by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
The Detroit Three automakers on Wednesday announced plans to shut down production until at least March 30, a move largely driven by the need to protect workers’ health at their parts and assembly plants. But GM, in a statement, noted that it also needs to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
(This story has been updated to include FCA’s planned production closure and the ordering of Tesla to close its Fremont plant.) The nation’s three largest domestic automakers have announced plans to start an “orderly” shutdown of their North American...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 18, 2020
Like dozens of other automakers, Kia was left high and dry by the cancellation of the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month due to the coronavirus pandemic. That left it scrambling to figure out how to launch one of its most important new products this...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 18, 2020
The number of automakers shutting down or reducing output at their production facilities continues to grow in the U.S. and Europe. Daimler AG, BMW Group and Toyota have joined several other automakers in suspending production in Europe, as well as work in selected...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 18, 2020
The United Auto Workers said Detroit’s automakers will cut production in half by using rotating shifts that carmakers hope will give them more time for cleaning to keep the threat of COVID-19 at bay. Rory Gamble, UAW president, said after a meeting with executives...
by Michael Strong | Mar 17, 2020
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is advancing toward some standardization of federal safety rules for driverless vehicles, asking for public comment on the potential mandates. The agency issued a notice of proposed rulemaking March 17, seeking input...
by Michael Strong | Mar 17, 2020
Automakers around the world are rapidly increasing the number of electric vehicles they plan to bring to market, and perhaps none more aggressively than Volkswagen. However, this shift comes with a complication: battery supplies Most automakers use batteries with...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 17, 2020
You might get a sense of déjà vu in the coming weeks as you watch automakers struggle to kickstart fast-falling sales while also taking steps to prevent a wave of repossessions as job losses mount and owners struggle to pay their car loans and leases. If anything,...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 17, 2020
ALG, a subsidiary of TrueCar, updated its 2020 new vehicle sales forecast, calling for a major downshift in car sales in what it described as the longer-term economic slowdown as the economic wreckage from the COVID-19 hits home. The forecast calls for a 14.2% decline...
by Michael Strong | Mar 16, 2020
The wheels of justice turn slowly until you add in the coronavirus epidemic, then they grind to a halt as they did when the $2.2 billion court case involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk was put on hold due to the outbreak. A new trial date has not be set. Shareholder groups...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 16, 2020
While the very name, Volkswagen, may bring to mind images of the Beetle, the Golf and the GTI, what’s drying buyers to VW showrooms these days is a very different sort of product. Sport-utes like the Tiguan and newer Atlas model dominate demand. It should be no...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 16, 2020
Toyota’s big plant in Guangzhou reopened today, a significant development in China’s battle to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. By the end of January, as it became clear an epidemic was underway in the province of Hubei, automotive assembly and parts plants quickly...
