Few brands embody Americana like Ford.
But the iconic car maker’s top leader is knee deep in a scandal that doesn’t make his company feel very American.
Ford CEO Jim Farley admitted to driving a Chinese-made electric vehicle (EV) this week.
What’s the big deal, you may be asking?
Ford has previously receiving billions in taxpayer dollars to manufacture EVs in America.
Farley said that he owned a Xiaomi Speed Ultra 7 EV while talking to Robert Llewellyn, a British actor, on “The Fully Charged Podcast” on Monday, according to a Wednesday report from Business Insider. The vehicle is sold at a base price of about $30,000, and is only available to purchase in China, according to the report.
“I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi,” Farley said, Business Insider reported.
“We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up,” Farley added.
It’s a bad look considering the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) previously announced a conditional commitment for a loan of up to $9.2 billion to BlueOval SK, a battery manufacturer, in July 2023.
According to a Daily Caller report, the conditional agreement was aimed at funding the construction of manufacturing plants that would create EV batteries specifically for Ford.
Ford has since rolled out initiatives like offering free chargers and home installations in the hopes to attract more EV buyers.
The Biden-Harris administration has tried to boost domestic production of EVs as part of President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda.
The administration has handed out large sums to help fund domestic EV projects as automakers in China have continued to dominate the market.
But major American motor companies, including Ford, have been struggling amid a lack of demand in the EV market.
The company announced in August that it was canceling plans to build three-row electric SUVs, and previously reported a loss of $1.3 billion in the first quarter of the year.
General Motors also reported a loss of $1.7 billion in sales and production of its EV line in January.