Elm Analytics - Automotive Supply Chain Risk Digest #247 - October 29 - November 4, 2021

CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT

VW will reportedly convene a committee to discuss the future of CEO Herbert Diess. Relationships with labor representatives have been tense lately. He allegedly told a supervisory board that 30k jobs were at risk in the company's EV transition.

Meanwhile, VW subsidiary Seat has named former Nissan exec Ignasi Prieto as its new head of marketing.

DISASTER

An on-site accident claimed the life of a machine repairman at Ford's engine plant in Lima, Ohio, this week. The details of the accident have not been released.

EXPANDING

Toyota will invest $461M into its Georgetown, Kentucky assembly complex to expand engine offerings and prepare for new products.

Customcells will expand its battery production at its Itzehoe, Germany, facilities.

Aluminum components supplier Nemak is investing $27M into expanding its facility in Glasgow, Kentucky. The expansion is to support future EV-related business and will create 170 jobs.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Stellantis is offering buyouts to US salaried workers near retirement. The company is reducing headcount to invest in EVs.

MERGERS, VENTURES, ACQUISITIONS

Lear has agreed to acquire Kongsberg Automotive's Comfort Systems division for over $200M. The deal will close in Q1 of 2022.

Shinry and Lear have formed a JV to produce onboard vehicle chargers.

California's indie Semiconductor is purchasing Analog Devices' Munich-based radar division, Symeo. The acquisition will augment indie's AV technologies.

Green Hills Software and Tata Elxsi have collaborated on a driver monitoring system.

EV maker Fisker has made a deal for EV battery maker CATL to supply two different battery packs for their upcoming Ocean SUV. The company will reveal the production model of the SUV later this month.

Rimac and Bugatti have formed a new company - Bugatti Rimac. Despite the merger, the brands will remain separate.

OPENING

Auto interiors supplier Dr. Schneider Automotive Systems is investing $22.5M into a new plant in Berwyn, Mississippi. The plant will create up to 400 jobs over six years.

Continental opened a new electronic components plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The 258k sq ft facility will produce Telematic, Door, Power Closure, and Comfort Seating control modules.

SES announced it would build Shanghai Giga, a 300k sq ft lithium-metal plant. The facility will produce 1GWh annually.

PRODUCTION INCREASE

GM's CAMI facility in Ontario, Canada, resumed production of the Equinox. The plant has been idle since February and will retool for commercial EV van production in April 2022.

Auto electronics maker Hella has doubled production capacity at its plant in Shanghai, China. To support the increase, the supplier plans to add 600 jobs there over the next three years.

RECALLS

Tesla recalled around 12k vehicles sold in the US since 2017 due to a software communication error. The error can cause false collision warnings or the brakes to activate unexpectedly.

REGULATION

The US and the EU have agreed to work on a global arrangement to resolve a dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs. The goal is to combat "dirty" production and overcapacity in the industry.

RISK ANALYTICS

How car shortages are putting the world's economy at risk: "A slowdown in automaking can leave scars that take years to recover from."

Reuters published a meta-analysis of the state of supply chain disruption.