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Category Archives: manufacturing
Safran Won’t Deal with Black Women in Mississippi
Workers United has bargained with Safran since September for a new agreement. Negotiations broke down when the employer refused to accept pay increases for the coming three years and insisted that they would be able to use any criteria to lay-off or recall workers. Safran already has the right to lay-off and recall employees in tiers of most efficient workers and least efficient workers. Continue reading
Kansas City to Assemble All-Electric Ford E-Transit
It’s ironic that the transition to a carbon-free economy and the jobs it is now creating in the US auto industry comes in part because of the ousted Trump Administration’s anti-environmental policies that are at odds with a global trend toward healing the earth that is being reinforced by regulators. Ford spends more than $5 billion annually on engineering in America, which includes the development of the all-new, fully electric Transit, the F-150, and the all-new Mustang Mach-E. Continue reading
US Vehicle Sales to Rise in October?
However, complete U.S. new-vehicle sales including all transactions for October are projected to reach 1,321,400 units, a -4.5% decrease from October 2019 when adjusted for selling days. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate, aka SAAR, for total new vehicle sales is expected to be 15.9 million units, down 0.8 million units from 2019, the least year-over-year decline since the pandemic began. This is the annual output of two to four final assembly plants, without considering the component parts plants from internal or external sources. Continue reading
Ferrari Recalls 812 Superfast for Rear Glass Blowouts
Ferrari ultimately determined that the problem of the component could entail the full detachment of the rear window from the vehicle, thereby potentially creating a road hazard and increasing the safety-risk of a crash for following traffic. Continue reading
GM Defense Delivers First Infantry Squad Vehicle to US Army
The ISV is based off the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 mid-size truck architecture and use 90% commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, including Chevrolet Performance race components. The 5,000-pound ISV was engineered to fulfill military requirements and designed to provide rapid ground mobility. The expeditionary ISV is light enough to be sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air transportability. The parts, combined with the ISV’s Rollover Protection System, should provide agile transportability on the battlefield. Continue reading
ZF Seatbelt Retractor Recall Bites Corvette, Jeep, Ram
The safety defect appeared at GM during barrier testing of a 2023 model year Corvette. GM worked with ZF to analyze the root cause of the retractor failure, including teardowns, computer analysis, and CAE simulations. That analysis showed that the retractor failure was caused by the locking mechanism not being properly engaged. The same part is used on current production models. Continue reading
GM Adding $71 Million at Two Ohio Parts Plants
These investments in what is increasingly the no growth auot business norm will enable GM to retain 240 U.S. manufacturing jobs. The Toledo investment will be used to upgrade and enhance the production of GM’s eight-speed rear-wheel-drive transmission – important for its pickup truck sales. The Defiance investment will be used to prepare the facility for future engine casting components work. Continue reading
Global Auto Business Threatened by Covid Second Wave
While the past isn’t a 100% sure predictor of the future, “A second wave and stricter social controls pose a large risk to our central forecast” LMC notes in its latest analysis. LMC projects that 2020 global assembly plant use is expected to fall to the lowest level ever recorded – just 51%. The pandemic-caused shutdowns during March and April had a profound impact on both the volume and use of plants globally. Continue reading
Milestones: Nissan Production of 500,000 Leaf EVs
The milestone was achieved at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, England, almost a decade after the model first went on sale. The plant has built more than 175,000 LEAF cars since it began producing the model in 2013.Ironically, Sunderland is now threatened by BREXIT and the UK Governments lack of an agreement with the EU. Continue reading
COVID-19 – Ford to Donate 100 Million Masks
Masks will support presumptive President Joe Biden’s pending mask wearing mandate. Ford, currently manufacturing 2.5 million medical-grade masks a week for its employees and at-risk communities, is growing the number of mask-making machines by mid- to late-October to increase production and deliver on its goal. Continue reading
COVID-19 Auto Related Closings, Openings, Closings
Updated from 16 March 2020 onward Continue reading
Posted in economy, environment, manufacturing, people
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, COVID-19 Closings, Ken Zino
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Mazda, Toyota Add Money to Manufacturing in Alabama
It also insiders say makes production line enhancements made to improve processes supporting unannounced Mazda vehicle and design changes and to the thus far unknown Toyota SUV that will be produced at the plant. Continue reading
Posted in manufacturing, milestones, new vehicle
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, MTM
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Unifor Opens Contract Talks with Detroit Three in Canada
In a refreshing departure from the Trump Administration’s lack of plans for dealing with the pandemic, Unifor said, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, strict safety protocols will be in place for the duration of the negotiations to ensure compliance with Ontario health directives.” Continue reading
Posted in labor issues, manufacturing
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, gm canada, Ken Zino, unifor
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Ford Motor Recalls for Brakes, Corrosion and Fires
Affected are 2015-18 Ford Edge and 2016-18 Lincoln MKX 2020 Lincoln Corsair crossovers, and 2020 Ford F-150 pickups. All told more than ~560,000 vehicles are being recalled for dangerous safety defects. Continue reading
Posted in manufacturing, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, nhtsa, safety recalls
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GM’s Factory ZERO – First U.S. Plant to Install 5G
A 5G Ultra-Wideband network has considerably faster download speeds and greater bandwidth than 4G networks. Factory ZERO is being completely retooled with a $2.2 billion investment, the largest ever for a GM manufacturing facility. Once fully operational, the plant will have more than 2,200 good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs. Hamtramck is huge with 4 million square feet of space Continue reading →