Elm Analytics - Automotive Supply Chain Risk Digest #185 - August 21 - 27, 2020

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CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT

Nicholas Speeks, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, is taking a leave of absence. Speeks is not expected to return to that role. The company named Drew Slaven, the current president of marketing, interim CEO.

HUMAN CAPITAL

As European furlough programs phase-out, analysts believe that downsizing companies will cause a surge of lasting unemployment.

Bridge Michigan on small-town dependencies on manufacturing: "Michigan town wonders what's next as factory closes and 125 jobs are lost"

INDUSTRY DIRECTIONS

Commuters are making significant changes due to the pandemic. A new study shows 62% are swapping public transportation for personal vehicles. Of the 21% that purchased cars in the past six months, 57% said they did so precisely because of the pandemic.

LABOR DISPUTE

GM's Wentzville Assembly plant is using salaried workers to fill in for employees missing their shifts. The UAW has warned GM that it is violating a clause in its 2019 contract. The facility has been running three shifts of 1.2k workers to build mid-size pickup trucks and full-size vans.

LITIGATION

Porsche is investigating possible illegal changes made to gas engine software and hardware after Germany's KBA approved them.

Honda will pay $84M to settle a US state-led probe in the use of Takata airbags.

Dennis Williams, retired president of the UAW, has been charged with conspiracy to embezzle union funds.

PLANT CLOSING

Bridgestone is closing its tire plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as part of a restructuring effort.

PLANT EXPANSION

Detroit Manufacturing Systems will repurpose its existing facility in Detroit. The Instrument panel manufacturer will invest almost $32M, focusing on expanding new capabilities.

PLANT OPENING

Magna is opening a new plant on its Kechnec campus in Slovakia. The facility will be its first powertrain metalforming plant in Europe.

DURA Automotive will open a manufacturing facility in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The facility will produce electric vehicle battery trays.

China's Kandi Technologies Group, a low-cost electric vehicle manufacturer, is in discussions to build a North American manufacturing plant. Kandi's EVs cost between $10k and $20k.

Bollinger Motors has announced a move of its headquarters to Oak Park, Michigan. The company plans to double the size of its current team by the end of the year.

PRODUCTION INCREASE

The last of GM's South American plants have restarted production. In Quito, Equador, the OBB plant closed its doors for more than three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hyundai's running three shifts and looking to expand North American facilities in a sprint to meet growth for in-demand for vehicles.

REGULATION

California finalized its emission standards with Ford, Honda, BMW, VW, and Volvo. The agreements aim to uphold the state's emission standards and thwart efforts to roll them back.

The Detroit Bureau: "US Losing Auto Jobs as Trump's Trade War With China Drags On"

RISK ANALYTICS

As we get some distance from the pandemic's start, we begin to reflect on what we've learned. Automotive News: "To save an industry, they all talked"

SUPPLY CHAIN

IHS Markit: "The anatomy of the great trade collapse of 2020"