Weekly roundup: JLR restarts UK factories with $2B support, Ford and GM extend EV tax credit, U.S. EV sales could drop 50%

ICYMI: Britain backs JLR with $2 billion loan after cyberattack shutdown. Ford and GM extend $7,500 EV tax credit through dealer programs. Ford CEO Jim Farley warns U.S. EV sales could drop sharply after tax credit ends. Automakers achieve record Q3 sales despite uncertainty over EVs and thousands of units remaining unsold. LG Energy will resume sending South Korean workers to U.S. battery plants after visa issues.

Here’s a closer look at these top stories and more headlines to stay on top of this week’s automotive industry news.

JLR begins phased restart as UK pledges $2B support
Britain will provide Jaguar Land Rover with a 1.5 billion pound ($2 billion) loan guarantee to support the luxury automaker’s supply chain following a nearly month-long production shutdown caused by a cyberattack. The loan, backed by the UK Export Finance agency, is expected to unlock additional private financing, stabilizing suppliers at risk of running out of cash. Read More

Reuters reports Ford, GM launch dealer programs to extend $7,500 EV tax credit
Ford and General Motors are rolling out programs for their dealers that effectively extend the $7,500 federal tax credit on electric vehicle leases past the September 30 expiration, according to an exclusive Reuters report. The programs use the automakers’ financing arms to make down payments on EVs in dealer inventories, allowing the vehicles to qualify for the tax credit. Dealers can then offer leases to customers for several more months with the subsidy included. Read More

Ford CEO warns U.S. EV sales could fall 50% after incentives expire
Ford CEO Jim Farley said he expects demand for electric vehicles in the United States to be slashed in half next month as federal tax incentives expire. Speaking Tuesday at the company’s Ford Pro Accelerate event in Detroit, Farley said EV sales could fall from a record 10% to 12% market share this month to about 5% in October, following the end of the $7,500 federal credit under the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Read More

Automakers post record Q3 despite EV uncertainty
U.S. automakers are adjusting their strategies following the expiration of the federal tax credit this week, which has left dealers with approximately 134,000 unsold EVs across the country. Previously, this incentive fueled a surge in battery-powered vehicle sales, pushing EVs to account for 12.2% of retail sales in September, a 2.6 percentage point increase from a year earlier, according to J.D. Power. Read More

LG Energy to resume U.S. business travel after visa detentions
LG Energy Solution announced on Thursday that it will resume sending workers from South Korea to the United States for essential business trips after the Chuseok holiday. This decision comes less than a month after hundreds of its employees were detained during a U.S. visa enforcement operation. The company confirmed that employees holding short-term B-1 visas and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approvals are allowed to perform equipment installation, inspection, and maintenance at its battery plants in the U.S. Read More

Next Week: Exclusive Interviews You Can’t Miss

U.S. auto market faces pricing pressures, softening demand in Q4 – Kevin Tynan | The Presidio Group
As the automotive industry enters the final quarter of 2025, dealers face a complex mix of softening sales volumes, rising vehicle prices, and shifting consumer behavior. On this upcoming episode of Inside Automotive, we’re joined by Kevin Tynan, the director of research at The Presidio Group, who breaks down Q3 trends, the impact of expiring EV tax credits, and what dealers can expect heading into 2026. 

Dave Foy unpacks why first impressions in service departments matter
When it comes to first impressions, there is only one chance to get it right. As more customers keep their vehicles longer and require increased maintenance, the service department is becoming the first touchpoint in the customer experience. On this upcoming episode of Service Drive, Dave Foy, founder of DigitalPilot.ai and Fixed Ops Mastermind, unpacks where service departments are falling short and what actions leaders can take to prepare their service teams better.