Ford to Begin Phased Restart in North America 18 May

AutoInformed.com on Ford Return to Workplace  - May 2020

Fumbling Ford management finally voiced clear direction for the moment. Click to Enlarge.

Ford is pursuing a phased restart for its North America operations beginning 18 May 18. This includes restarting vehicle production in North America and bringing back the first wave of employees that are not able to do their jobs remotely. The ramp-up will be gradual. Employees able to work remotely will continue to do so until advised. (Ford Motor Posts -$2 Billion Q1 Loss)

While Ford shut down its plants around the globe in March, cash use has remained high because production supplier payables are about 45 days. The company’s cash outflow – it is claimed – will be substantially lower after early May as Ford pays down those payables. (UAW Pressure: Ford Further Postpones NA Production Restart, Ford Motor Maxes Out Lines of Credit) Continue reading

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General Motors to Offer More Senior Unsecured Notes

AutoInformed.com on GM

GM ended Q1 with $33.4 billion in automotive liquidity. It wants more for GD V2.0.

In the latest defensive move as the COVID-19 Pandemic is leading global economies into  Great Depression V2.0**, General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced today it has launched an offering of senior unsecured fixed rate notes. GM intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the notes for general corporate purposes. Translation: the cash will be needed as profits continue to drop. (COVID Effects: GM Q1 Earnings Drop -89% to $0.17 a Share)

“We expect the New 364-Day Revolving Facility to be unsecured and to provide available borrowing capacity of approximately $2 billion in U.S. Dollars only, and we have received commitments from lenders in excess of this amount. We expect the New 364-Day Revolving Facility will be generally consistent with the terms of our existing revolving credit facilities,” GM said.

Late today GM subsequently said: the pricing of three series of senior unsecured notes totallledof $4.0 billion. These notes include $1.0 billion of 5.40 percent notes due in 2023, $2.0 billion of 6.125 percent notes due in 2025 and $1.0 billion of 6.80 percent notes due in 2027. The offering is expected to settle on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. In addition, following the closing of the notes offering, GM expects to enter into a new 364-Day Revolving Credit Agreement, subject to certain closing conditions. We expect the New 364-Day Revolving Facility to be unsecured and to provide available borrowing capacity of approximately 2 billion in U.S. dollars, and we have received commitments from lenders in excess of this amount. Continue reading

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How To Disinfect a Vehicle Without Damaging Its Interior

AutoInformed.com on How To Disinfect a Vehicle Without Damaging Its Interior

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Nissan is offering advice on how to disinfect your vehicle as some in the US try to stop the spread of COVID-19 honoring Shelter at home requests. Frequent hand washing as directed by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a crucial part of staying healthy, but so is disinfecting surfaces, including those in your car.

“Most people are still using their vehicles, whether they are essential employees commuting to work or someone running to the grocery store while in quarantine,” said Ryan Fulkerson, director, New Model Engineering, Nissan North America. “We want to make sure they’re informed on how to best keep their vehicle disinfected.”

The CDC recommends wearing disposable gloves for cleaning and then disinfecting surfaces. If a surface appears dirty, it should be wiped down with soap and water prior to disinfection. For vehicle interiors, a soft or microfiber cloth dampened with soap and water can be used to wipe down hard surfaces. Continue reading

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COVID! GM Q1 Earnings Drop -89% to $0.17 a Share

AutoInformed.com on GM Q1 2020

It’s going to be a long year of going backwards.

General Motors today posted EPS-diluted of $0.17 and EPS-diluted-adjusted of $0.62. The COVID-19 impact on EBIT-adjusted was $(1.4) billion. GM ended quarter with $33.4 billion in automotive liquidity as the global economy headed toward a depression. In March GM suspended production and cancelled earnings projections for the entire year.

First Quarter 2020 results

  • EPS-diluted of $0.17 and EPS-diluted-adjusted of $0.62
  • EPS diluted-adjusted includes a $(0.28) impact from Lyft and PSA revaluations
  • Income of $0.3 billion, and EBIT-adj. of $1.2 billion, which includes a $(1.4) billion COVID-19 impact
  • Revenue of $32.7 billion
  • GM North America EBIT-adjusted of $2.2 billion
  • GM Financial EBT-adjusted of $0.2 billion

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COVID Effects: BMW AG FY Earnings Guidance – Zero

AutoInformed.com on COVID Corrosion of Earnings

Motorcycle and automobile deliveries will be significantly below 2019.

