Mary Barra, General Motors Co.’s chief executive, spent weeks preparing for an onstage unveiling of the electric Chevrolet Silverado, GM’s big play in the fledgling market for battery-powered pickup trucks.
Ten miles away at Ford Motor Co.’s headquarters, executives were plotting a pre-emptive public-relations strike, said people familiar with the plan. The day before Ms. Barra’s presentation in January, Ford said it would double factory capacity for its F-150 Lightning electric truck, citing overwhelming demand. Ford shares surged 12% that day.
