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Ford says a “rapidly deteriorating” EV market is to blame as it plans to slow the output of more electric models. Starting next week, employees at Ford’s Cologne EV plant in Germany will be put on short-term work hours.

Ford slows EV output as market conditions intensify

According to the German newspaper outlet Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (via Automobilwoche), employees will alternate working one week with the next week off.

The reduced work hours will last until the Christmas holidays. A Ford spokesperson told the newspaper, “We can confirm that Ford will apply to the Federal Employment Agency for short-time work due to the rapidly deteriorating market conditions for electric vehicles.”

Ford invested $2 billion to prepare the facility to produce its next-gen electric models for the European market. It currently builds two EV models, the Electric Explorer and Capri.

After kicking off production of its first all-electric Explorer in June, Ford added its second model, the Capri EV, just last month. Both are based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform as part of a 2020 partnership.

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Ford Explorer EV production in Cologne (Source: Ford)

“We are producing more than we can sell,” the German publication quoted Ford saying in an internal memo.

The news comes after Ford drastically downsized leadership in the region. Earlier this month, Ford lost two of its most experienced leadership team members in Germany.

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Ford’s new all-electric Capri EV (Source: Ford)

Christian Weingärtner and Rene Wolf both resigned on November 1, 2024, leaving the company with just two directors. That’s down from nine earlier this year.

Electrek’s Take

Ford is not the only automaker struggling as the European market shifts to electric vehicles. Volkswagen, Nissan, Stellantis, and others have all announced plans to reduce their workforce.

Although the company said “rapidly deteriorating market conditions” are to blame, global EV sales are still growing.

According to new data from Rho Motion, October was another record-breaking month for global EV sales. Global electric vehicle sales are now up 24% (13.3 million) YOY through October 2024.

China leads EV market growth through the first ten months of 2024, with EV sales surging 38% year-over-year (YOY). In the EU, EFTA, and UK, EV sales are down 3% YOY, with reduced government incentives in Germany, the largest market.

Despite Ford, VW, and others slowing production, Chinese EV makers, like BYD, expect sales to accelerate with local production.

Ford’s EV struggles are not limited to Europe. In the US, Ford will stop building F-150 Lightning models next week at its Rouge EV plant in Michigan for nearly two months.

Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch confirmed in an email to Electrek, “We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability.”

The first day down will be November 18, with production resuming on January 6, 2025. The pause includes the holiday break week, starting December 23, at all US Ford plants.

Ford’s model e EV business lost another $1.2 billion in the third quarter. Through the first nine months of 2024, the company has lost $3.7 billion on EVs. The company expects its EV unit to lose around $5 billion in total in 2024.

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Democratic senators blame White House, AI data centers for rising electricity prices

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Democratic senators blame White House, AI data centers for rising electricity prices

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Andrew Harnik | Getty Images

Democratic senators on Monday blamed the White House push to fast track artificial intelligence data centers and its attacks on renewable energy for rising electricity prices in certain parts of the U.S.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and others demanded that the White House and Commerce Department detail what actions they have taken to shield consumers from the impact of massive data centers in a letter sent Monday.

Voters are increasingly feeling the pinch of rising electricity prices. Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger campaigned on the issue in the New Jersey and Virgina governors’ races, which they won in landslides last week.

The senators took aim at the White House’s relationship with companies like Meta, Alphabet, Oracle, and OpenAI, and the support the administration has shown for the companies’ data center plans.

The Trump administration “has already failed to prevent those new data centers from driving up electricity prices from a surge of new commercial demand,” the senators wrote. They accused the White House of making the problem worse by opposing the expansion of solar and wind power.

The White House blamed the Biden administration and its renewable energy policies for driving up electricity prices in a statement.

President Donald Trump “declared an energy emergency to reverse four years of Biden’s disastrous policies, accelerate large-scale grid infrastructure projects, and expedite the expansion of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power generation,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.

