- Ford’s CEO skipped Congress, citing Detroit Auto Show plans.
- Ted Cruz called Farley “terrified” over Ford’s EV-related losses.
- Lawmakers wanted CEOs to explain rising vehicle sticker prices.
Senator Ted Cruz wanted a high-profile showdown on car prices, bringing the heads of Ford, GM, Stellantis, and Tesla to Capitol Hill this month. But when Ford CEO Jim Farley declined the invitation, the move lit a fuse. Cruz quickly accused him of dodging scrutiny out of fear. Farley, for his part, didn’t seem bothered.
Farley was originally called to testify alongside GM’s Mary Barra, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, and Tesla’s top engineer. But with the Detroit Auto Show already on his calendar, and Ford hosting former President Donald Trump at one of its factories that same week, Farley passed on the invitation. The hearing was postponed.
Why Did Ford Say No?
In a letter to the committee last December, Farley’s legal counsel cited a scheduling conflict, noting the Detroit Auto Show kicks off January 14. The letter also raised concerns about the lineup, arguing it was uneven to call in the Big Three CEOs while Tesla sent Lars Moravy, its VP of Vehicle Engineering, rather than Elon Musk himself.
Read: Ford’s CEO Just Blew Up Congress’s Big Auto Affordability Hearing
Importantly, Farley wasn’t the only CEO to raise concerns. GM’s Mary Barra also expressed hesitation, reportedly asking why the hearing included the Big Three’s top executives but not Musk.
In a January 6 interview with Politico, Senator Cruz accused Farley of being “terrified of testifying.” Cruz didn’t let it go. In the same breath as his accusations of fear, he went after Ford’s financials. The company recently announced a $19.5 billion charge tied to cancelled electric vehicle projects, including the Ford Lightning.
“I don’t know if he was scared about having lost $19 billion for Ford shareholders on the misguided Ford Lightning or if he was embarrassed at having tried to swindle American taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars by gaming the expiration of the EV tax credit,” Cruz claimed.
Farley Responds To Cruz
Speaking with reporters at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Farley offered a measured response stating his priorities were elsewhere.
“Frankly, I’m running a car company, and that’s my priority,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “All I can say is we’re a little busy here in Detroit this week. We had the president of the United States here today, we have the Detroit Motor Show and our Formula One launch. It wasn’t the right time to be in Washington, D.C., when we have so much to do in Detroit.”
It’s unclear whether Cruz plans to reschedule the hearing. He hasn’t ruled out issuing a subpoena to compel Farley to appear. As for Elon Musk, Cruz said his absence was intentional. Inviting him, he claimed, might have created fireworks with Democrats on the panel.
