Elm Analytics - Automotive Supply Chain Risk Digest #117 - May 3 - 9, 2019

CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT

Steve Beahm, the North American head of FCA's passenger cars, has retired.

FCA recruited Infiniti President Christian Meunier to become global president of Jeep.

Adient is restructuring with a flatter organization structure.

Ford has appointed former Dongfeng-Nissan sales executive Liu Zongxin as its new VP of brand sales and marketing in China.

EARNING DIP

Mazda reported a 43% drop in operating profit for its 2018 fiscal year. The decline is being blamed on falling global sales, foreign exchange losses, an increase in marketing spend and spiraling costs for investment in its US retail network reforms.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Nissan is cutting 600 jobs, or almost 20% of the workforce, at its plant in Barcelona, Spain. The layoffs were a condition for a planned $79m investment in a new painting facility.

INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS

OEMs are making significant assembly plant investments as part of long term planning.

Gartner: Supply chain leaders are failing to find suitable use cases for blockchain.

Patents for vacuum maker Dyson's first electric vehicle became public this week. The filings give some insight into what they are planning for when their first vehicle launches in 2021.

LABOR DISPUTE

GM is looking to sell it's idled Lordstown, Ohio plant to a small electric truckmaker and the UAW isn't happy.

LITIGATION

GM is recalling 368k trucks with 6.6L diesel engines and engine block heaters due to potential fires.

Porsche has been hit with a $598m fine by German prosecutors for neglecting supervisory obligation linked to diesel-emissions cheating.

A class-action lawsuit related to faulty transmission exposes Ford to a potential $4b liability.

PLANT EXPANSION

GM Canada has announced plans to invest $170m into its Oshawa, Ontario plant, saving 300 of 2,600 union jobs at the plant. The plant had been scheduled to close at the end of this year.

GM plans to invest $700m into its plants in Moraine, Toledo and Parma, Ohio. The investment will create 450 new jobs.

PLANT OPENING

Hematite is investing $11.5m into a new facility in Fayetteville, Tennessee. The auto supplier will retrofit an existing vacant facility for its operations which will commence in Q3 of 2020.

US battery maker Farasis Energy is investing 673m into a new EV battery plant in Germany. The plant will create at least 600 new jobs and will produce battery cells, modules, and packs.

RAW MATERIALS

Mineral shortages of copper, nickel, and lithium threaten Tesla's production rate.

REGULATION

As the U.S.-China trade war approaches its second year, Vietnam has continued to reap the benefits of new foreign investment.

The UK may be removing subsidies too quickly, triggering a decline in electric vehicle growth.