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DETROIT — Record electric vehicle sales last summer amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials propelled Tesla Inc. to the biggest quarterly net earnings in its history.

It seems like an unlikely marriage: Tesla, the world’s biggest electric automaker, moving its headquarters to Texas — where the oil and gas industry is etched in the state’s DNA and where, unless something changes, Tesla isn’t even allowed to sell its vehicles directly to customers.

Tesla Inc. shares are staging a comeback as investors expect the Elon Musk-led electric carmaker to navigate the crippling semiconductor shortage better than rivals that have been severely disrupted.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Taiwanese company that manufactures smartphones for Apple Inc. and other global brands announced plans Oct. 18 to produce electric cars for auto brands under a similar contract model.

LONDON — Ford Motor Co. plans to spend up to $315 million to turn a transmission factory in northwest England into a plant that will make electric power units for cars and trucks sold throughout Europe.

DETROIT — Toyota plans to build a $1.29 billion factory in the U.S. to manufacture batteries for gas-electric hybrid and fully electric vehicles.

Nikola Corp. announced a collaboration with PGT Trucking Inc. that includes a letter of intent from the flatbed carrier to lease 100 Nikola Tre heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles following the satisfactory completion of a Nikola Tre FCEV demonstration program.

Cummins Inc. announced it will bring to market a 15-liter natural gas engine for heavy-duty trucks.

Ford Motor Co. has vacated its seat on the board of Rivian Automotive Inc. as the electric truck startup prepares to go public with an expected valuation of $80 billion.

Lucid Group Inc. said its debut battery-electric vehicle will be the first production car in the U.S. to include a purpose-built laser sensor, or lidar, enabling a broad range of advanced driver-assistance features.