Editor’s Note: Related Tickers: Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)
Ford says good-bye to Best Buy and pegs AeroVironment as new plug-in EV charger dealer (Digital Trends)
When the Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) C-MAX Energi was launched, Ford had an agreement with Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY)’s Geek Squad to provide Ford customers with easy installation of 240-volt charging stations in their homes. Since then, Ford had rolled out several other plug-in-powered cars including the Ford Focus Electric and the Fusion Energi. Quietly, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has penned a new agreement, apparently, with AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) to do the same job. What happened to the Geek Squad account? We asked Jason Lasecki, Ford EV Communications Manager. “Best Buy decided to transition out of the EVSE Installation business to focus more on their core areas of expertise,” Lasecki said. “AeroVironment has an excellent record of installing stations in residential, commercial and public settings with high quality and attention to detail. It’s a nice fit for Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F).”
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) shares on Friday topped their 2010 initial public offering price, which will help the automaker’s largest shareholder, the U.S. Treasury, pare its losses. GM shares broke above $33.00, the price in the November 2010 IPO, rising as high as $33.21 in morning trading. It is the first time the stock has surpassed $33 since May 2011. So far this year GM’s stock is up 14.5 percent. The run-up in the stock price could help Treasury, which provided General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)with a $49.5 billion bailout, trim losses that will likely still total billions of dollars. Treasury said earlier this month that it would begin another round of sales of its 241.7 million GM shares.
Ford to shift Fiesta output to Thailand from Mexico, report says (Automotive News)
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), moving to ease production constraints in North America, plans to shift output of the Fiesta subcompact from Mexico to Thailand in 2016, The Detroit News reported today. Fiesta output at Ford’s plants in Cuautitlán, Mexico, and Chennai, India, will move to a factory in Thailand, the News said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Ford already builds the Fiesta in Rayong, Thailand. It is unclear whether the company will move production from Mexico and India to Rayong or elsewhere in Thailand. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) spokeswoman Kristina Adamski declined to discuss the company’s manufacturing plans. She told the News that Ford is always looking to “optimize our global manufacturing capability.”
GM Adds Solar, EV Charging (Domestic Fuel)
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) has added four new solar photovoltaic solar projects to its Warren Technical Center campus located in Warren, Michigan. The installations, done by Empower Energies, included a ground-mounted solar array and three solar electric vehicle charging stations. The 49kW ground-mounted array is situated on the north side of the pond adjacent to the GM Vehicle Engineering Center, and according to GM, is outperforming energy production expectations. “General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is committed to promoting the use of 125 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020, which includes solar installations,” said GM’s Manager – Renewable Energy, Rob Threlkeld. “As the leading automotive user of solar power, we understand the importance of solar projects like this, and we continue to work with companies such as Empower Energies to activate new projects at our facilities around the globe.”
