Mercedes Benz

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tesla Inc.’s head of human resources and facilities has been on a leave of absence as the electric-car maker has dealt with a period of intense tumult spurred by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. Gabrielle Toledano, who joined Tesla as chief people officer in May 2017 from Electronic Arts Inc., confirmed she’s on leave when reached by phone Wednesday and declined to comment further. A Tesla spokesman said the leave was prompted by Toledano’s request and her duties are being handled by other members of the HR team. Toledano, 51, is one of Tesla’s highest-ranking women. She reports directly to Musk and was among the handful of executives who stood on stage with him at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in June. A week later, Musk announced that the carmaker would dismiss more than 3,000 employees, or about 9 percent of its workforce, as part of a push for the profits that have largely eluded the company to date. Musk stirred up weeks of controversy this month by ...

Many Ford Fusion owners switch brands when they trade in their cars, KBB says. Ford Motor Co. could have trouble keeping some U.S. sedan customers after discontinuing the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus, a Cox Automotive study indicates. Many Ford owners surveyed said they'll likely buy their next vehicle from one of Ford's rivals. Among Ford sedan owners, half said they would switch to a new or used car from another automaker for their next vehicle. Only 10 percent said they would get a new crossover or SUV from Ford; 5 percent said they'll get a Ford Mustang and 3 percent said they will drive a new Ford pickup. While the survey's sample size is small — of the 2,697 responders, only 104 owned Ford vehicles — it highlights the problems Ford faces as it repositions its lineup. And it suggests that, although Ford has said it will replace its sedans with new vehicles at similar prices, the public might not yet understand that strategy. "Ford's got some work to d...