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Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit

When Ford reports fourth-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to fret that rising metals costs have cut into profits, even as rivals say they have the problem under control. Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Steel prices have risen just over 9 percent in the last year. Ford uses more aluminum in its vehicles than its rivals. Aluminum is lighter but far more expensive than steel, closing at $2,229 per tonne on Tuesday. U.S. steel futures closed at $677 per ton (0.91 metric tonnes). Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is weighing whether to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which could push prices even higher. Ford gave a disappointing earnings estimate for 2017 and 2018 last week, saying the higher costs for steel, aluminum and other metals, as well as currency volatility, could cost the company $1.6 billion in 2018. Ford shares took a dive after the announcement. Ford Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told analysts at a conference in Detroit last week that while the company benefited from low commodity prices in 2016, rising steel prices were now the main cause of higher costs, followed by aluminum. Shanks said the automaker at times relies on foreign currencies as a "natural hedge" for some commodities but those are now going in the opposite direction, so they are not working. A Ford spokesman added that the automaker also uses a mix of contracts, hedges and indexed buying. Industry analysts point to the spike in aluminum versus steel prices as a plausible reason for Ford's problems, especially since it uses far more of the expensive metal than other major automakers. "When you look at Ford in the context of the other automakers, aluminum drives a lot of their volume and I think that is the cause" of their rising costs, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at auto consultancy LMC Automotive. Other major automakers say rising commodity costs are not much of a problem. At last week's Detroit auto show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reiterated its earnings guidance for 2018 and held forth on a number of topics, but did not mention metals prices. General Motors Co gave a well-received profit outlook last week and did not mention the subject. "We view changes in raw material costs as something that is manageable," a GM spokesman said in an email.

Jaguar I-Pace vs. Tesla Model X and Model S: How they compare on paper

When Jaguar released its first specifications on the 2019 I-Pace, we decided to see how it stacks up with a number of other EVs including the Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt EV, and Hyundai Kona EV. The reason being that they all deliver between 200 and 300 miles of range, and they were all quite close in size. But it wasn't a perfectly accurate comparison, because the Jaguar occupies an odd space in the electric market. While it offers similar range and size to those more entry-level EVs, it packs substantially more power, more brand cachet, and, once the official pricing was released, a much higher price tag. As such, we wanted to also compare it with the cars synonymous with luxury electric motoring (literally), the Tesla Model X and Model S. We're only comparing it with the base-level 75D models of each Tesla, since they are the closest in price and performance to the Jaguar. You can see the raw stats below, and can find more analysis and highlights farther down. If you'd like to compare these cars with others, be sure to try out our comparison tools. Performance All three of these electric cars use a similar powertrain consisting of two electric motors, one up front and one in the rear to power all four wheels. The Jaguar I-Pace's 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque is a fair bit more than the 328 horsepower and 387 pound-feet combined power from the Teslas, according to Motor Trend. But in the sprint to 60 mph, the Jaguar doesn't really gain an advantage. It's 0.4 seconds quicker than the Model X, but 0.3 sec. behind the Model S. This is despite the Jaguar weighing about the same as the Model S, and a few hundred pounds lighter than the Model X. View 32 Photos At 90 kWh, the Jaguar also has a larger battery capacity than the Tesla 75D models, but range is again mid-pack between Musk's cars. At 240 miles, it's just 3 miles ahead of the Model X, and 19 miles behind the Model S. The I-Pace and Model X also are about as hungry for electricity as each other, both with an energy consumption estimate of about 36 kWh/100 miles, while the Model S is the most frugal at 33. All three vehicles have the ability to use DC fast chargers, with Jaguar claiming an 80-percent charge in 40 minutes at a 100-kW charger. But only the Teslas have access to the Supercharger network, and they come with credits for free charging up to 400 kWh at those stations. Exterior and Interior Dimensions In every measurable way, the Jaguar is smaller than the two Teslas.

Refreshed 2020 Jaguar XE gets upgraded interior

Jaguar said it listened to feedback — or complaints if you prefer, and want to be more blunt — from customers and even journalists to guide the first midcycle refresh of the XE sports sedan. While it made some exterior tweaks, the biggest changes are inside the cabin. There, Jaguar did away with hard plastics and added some new technology borrowed from the electric I-Pace, with XE's new door trims that will eventually serve as a template for all models, with improved ergonomics and more premium, soft-touch materials. "That was a really big job," says Ian Callum, Jaguar's director of design. "That's more than a normal facelift would normally get. What I think we've done with the interior is bring Jaguar back to its natural level of ambience and luxury. You sit in the car now, it's a great interior. We're really proud of it." Gone are the hard plastics in favor of new leather on the dash, door panels, seats, head rests and steering wheel. There are also carbon fiber panels around the front and rear door handles and the pistol shifter, which was borrowed from the F-Pace and replaces the previous version's dial shifter. The front-seat leather headrests are embossed with the Jaguar leaper logo, and the stitched-leather seats are a new design. The new front and rear door panels feature a more ergonomic 360-degree leather pull handle, replacing the previous design that had it as part of the door armrest. There's also a slot down low designed to securely stow reusable water bottles. Callum said the new door panels will appear on all future Jaguar models. The XE also features a redesigned center console with more storage, a pair of USB ports positioned inside the stowage bin along with an auxiliary power jack, and the second-generation heads-up display has improved graphics. Borrowed from the electric I-Pace is the optional InControl Touch Pro Duo touchscreen, which is kept separate from the climate control screen that retains two dial knobs. Also available is a wireless phone charging port, a first for Jaguar, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. "We've taken something from a much higher car into our small family car, which is the right thing to do," Callum said. "We've got to cascade all that good stuff into our affordable car and try to work around it. It was challenging, because it costs money, but it's what people expect.