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Farley reacts as UAW expands strike against Ford, GM

Members of the United Auto Worker union walk out of the Chicago Ford Assembly Plant as Lance Williams from Lansing, Ill., waves the UAW flag Friday. (AP)   As the United Auto Workers walk off the job at an additional Ford and General Motors plant, Ford CEO Jim Farley addressed investors and members of the media Friday, pleading the case for the company's latest overture to the union and addressing both public and investor concerns regarding the core issues facing American manufacturing.  Farley made a public case for Ford's efforts to resolve the dispute, expressing frustration with the ongoing stalemate and noting both the concessions Ford offered before the strike began and the signing of a contract with Canada's Unifor. Farley also acknowledged UAW President Shawn Fain's success in getting the union's message out, quipping: "Shawn has been on TV more than Jake from State Farm at this point." The first-ever simultaneous strike against the Detroit Three automakers enters its third week with threats of continued expansion, but little in the way of obvious concrete progress.  "If the UAW’s goal is a record contract, they have already achieved this," Farley said. "It is grossly irresponsible to escalate these strikes and hurt thousands of families." Farley also lamented the fact that EVs have become the subject of partisan conflict, with the company's recently announced battery production facilities taking heat from both pundits and investors as Ford was forced to press pause on the venture while negotiations continue. Former President Donald Trump dropped in to Michigan this week to declare EVs the enemy of blue-collar jobs. "They've become a political football, and that's a shame," he said. Friday saw an expansion of the UAW strike to Ford's Chicago assembly plant and GM's Lansing, Delta Township, Michigan, assembly plant, covering about 7,000 workers, Fain said in an announcement, bringing the total number of workers on the picket lines to 25,000. The strike will not include any additional members at Stellantis, where talks have reportedly been more productive. The Ford and GM plants went on strike at noon Eastern today (Friday). Ford builds the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator in Chicago. GM's Delta Township plant builds Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave. "Despite our willingness to bargain, Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress," Fain said in a video address Friday morning.

Why Cadillac is willing to lose 43 percent of its dealers

Cadillac is offering about 400 dealers in the United States a lump sum of money to close down. That represents over 40 percent of Cadillac dealers in America. Offers start at $100,000 and top out at $180,000. The average offering is around $120,000. According to Automotive News, Cadillac chief Johan De Nysschen estimates it will cost the automaker around $50 million to close these dealers. Any dealer that chooses to remain open will have to submit to Cadillac's ambitious Project Pinnacle, which will divide dealers into incentive categories based on how many units they sell. "Every single Cadillac dealer will have the potential to earn significantly higher profits than they do today," says De Nysschen. Dealers have until November 21 to decide if they want to take the cash or submit to Project Pinnacle. A logical question: Why is Cadillac willing to spend $50 million to close down 43 percent of its dealers? First, GM's luxury brand has way more dealerships than it needs. Second, the 400 dealers with offers to shutter each sold 50 or fewer vehicles in 2015, representing just 9 percent of its sales volume in America. So, while closing these smaller dealerships may have a small initial impact on sales, it's not going to be a major hit to Cadillac. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Gary Cameron / Reuters Cadillac Car Dealers Luxury Performance

NHTSA approves hybrid rearview mirror display in Cadillac CT6, Bolt EV

The Chevy Bolt EV prototype doesn't just have a fancy new all-electric powertrain. Just outside the driver's line of sight is a newfangled rearview mirror, one that can turn into a screen that shows a moving image from the rear-facing camera. Speaking to NPR's Robert Siegel yesterday, Department of Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said that NHTSA has now approved this type of mirror/screen for use in vehicles. According to a letter from NHTSA to General Motors, GM will likely use this Full Display Mirror first in the 2016 Cadillac CT6 before coming to the Bolt. In its letter to GM, NHTSA said that the Full Display Mirror will only qualify as a standard rearview mirror as long as there are normal side mirrors in place. In other words, don't expect to see cameras and screens replacing all the mirrors in a motor vehicle just yet. @AutoblogGreen @NPR - #NHTSA has OK'd GM rear-view system that can switch between mirror & camera views. pic.twitter.com/6CBeIit10v — Anthony Foxx (@SecretaryFoxx) February 22, 2016 The Full Display Mirror was developed by Gentex, which has long worked with GM. The FDM debuted in 2014 and some people hoped it would also make its way into the Tesla Model X. Gentex, which also makes auto-dimming mirrors, says that it has "set out to develop the technologies and core competencies necessary to manage this evolution of the rearview mirror." The Chevy Bolt EV will start at $37,500, before incentives. The 200-mile EV will go into production late this year for likely sale in early 2017. Related Video: