Elm Analytics - Automotive Supply Chain Risk Digest #39 - November 3 - 9, 2017
CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT
Volkswagen of America has hired longtime auto marketing exec. Jim Zabel as their new SVP of Marketing. Zabel has more than 19 years of automotive experience, having managed brand accounts for Hyundai and Honda.Â
EARNING DIP
New car sales in the UK have continued to decline for the seventh month in a row, falling more than 12% in October. The biggest contributors are declining business and consumer confidence coupled with confusion over government policy on diesel vehicles.
INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS
Former vice chairman of General Motors Bob Lutz has an interesting take on the future of the automotive industry: "...we are approaching the end of the automotive era."
Sex, Surfing and Liability? This weeks long read:
The New York Times Magazine has an entertaining and imaginative view of a 20% self-driving world.
LABOR DISPUTE
Workers at the Chinese-owned Fuyao Glass plant in Moraine, Ohio will vote on whether to join the UAW this week. The vote comes on the heels of the UAW's failure to unionize Nissan's Mississippi assembly plant back in August.
MERGERS, VENTURES, ACQUISITIONS
Continental has acquired Israeli connected car cyber security company Argus. Argus will become a part of Continental subsidiary Elektrobit and will continue to do business with all global auto suppliers.
Volkswagen and Google are starting a collaborative partnership that aims to bring quantum computing to the automotive industry. Volkswagen is looking to use Google's tech to explore traffic optimization and materials, with a focus on battery designs.
Tesla acquired longtime supplier Perbix to boost Model 3 production. Minneapolis based Perbix makes automated machines used for manufacturing. Tesla made a similar purchase in Grohmann Engineering last year.
Ford is teaming up with Anhui Zotye Automobile to form a new $750m JV in China that will develop electric vehicles for the Chinese market. Ford says they plan to offer electric versions of 70% of its models sold in China by 2025.
PLANT CLOSING
Interiors supplier Adient is closing its Futuris plant in MIlan, TN by the end of the year. The closing will put 148 employees out of work.
PLANT OPENING
German supplier, Boge Rubber & Plastics, opened a new plant in San Luis PotosÃ, Mexico. The plant will make powertrain systems and plastic components for Daimler and VW.
Germany's Schaeffler will build an assembly and packaging site in Halle, located in eastern Germany.
Materials maker Techmer PM is opening a new plant in Queretaro, Mexico this month. The 60,000sf plant will produce additives and engineered compounds for the Latin American market.
REGULATION
Ford has been fined $31k by the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality over air quality violations at its Dearborn plant. The DEQ states that Ford is being fined for "not properly installing, maintaining and operating the Volatile Organic Compound control devices in a satisfactory manner."
The Korean Fair Trade Commission fined Denso, Aisan and Delphi Powertrain for collusion on contract bids for fuel pumps.
The European Union is proposing new car emissions targets that include a credit system to encourage carmakers to make electric vehicles in addition to fines for exceeding carbon dioxide limits.
Pomp & Circumstance? Turkey continues to move forward with it's domestically produced EV. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Tesla's Elon Musk, while moving forward developing regulations this week.