Ford Delays Next-Gen F-150 'By At Least A Year'

Good morning! It's Wednesday, February 19, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.

In this morning's roundup, find out what's in store for the future of the best-selling truck in America and get the latest on president Donald Trump's trigger happy tariff maker. We also dig into a new bonus structure at Ford that's meant to cut costs, and check in with struggling tire maker Continental.

The automotive world is in a bit of a pickle right now as most of the world's governments are encouraging a switch to greener power, some buyers have been slower on the uptick than expected thanks to the higher cost of electric vehicles and America is just doing American things right now. The uncertainty is making it tough for automakers to commit to new models as upcoming rules, requirements and tariffs could all shape the cars that they ultimately bring to market.

Case in point, Ford has now delayed the release of its next-generation F-150 pickup truck and will keep the current model on sale until 2028, reports Automotive News. The Blue Oval has reportedly been in contact with suppliers about a delay to the next incarnation of the F-150, which will include gas and hybrid models:

Ford Motor Co. has told suppliers it will delay the launch of its new model F-150 pickup, a perennial top-seller for the automaker and golden goose for parts makers.

Ford was expected to roll out the 15th generation of its traditional gasoline/hybrid pickup in 2027. Production for the program, code-named P736, has been pushed out by at least a year to mid-2028 at Dearborn Truck and Kansas City Assembly, three auto supplier executives from three companies told Crain's Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News, under condition of anonymity.

In tandem with that decision, the automaker told suppliers that production of the current P702 version, introduced in 2021 and refreshed in 2024, will be extended by a year into 2028.

Ford has so far not commented on the rumors, telling Automotive News that it does not "comment on speculation about future products."

The delay doesn't appear to impact the future of the F-150 Lightning, which is the all-electric pickup  Ford launched in 2022. An update for the Lighting is expected in 2027, also following a delay of more than a year while Ford deal with weaker than expected demand for the EV.

Here's hoping that the delays for both trucks will mean that Ford launches more refined models in the years to come, as its recent efforts have been marred by recalls across the board.

One of the great uncertainties facing automakers right now is the tariffs they could be forced to pay on cars sold across America. Models brought in from Mexico and Canada are at risk, as are materials like steel and aluminum that are essential for automotive manufacturing in America. Now, foreign cars may be about to feel the full force of president Donald Trump, as he's proposing new measures that will hit cars imported into America.

The "Home Alone 2" actor has proposed a 25 percent import tax on foreign cars in the latest ramp up of a trade war that Trump seems intent on starting. The tariffs could hit models made overseas and sold in the U.S., and could come into force as soon as April 2, reports Bloomberg:

New levies on automobiles would have sweeping effects on the industry. The roughly 8 million passenger cars and light trucks brought into the US last year accounted for about half of US vehicle sales. European carmakers including Volkswagen AG and Asian companies including Hyundai Motor Co. would be among the most affected.

Trump didn't specify whether the measures would target specific countries or apply to all vehicles imported to the US. It's also unclear whether cars made under a free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico would be spared from industry-specific duties, should they take effect.

Equities slipped across Asia when markets opened on Wednesday. While investors have seen prior threats of levies as a bargaining tool, they remain cautious amid the uncertainty.

Experts warn that the tariffs Trump is planning for goods brought into America will "hit everybody," should they come into force in the way he promised on the campaign trail.

There is reason to believe that this may not be the case, though, as some have suggested that Trump merely uses the threat of tariffs to get countries around the bargaining table. After all, he was promising 200 percent tariffs on Mexican imports when campaigning, but quickly pushed back any such measures shortly after taking office. Maybe the big orange man is all bark and no bite?

While president Trump seems intent on raising the cost of things, automakers across the world are doing the exact opposite and hunting out ways to slash spending. For Porsche, this meant job cuts across Europe and VW has even threatened factory closures to bring spending in line. For Ford, cost-cutting may include slashing bonuses of some workers.

The American automaker is reportedly cutting stock bonuses for middle managers, with bosses Ford now being tasked with picking the workers who should keep such incentives. About half of the middle managers at Ford won't get stock bonuses this year, reports the Detroit Free Press:

The stock awards are usually paid in March, but senior managers have been told to select which half of their middle management staff will receive them, four of the sources said.

Ford said the change was meant to incentivize an improvement in employee performance.

"We are focused on driving a high-performance culture that recognizes and rewards employees for their business contributions," a Ford spokesperson said.

Employees were reportedly informed of the change to bonus structures at Ford last week, add the Free Press. The rationale behind who would and wouldn't get bonuses this year was "performance-based," the site added, with the stock bonuses a means of retaining key talent at the automaker.

The move is part of the company's efforts to become "leaner and more competitive," the Free Press adds.

It's not just automakers that are feeling the pinch right now, as suppliers are also struggling. After the administrators were called at famed seat maker Recaro last year, tire maker Continental is now struggling and could lay off around 3,000 workers across its automotive division.

Continental will slash 3,000 jobs from its research and development department, reports Bloomberg. The cuts will only impact its automotive tires, and won't impact its business making bicycle and industrial tires:

The reductions — equating to about 10% of the R&D workforce — will be made by the end of 2026, with fewer than half of them in Germany, Continental said Tuesday.

The manufacturer is bracing for weak sales at the auto division, which it plans to spin off by the end of this year despite the car industry downturn. The business makes products including brakes and automated driving systems, and accounts for roughly half of group revenue.

The cuts at Continental will reportedly be carried out without laying off contracted workers. Instead, the tire supplier will not replace workers who leave the company and will fill new roles with internal applicants, the company added.

The reduction in headcount at the company comes at a tough time for Europe and Germany in particular, with the country facing a downturn in car sales that is impacting everything from electronics to automotive components.

It's Wednesday, and that means we've made it halfway through another week, how are you holding up? You know what's holding up pretty well right now, NASA's Mars Odyssey mission, which is officially the longest serving spacecraft orbiting above the red planet.

The NASA probe was sent to Mars way back in 2001 and on this day in 2002 began its mission of mapping the Martian surface. It's since revealed all kinds of secrets and details about the planet and, despite completing this task almost 20 years ago, continues to unearth new features of the Red Planet, explains the U.S. space agency. Way to go, Odyssey!