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Category Archives: manufacturing
If Trump Closes the Mexican Border, the Entire U.S. Auto Industry Shuts Down in Days
There are few vehicles assembled in the United States that do not rely on Mexico for at least some parts content. Vehicle assembly is the quintessential “complete set” — an assembly plant cannot build a partial vehicle. Even if a few relatively minor parts are missing, automakers do not make a practice of storing the vehicles and then repairing them when the parts are ready. This repair work alone creates the potential for quality issues. Since it is impossible to do a partial build, the assembly plant and many of its associated supplier plants will be idle until the automaker can obtain sufficient stock to relaunch production. Continue reading
Brexit Bloody Hell! Now Stock Exchange Issues
Well, it seems that there are risks posed by jurisdictional share trading obligations, which “could increase market fragmentation and impose unnecessary costs on investors,” the SEC said in a whistling past the graveyard observation. Hell, it’s not even clear that the UK can continue to be a key market for funds and fund managers in the United States. Continue reading
Daimler and Geely Form Joint Venture to Develop smart
It’s said that smart will gain shared expertise in manufacturing, engineering and design from both groups. Also, smart will expand to meet demand for electrification, with production based in China. The EVs will be assembled at a new purpose-built electric car plant with global sales due to begin in 2022 in what is said to be an all-electric product renewal. Continue reading
Hungarian Hankook Tire Strike Settled
During the first week of the strike at the Dunaújváros plant, local management refused to talk with the union, strongly harassed and intimidated strikers, and offered 50% wage increases to work during the strike. Continue reading
Porsche Recalls Boxsters, Caymans for Post-Crash Fuel Leaks
The sports cars will be recalled, and the lower longitudinal member will be fastened with additional rivets. Customers of record will be notified by Porsche within 60 days. Continue reading
Posted in manufacturing, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, fires, Ken Zino, nhtsa, Porsche Cars
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About Face: GM to Add 400 Jobs for New Chevy Electric Vehicle after Critical Trump Tweets About Closing Lordstown
The announcements came less than a week after a rabid series of tweets by Trump about the closing of Lordstown, OH, which was one of the four plants GM said in November that would be idled in its latest cost cutting moves. GM declined to say if these were replacement jobs from abandoned workers’ or new jobs. The United Auto Workers union is in court against GM saying that they must be negotiated with the union. Continue reading
1,700 workers strike at Hankook Tire in Hungary
IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Federation of Chemical Workers of Hungary (VDSZ), which represents workers at Hankook’s Dunaújváros plant in central Hungary, says that 70% of 2,400 shift workers have joined the indefinite strike that began on 12 March. Continue reading
Michigan to Make First AVs, but Loses Ford Transit to Mexico
In a transparent attempt at spin – in AutoCrat’s view laughable and tragic – Ford is re-adding a second shift at Flat Rock. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company’s next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow, ahem, the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford’s Cuautitlan, Mexico plant. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, autonomous vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis, people, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, AV manufacturing center, Ford Cuautitlan Mexico plant, Ken Zino, Ken Zino as AutoCrat, mexico, NAFTA Lite, transit connect
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Toyota and Suzuki Agree to Consider a New Collaboration
The slow-moving Japanese companies say Toyota’s strength in electrification technologies and Suzuki’s strength in technologies for compact vehicles, allows for growth through joint collaboration in production and in the popularization of electrified vehicles. Continue reading
Gen 12 Corolla Rolls Off the Line at Toyota Mississippi
More than 2,000 people come together each day in Blue Springs to build the world’s most popular compact sedan – 46 million vehicles sold globally since its introduction in 1966 – for customers across the Americas and the Caribbean. Continue reading
Mitsubishi, Nissan Launch New Kei Cars as Alliance Grows
Production of the all-new Mitsubishi eK wagon, Mitsubishi eK X, Nissan Dayz, and Nissan Dayz Highway Star, began today at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Japan. For the first time, the models will be offered with semi-autonomous driving technology, designed for single-lane use on highways. The models will go on sale in Japan later this month. Continue reading
Battery Electric Vehicles – Future or Folly?
Our friends at Consultancy LMC Automotive ask: “What’s next for the automotive industry? A broad question, but the most common answer is likely to be electrification.” Continue reading
Real News: SEC Charges Lumber Liquidators with Fraud
Lumber Liquidators agreed to pay more than $6 million to settle the SEC action. The SEC’s order finds that in early 2015, Lumber Liquidators, a discount retailer of hardwood flooring, made public statements in response to a “60 Minutes” news program episode that showed undercover video of Lumber Liquidators’ suppliers stating that they provided the company with products that did not comply with regulatory requirements. Continue reading
Start of production of new BMW Flagship – 7 Series Sedan
A so-called “digital launch” was a different challenge for the production start: It means production of a new BMW is ramped up to the full daily volume from one day to the next. In essence there is no formal Job One. BMW says to confirm high quality standards are fulfilled from the very first vehicle, complex components underwent virtual testing for fit accuracy prior to the start of production. Continue reading

Toyota and DENSO Fusing Electronic Component Operations
Initial discussions focused on consolidation of production operations by the end of 2019, and development functions from 2022, but in order to ensure a smooth transfer and to create the new structure faster, both companies agreed to consolidate both development and production in April 2020. Continue reading →