Category Archives: manufacturing

UAW Sweep – Stellantis Contract Approved by Members

Posted on 21 November 2023 by Ken Zino

“The members have spoken. After years of cutbacks, months of our Stand Up campaign, and weeks on the picket line, we have turned the tide for the American autoworker,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The Stand Up Strike was just the beginning. The UAW is back to setting the standard. Now, we take our strike muscle and our fighting spirit to the rest of the industries we represent, and to millions of non-union workers ready to Stand Up and fight for a better way of life.” Continue reading →

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Ford CEO Jim Farley on UAW Contract Ratification

Posted on 20 November 2023 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) President and CEO Jim Farley said this morning, “We are pleased the agreement has been ratified and we are very happy for our more than 57,000 UAW-represented employees and their families.” (AutoInformed: Bill Ford Asks … Continue reading →

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October Global Light Vehicle Sales at 94 Million Annually

Posted on 16 November 2023 by Ken Zino

The Global Light Vehicle (LV) selling rate for October was largely in line with an upwardly adjusted September figure, at 94 million units annually. Year-over Year (YoY) the market was up nearly ~11% last month, and up more than 10% YTD, according to data just released by the GlobalData Light Vehicle Sales Forecasting Team. Continue reading →

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Polestar 4 Production Starts at Geely Hangzhou Bay Plant

Posted on 15 November 2023 by Ken Zino

“Polestar 4 stands out in design and performance, a remarkable SUV coupé in many ways. It is the first Polestar to feature a virtual rear window with world-class digital rear-view mirror. This car plays a very important role in our growing line-up of exclusive performance EVs. It illustrates the value of our diversified and asset-light approach, making use of our partner and major shareholder’s development and manufacturing expertise,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. Continue reading →

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UAW Freeloaders – Hyundai Ups Wages of US Factory Workers

Posted on 13 November 2023 by Ken Zino

Hyundai today announced wage increases for its production team members at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia. HMMA has been producing vehicles in Montgomery, Alabama since 2005. HMGMA, Hyundai’s EV-dedicated plant in Bryan County, Georgia, is scheduled to begin production in early 2025. In a move mirroring similar ones by non-unionized Toyota Motor and Honda in the US following the UAW Detroit Three contract sweep, wages will increase ~25%. There are ~ 4000 production workers at HMMA. Continue reading →

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GM Announces Niron Magnetics Partnership for EV Motors

Posted on 8 November 2023 by Ken Zino

Niron’s proprietary Clean Earth Magnet® technology is based on iron nitride, a plentiful and affordable material with “real potential for commercial use in future EVs,” GM said. The permanent magnets in EV motor rotors are typically made from rare earth minerals such as terbium, dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium, which are expensive and currently processed almost entirely overseas. A late model car can use hundreds of magnets. This technology can cut their material cost in half it’s claimed. Continue reading →

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Kia America Recalls all 2015-19 Soul Hybrids for Software Bug

Posted on 6 November 2023 by Ken Zino

All owners of 2015-2019 model year Soul hybrids will be notified by first class mail telling them to bring their vehicles to a Kia dealer. Dealers will update the Electronic Control Unit software for the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) logic so that the EPB automatically activates when the gear shift lever is in the “P” (Park) position regardless of whether the vehicle is powered ON or OFF. Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred as required by US law. Continue reading →

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Unifor and Stellantis Contract Ratification in Process

Posted on 4 November 2023 by Ken Zino

Unifor said its bargaining team met all of its priorities in negotiations and obtained an historic wage package, stronger pensions, protections for autoworkers in the EV transition, and secured investments to lock in a pattern agreement for all Canadian autoworkers. Continue reading →

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Toyo Tire Blowout Recalls – Open Country and Extensa Tires

Posted on 4 November 2023 by Ken Zino

Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas is recalling Open Country and Extensa tires made in Serbia because of blowouts. The tires may have been produced using the wrong mold, which can result in the tread or tire sidewall suddenly detaching. The tires were produced on various dates from December of 2022 through April 2023. Continue reading →

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China Vehicle Dependability Same in 2023 as 2022

Posted on 1 November 2023 by Ken Zino

“Although manufacturers regard quality above everything else, some do not pay enough attention to quality after the warranty period,” said Elvis Yang, general manager of auto product practice at J.D. Power China. “However, such problems directly affect owners’ concerns about the long-term dependability and durable quality of their vehicle. Manufacturers need to pay more attention to long-term quality and improve quality management standards.” Continue reading →

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Toyota Posts FY2024 Q2 Net Income of $18.4 Billion

Posted on 1 November 2023 by Ken Zino

“We are grateful for the support of many stakeholders, from production to logistics, sales, and services, including suppliers. As a result of selling each car meticulously at prices that match the product appeal refined through Toyota’s ‘making ever-better cars’ initiative, operating income increased from the same period of the previous fiscal year,” Toyota said. Continue reading →

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Chinese Vehicle Market Sales Strong in September

Posted on 31 October 2023 by Ken Zino

“We expect sales to remain strong in the coming years. This month we have again increased our full-year 2023 forecast, this time by 300,000 units, bringing the full-year forecast to 28.9 million units, a year- on-year increase of 8%. However, it should be noted that near-term downside risks exist, mainly from the liquidity crisis in the real estate sector – said to directly and indirectly account for 25% of GDP-  declining exports, and high youth unemployment,” said the GlobalData Forecast Team. Continue reading →

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Stellantis Posts Q3 Sales Up 37%. Pre-Tax Profit €3B

Posted on 31 October 2023 by Ken Zino

Stellantis* today posted a pre-tax operating profit of €3 billion. The company that is partly comprised of Jeep, Dodge Jeep and Ram said the strikes cost it around €750 million. However the strikes – characterized as “work stoppages”- resulted in … Continue reading →

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UAW October Sweep – GM and UAW Tentative Agreement

Posted on 30 October 2023 by Ken Zino

“GM is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the UAW that reflects the contributions of the team while enabling us to continue to invest in our future and provide good jobs in the US,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra, just minutes ago. Continue reading →

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Unifor Stellantis Agreement Good for All Workers in Transition

Posted on 30 October 2023 by Ken Zino

“After a short strike throughout the night Unifor has reached now a tentative agreement with Stellantis. The deal came about around 7:00 AM this morning, after bargaining throughout the night. And yes, as you can tell all of those here are tired, but also very, very proud of the work that we’ve done for Canadian auto workers. ” said Unifor National President Lana Payne said late this afternoon at a hotel in Toronto. Continue reading →

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