On August 12, 2026, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) said that it will increase US production of its Lincoln vehicles starting in 2030 and phase out imports from China entirely, a move the company said will generate “thousands of direct and indirect US jobs.”
Days earlier, on August 11, 2026, Samsung SDI acquired General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s 49.99% stake in SynergyCells, ending a $3.5 billion US battery joint venture between the two companies.
Why This Matters
Ford is doubling down on US manufacturing while GM is stepping back from one of its own domestic investment commitments. So is Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) making the smarter long-term bet on America, or is GM simply being more realistic about where demand actually justifies the spending?
The Bull and Bear Case: Ford
CEO Jim Farley called Lincoln “a quintessentially American brand,” saying Ford builds in America “because we believe in America.” Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) assembled more than 2 million vehicles domestically in 2025, more than any other automaker. It already exports Lincoln Navigator and Aviator models built in Louisville, Kentucky, and Chicago to Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East. Farley told Reuters that once the administration’s tariff policy became clear, “we need to make some changes here,” and Ford already builds a larger share of its US-sold vehicles domestically than its Detroit rivals do.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) reported roughly $3 billion in gross tariff costs in 2025, with about a $2 billion hit to earnings even after offsets. It shows the financial pain tariffs have already caused before this shift even begins. The company also didn’t disclose how much the 2030 expansion will cost or which plants will handle the added Lincoln production.
The Bull and Bear Case: General Motors
Samsung SDI said it will keep working with General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) on next-generation prismatic battery technology even after unwinding the SynergyCells venture. This means the two companies are pursuing a different form of cooperation rather than cutting ties entirely. Samsung SDI plans to repurpose the partially built Indiana plant, originally designed for 27 gigawatt-hours of annual EV battery output, to serve the fast-growing energy storage systems market instead. The move ensures they don’t lose all the money they spent on the plant.
Samsung SDI said the ownership change shows “market changes since the joint venture was announced,” a direct reference to slower-than-expected EV demand and the Trump administration’s elimination of federal EV incentives. Ending a $3.5 billion battery joint venture just as GM separately commits $4.5 billion to a parts-supply safety net shows a company retreating from EV-specific bets even while spending heavily elsewhere.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) also expects gross tariff costs of $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion this year alone, a burden that could eat more than 20% of its operating profit.
Insider Monkey’s Hedge Fund Data
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) was held by 50 hedge funds as of Q1 2026, down from 52. General Motors was held by 77 hedge funds, down from 81.
Conclusion
Ford is spending to build US capacity for gas and hybrid Lincolns. On the other hand, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is walking away from US capacity built for EVs.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
