Automotive Industry Hot Topics with CAR President and CEO, Alan Amici –  (11/0/2023)

On a bi-weekly basis, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) welcomes our audience to decompress with our President and CEO, Alan Amici, as he covers and shares his thoughts on the latest Hot Topics happening in the automotive industry. If you would like to receive this bi-weekly insight into critical industry issues you and your organization are facing, sign up for our mailing list here to get Hot Topics sent directly to your inbox.  

Supply Chain & Manufacturing: 

“If you can’t beat them, buy them”

• Exclusive: GM snatches key Tesla gigacasting supplier 
• As Exxon eyes lithium, crucial decision looms on filtration technology 
• EV truck startup Zeus signs deal with manufacturing and engineering firm 
• Stellantis, suppliers take over tooling from bankrupt supplier

Alan’s thoughts:

Supply chain management has become a key element of corporate strategy. Much more than a component of “operations”, it now drives strategic decision–making. For automakers, substantial investments are underway in crucial mineral mining for battery production and new technology for component castings. For energy providers like Exxon Mobil, investment in lithium processing signals a shift from drilling to mining. While this shift may not necessarily signify a revival of Henry Ford’s Rouge Plant’s vertical integration, it undeniably underscores that supply chain management is now far beyond a mere procurement function. 

UAW Ratification & Aftereffects:

• Here’s why the UAW’s record deals with GM, Ford and Stellantis aren’t getting full support 
• Stellantis workers ratify UAW contract; Ford on brink of approval 
• Hyundai raises workers’ pay 14% next year, 25% by 2028, following Toyota and Honda ‘
• Stellantis offers buyouts to roughly half of U.S. salaried workers 

Alan’s thoughts:

Contract ratification results are in, and it appears the UAW rank and file have approved the terms negotiated in October. Approval margins were thin at GM with larger margins at Stellantis and Ford. Next up for the UAW: Toyota, Honda, Tesla, and other non-represented plants. The road ahead for the UAW to increase its membership will be challenging as Toyota and Honda have recently increased wages in an anticipatory move. Expect other companies to follow suit. 

Pedestrian & Road Safety: 

• What Brazil Has And Hasn’t Achieved On Road Safety 
• Tall trucks, SUVs are 45% deadlier to US pedestrians, study shows 
• Under fire, GM’s Cruise suspends supervised car trips, expands safety investigation 

Alan’s thoughts:

AVs from Cruise have suspended operations due to safety concerns amplified by a recent pedestrian incident. Blunt-nosed trucks and SUVs are more deadly to pedestrians than their passenger car cousins. Pedestrian safety is gaining attention in the US and other countries. Saving lives remains a priority whether in-vehicle or to vulnerable road users (VRU). We need to redouble our efforts to protect our citizens. Approaches may include the use of cellular networks, V2X technology, roadway architecture, and vehicle design. Reducing vehicle-related deaths should be the collective goal of public and private organizations and drive our policy and funding agendas.