The tech sector’s AI plans have ballooned in size. OpenAI and Nvidia, for example, struck a deal in September to build 10 gigawatts of data centers to train and run AI applications. This is equivalent to New York City’s peak baseline summer demand in 2024.

The scale of these plans have raised questions about whether enough power is available to meet the demand and who will pay for the new generation that is needed. Renewable energy, particularly solar and energy storage, is the power source that can be deployed the quickest right now to meet demand.

Retail electricity prices in the U.S. increased about 6% on average through August 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. Prices, however, can vary widely by region.

Download the full letter here. 

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Europe’s largest battery storage project is being built in Germany

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Europe's largest battery storage project is being built in Germany

Germany is about to become home to Europe’s largest battery storage system – a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) / 4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) project in Jänschwalde, Brandenburg.

LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC), are teaming up to build the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000.” The four-hour system will use Fluence’s Smartstack technology, its latest large-scale energy storage solution.

Once complete, Europe’s largest battery storage project will play a key role in stabilizing Germany’s grid and storing renewable power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. It’s designed to deliver essential grid services, support energy trading, and boost energy security as the country phases out fossil fuels.

LEAG’s broader “GigawattFactory” plan combines solar and wind farms with flexible power plants and large-scale batteries across Germany’s Lusatian energy region. “By constructing gigascale storage facilities, we’re addressing one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: ensuring constant power regardless of the availability of renewable energies,” said Adi Roesch, CEO of the LEAG Group.

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Fluence CEO Julian Nebreda described the project as a “milestone for the energy future of Germany and Europe,” adding that it demonstrates how collaboration and cutting-edge technology can “transform the foundation of our economy and our everyday lives.”

The German government recently reaffirmed the importance of storage in building a secure and affordable clean power system. With this 4 GWh giant, LEAG and Fluence are implementing that priority in one of Europe’s most coal-heavy regions.

Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2


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The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]

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The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]

The GV90 will be the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV yet. With its official debut coming up, a production version of the Genesis GV90 was spotted in public for the first time, offering a closer look at the stunning SUV.

The Genesis GV90 is a stunning flagship SUV

Genesis vehicles already have a unique design that’s hard to miss. The big Creste Grille, Two-Line Quad Lamps, and smooth character lines offer a refined, luxurious look, but Genesis is planning to take it to the next level with the GV90.

The GV90 is an “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV,” according to Genesis. It will be the luxury brand’s new flagship vehicle and first full-size electric SUV.

We got our first look at the flagship SUV last March after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the New York Auto Show.

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The GV90 has been spotted out in public several times now, even flashing high-end features like coach doors and adaptive air suspension, but now, we are finally getting our first look at the production version in real life.

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Genesis Neolun ultra-luxury electric SUV concept (Source: Genesis)

A new video from HealerTV shows the production version of the Genesis GV90 in action. Although it’s still covered in camo, you can see a few slight design changes from the concept shown last year.

The headlights and grille appear closer in design to its current vehicles, but other than that, the GV90 looks essentially the same up front as the Neolun concept.

Since it’s still covered, it’s hard to see where the headlights are connected at this point. From the side and rear, the GV90 looks identical to the concept.

Genesis has yet to announce an official launch date, but the GV90 could debut by the end of the year with sales expected to kick off in mid-2026.

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Genesis Neolum electric SUV concept interior (Source: Hyundai Motor)

The flagship SUV is rumoured to be the first vehicle to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which it claims will “provide 50% improvement in driving range” compared to its current EVs. It will also serve as a tech beacon, featuring Hyundai’s most advanced connectivity and safety tech.

We will learn official prices and final specs soon, but one thing is for sure: it won’t be cheap. The Genesis GV90 is expected to start at around $100,000, but higher trims could cost significantly more with added features and options.

Genesis is also introducing its first hybrid, the GV80, next year, followed by its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) based on the GV70. The EREV is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. There’s also an off-road SUV in the works, which will likely arrive as a 2027 model.

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