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DETROIT — The global shortage of computer chips is getting worse, forcing automakers to temporarily close factories including those that build popular pickup trucks..

General Motors Co. is suing its competitor Ford Motor Co. for violating a trademarked driver-assist technology that’s used for hands-free features, according to a lawsuit.

Ford’s second-quarter outlook is improving, with large numbers of customers making reservations for four of its new vehicles.

Commercial buyers will be among the fastest adopters of electric pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning that will go on sale next year, according to industry analysts.

Ford expects 40% of its global sales to be battery-electric vehicles by 2030 as it adds billions to what it’s spending to develop them.

Without mentioning his predecessor’s name, President Joe Biden criticized former President Donald Trump while visiting a Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn, Mich., on May 18, saying Trump’s rollback of fuel standards delayed an inevitable move to electric vehicles.

President Joe Biden made an unscheduled stop at a Ford Motor Co. test track outside Detroit on May 18, where he hopped into the company’s new all-electric F-150 pickup truck and took a spin.

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. posted a surprising $3.26 billion first-quarter net profit on April 28, but the company said a worsening global computer chip shortage could cut its production in half during the current quarter.

Ford Motor Co. is building a $185 million battery research lab as part of a push to build its own power sources for plug-in cars.

DETROIT — The global shortage of semiconductors has forced General Motors and Ford to further cut production at their North American factories as chip supplies seem to be growing tighter.