Category Archives: news analysis

First GM-Ventec Critical Care Ventilators Delivered

The shipments, of course, are putting important tools in the hands of front-line medical professionals treating patients seriously ill with COVID-19 as the US desperately tries to catch up with the plague and the deaths made worse by denials among top political leaders. Continue reading

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TravelCenters of America Lays Off  More than 3000

Most were involved in the restaurants at the truck stops. All furloughed employees currently enrolled in TA’s benefits programs will continue to be eligible for health care coverage based on their plan. Continue reading

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Groupe Renault Reveals A New Strategy for China

Renault will continue to provide aftersales service for its 300,000 customers through Renault dealers, and also through Alliance synergies. Further development for Renault brand passenger cars will be detailed later within a new mid-term-plan from Renault. Continue reading

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Social Distancing Time Frames: How Our Expectations Affect Compliance

“We said, ‘There’s something wrong here in the news,’” Briscese says. “Someone from the government says one thing and then another thing and you had conflicting messages from epidemiologists saying, ‘We are here for the long run. This is a marathon, not a sprint.’” Continue reading

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Ford Motor Q1 Prelim Results Hint at COVID-19 Illiquidity

Ford’s Q1 vehicle wholesales were down 21% from a year ago, largely as a result of lower production and demand related to the coronavirus.  Ford currently expects to report revenue of about $34 billion and first-quarter adjusted losses before interest and taxes of about negative -$0.6 billion, which excludes about $0.3 billion of special-item charges. The company has not yet calculated its tax rate for the first quarter and is not able to provide its preliminary net loss or loss per share. As of 9 April, the company had about $30 billion in cash on its balance sheet, including $15.4 billion of proceeds from borrowings last month against two existing credit lines. Continue reading

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COVID-19 – GM Gives $2.65 Million to 40 Non-Profits

Included in these efforts is a $1 million grant to the DonorsChoose Keep Kids Learning plan, which provides $1,000 credits to 1,000 teachers in high-need school districts to help send basic resources like books, pencils, notebooks, food and cleaning supplies to students’ homes. Continue reading

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Unions, FCA Sign Agreement on Workplace Health and Safety

The guidelines established focused on “rigorous implementation of government directives aimed at combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus and application of best practices implemented by the Group at its sites around the world.” This presumably applies to the United States where the ‘Do Nothing’ Trump Administration claims that this is a job for the states, not National leadership. Continue reading

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Corona Crisis – March UK New Car Registrations Fall -44.4% 

The performance represented a steeper fall than during the 2009 financial crisis and the worst March since the late nineties when the market changed to the bi-annual plate change system. With lock-downs taking place in many European countries earlier than the UK, even more dramatic falls have been reported elsewhere, with Italy down -85%, France -72% and Spain down -69% in March. Continue reading

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NASCAR Finish Line Tweaked with E-Racing as COVID Thrives

In February when NASCAR was still in deep denial about the gravity of the Corona crisis, it and Penn Interactive announced a new multi-year partnership that led to the creation of a brand new, free-to-play, mobile game dubbed NASCAR Finish Line. Continue reading

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UAW Pressure: Ford Further Postpones NA Production Restart

In a duh statement Ford said: “Ford and autoworkers’ unions – especially the UAW – are working closely on initiatives to keep the workforce safe, including upgrading social distancing guidelines, requiring the workers to self-certify daily that they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms – and more.” Continue reading

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RumbleOn Posts 2019 Loss. Cancels Guidance

Executive summary from AutoInformed: RumbleOn has ambitious plans with more than $840 million in revenue in 2019, but what is arguably a national brand is facing the ongoing contraction (collapse?) of the U.S. economy. Continue reading

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Ventec Life Systems and GM to Mass Produce Ventilators

Under Trump Administration do-nothing policies that refused until this morning to invoke the Defense Production Act (while criticizing GM? Insiders say that GM was waiting for Government Agency approvals). There are now clearly global back-orders of critical care ventilators capable of supporting patients fighting COVID-19. Nonetheless, companies are adding thousands of units of new capacity with a significantly expanded supply chain capable of supporting high volume production. GM is contributing its resources at cost. Continue reading

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Bosch Develops Quicker Test for COVID-19

The newly developed test, which apparently has not been certified yet by a major health or regulatory organization, will be available in Germany starting in April, with other markets in Europe and elsewhere to follow at an unknown time in the future. Continue reading

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LMC Automotive Now Projects Double the Decline of the Great Recession in Light Vehicle Sales During 2020

LMC currently is forecasting 2020 global Light Vehicle sales to fall below 77 million units, a decline of nearly 14 million units or -15% from the 2019 level. For comparison, global Light Vehicle sales fell 6 million units from 2007-2009 to 64 million units, a two-year decline of 8.7%, or 4.5% CAGR. Continue reading

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UAW Balks at Reopening Workplaces

“The only guideline in a boardroom should be management asking themselves, “Would I send my family — my own son or daughter — into that plant and be 100% certain they are safe?” – UAW President Rory L. Gamble Continue reading

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