group representing major auto companies including the Detroit 3, has been mum about the proposed legislation to tighten restrictions on EV incentives even though it has spoken regularly on other major issues including tariffs and emission rules. The group did not respond to requests for comment. The House bill must first be reconciled by the Senate before it is signed into law. The Senate is weighing even more dramatic rollbacks of EV tax credits, according to text from the Senate Finance Committee. U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who represents Michigan's 2nd District, said he is pleased to see his 'No Gotion' bill advance in the House budget, referring to the controversial Chinese battery manufacturer planning a factory near Big Rapids, Mich. Moolenaar said any project with ties to China is concerning, including the Ford battery plant in Marshall. 'I've been very clear. I am a strong supporter of Ford,' Moolenaar said. 'I do think the relationship with CATL is problematic because CATL has been proven to work with Chinese military companies and their supply chain is also connected to the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) genocide of Uyghurs.' That Ford would stick by its partnership with CATL despite years of political blowback — and that a crosstown competitor would also take aim at the project — underscores just how much of a competitive advantage it could be. Nickel-manganese-cobalt, or NMC, is the predominant chemistry powering EVs on the road today. However, the batteries are costly and connected to a troublesome supply chain, with materials sourced and refined in countries such as China and the Congo. LFP batteries do not contain nickel or cobalt and thus are 20 to 30 percent less costly to produce than NMC batteries. Coupled with an up to $45 per kilowatt-hour subsidy as allowed for in the Inflation Reduction Act, Ford's plant in Marshall is set to produce batteries that are hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars cheaper than those of competitors. LFP is largely seen as an interim solution on the way to superior technology, such as lithium manganese rich (LMR) batteries. Ford and GM each announced last month LMR breakthroughs and plans to go to market with the technology by the end of the decade. Until then, it's a race for market share with current technologies. LFP had long been ignored by many in the industry because of its power capacity and range constraints, but tech advancements have vastly improved energy density in recent years. GM is reportedly working with South Korean battery makers LG and Samsung SDI to produce LFP batteries in the U.S. as well. But CATL is leagues above the competition. 'Where CATL is much more superior is the fact that they can eke out more efficiency from that same size battery versus anyone else in the market,' said Tu Le, founder of consultant Sino Auto Insights. 'They have much more scale, and they are the leaders in this particular chemistry.' That's why outside of the U.S., CATL's client roll is a who's who of the automotive industry. Almost all the major automakers doing business in China, including GM, partner with CATL on EVs in the Far East. 'So why wouldn't it make sense for Ford to partner with them in Marshall, outside of politics?' Le said. 'They're the only game in town at that price, at that quality level, at that level of innovation. The Koreans and the Japanese are good at using batteries that need a lot of cobalt, need a lot of nickel, and really drive the price of the vehicles much higher.' At the root of the Ford-GM divergence in battery strategy appears to be a difference in ideology. Ford CEO Jim Farley, who has called China the industry's greatest threat, has leaned into the competition by seeking to learn from the Chinese. To gain access to the lucrative China market in the early 1980s, Detroit automakers were forced to partner with Chinese companies, which eventually hoovered up the manufacturing know-how of the West to set the foundation for their EV dominance today. As Ford sees it, a CATL partnership is about more than cheap batteries; it's also about soaking up the Chinese expertise to become EV industry leaders. GM is striving for that same outcome, but through different means. CEO Mary Barra has downplayed China's supposed tech prowess and indicated that lower costs, driven by government subsidies, are the biggest advantage of Chinese EV companies. 'We're scaling U.S. production, securing a resilient North American supply chain, and advancing technology to drive down costs and compete globally,' Kurt Kelty, vice president of battery, propulsion and sustainability for GM, said in a recent blog post. At the Mackinac Policy Conference, Bill Ford said it is 'unfair' for politicians to change the rules after the investment has been committed. Construction on the Marshall plant, which was scaled back last year, is about 60 percent complete, and manufacturing equipment is set to arrive and be installed this summer, according to the company. Whether production lines will be powered with CATL technology and receive government subsidies remains to be decided by lawmakers. Said Moolenaar: 'As a business strategy, relying on China creates tremendous vulnerabilities.' Have an opinion about this story? Tell us about it and we may publish it in print. Click here to submit a letter to the editor. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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31 minutes ago
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3 Reasons to Sell CARS and 1 Stock to Buy Instead
Shareholders of would probably like to forget the past six months even happened. The stock dropped 36.9% and now trades at $11. This might have investors contemplating their next move. Is there a buying opportunity in or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Check out our in-depth research report to see what our analysts have to say, it's free. Even though the stock has become cheaper, we're swiping left on for now. Here are three reasons why CARS doesn't excite us and a stock we'd rather own. As an online marketplace, generates revenue growth by increasing both the number of users on its platform and the average order size in dollars. struggled with new customer acquisition over the last two years as its dealer customers were flat at 19,250. This performance isn't ideal because internet usage is secular, meaning there are typically unaddressed market opportunities. If wants to accelerate growth, it likely needs to enhance the appeal of its current offerings or innovate with new products. Forecasted revenues by Wall Street analysts signal a company's potential. Predictions may not always be accurate, but accelerating growth typically boosts valuation multiples and stock prices while slowing growth does the opposite. Over the next 12 months, sell-side analysts expect revenue to rise by 1.5%, a deceleration versus This projection is underwhelming and suggests its products and services will see some demand headwinds. We track the change in earnings per share (EPS) because it highlights whether a company's growth is profitable. EPS grew at a weak 1.9% compounded annual growth rate over the last three years, lower than its 4.5% annualized revenue growth. This tells us the company became less profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded. isn't a terrible business, but it isn't one of our picks. Following the recent decline, the stock trades at 3.2× forward EV/EBITDA (or $11 per share). While this valuation is optically cheap, the potential downside is big given its shaky fundamentals. We're pretty confident there are superior stocks to buy right now. We'd recommend looking at our favorite semiconductor picks and shovels play. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