The Board of Management of BMW AG today updated its guidance for the financial year 2020 to zero earnings on automobiles. In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to €104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

“The decisive factor for the adjustment is that the measures to contain the corona virus pandemic are lasting longer in several markets and are thus leading to a broader negative impact than was foreseeable in mid-March, BMW said in a statement. “It is therefore apparent that delivery volumes in these markets will not-as was previously assumed-return to normal within a few weeks.”
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Consumer Feelings on Future Mobility Technologies Declines

AutoInformed,com on The Baidu-Ford L4 Autonomous Vehicle Test Project kicks off with on-road testing slated to begin by the end of this year. 百度与福特的L4级别自动驾驶联合测试项目,未来将在公开道路进行测试

 Baidu-Ford L4 Autonomous Vehicle Test Project kicks off with on-road testing. 百度与福特的L4级别自动驾驶联合测试项目,未来将在公开道路进行测试

Consumer confidence in future mobility technologies lags far behind automakers’ plans to bring self-driving and battery-electric vehicles to the marketplace, according to the J.D. Power 2020 Q1 Mobility Confidence Index. The Index for self-driving vehicles decreases for the first time—to 35 from 36 on a 100-point scale—for American consumers and to 36 from 39 for Canadian consumers. For battery-electric vehicles, the index remains at 55 in the U.S. for the fourth consecutive quarter, while decreasing to 57 from 59 in Canada.

“Frankly, we’re concerned for automakers,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & human machine interface research at J.D. Power. “They’re pushing forward with technology that consumers seem to have little interest in. Nor are they making the strides needed to change people’s minds. Especially now, automakers need to reevaluate where they are spending money. They are investing billions in these technologies, but they need to also invest in educating consumers. Lack of knowledge is a huge roadblock for future adoption.”
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Multi-Seasonal Self-Driving Data Issued by Ford

AutoInformed.com on Multi-Seasonal Self-Driving Data Issued by Ford

Key here is quantity.

When a self-driving vehicle is operating, it is gathering information about the world around it. Cameras and LiDAR help it identify vehicles, pedestrians, signs and, hopefully, anything else that might be out in or near the streets. Radar helps the vehicle keep track of how fast things are moving around it.

“Without all this data, self-driving cars wouldn’t even be able to leave a parking lot,” says Tony Lockwood, Autonomous Vehicle Manager, Virtual Driver Systems, Ford Motor Company. He observes that these vehicles need to process a constant stream of information to “safely navigate” their surroundings.

Leaving aside for the moment giant unresolved privacy issues and how companies can sell your personal information their benefit not yours, data is needed to help engineers and researchers create software that can teach self-driving vehicles how to analyze their environments. This software used to be called the driver.
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Alexandra Ford English to Join Rivian’s Board of Directors

AutoInformed.com on Rivian R1S.

Rivian R1S.

Rivian and Ford Motor Company last Friday announced that Alexandra Ford English – Executive Ford Chairman Bill Ford’s daughter – will join Rivian’s board of directors effective immediately. English is director of Corporate Strategy for Ford Motor Company, responsible for the company’s enterprise strategy, connectivity, and digital network strategy – a highly risky “bet the company” business plan. (Ford Motor Posts -$2 Billion Q1 Loss, Rivian Gets $500 Million for New Ford Battery Electric Vehicle)

The announcement comes at crucial point for Ford Motor as analysts are speculating that future of a challenged Ford – operational competence, liquidity, as well as quality and warranty issues – will require a merger with another global automaker, perhaps Volkswagen. (Bill Ford has been quoted – second hand – by insiders as saying “No.” Then after a pause “Hell No.”)  Continue reading

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US Q1 GDP Estimates – Negative Growth as Economy Retracts

AutoInformed.com on US Real GDP Q1 2020

The worst is yet to come…

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) advanced estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2020, says that real gross domestic product contracted at an annual rate of -4.8%. Current‑dollar GDP decreased -3.5% or -gulp –  $191.2 billion, in the first quarter to a level of $21.54 trillion.
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Penske Automotive to Hold Audio Annual Meeting

AutoInformed.com on Penske

It’s unlike Penske to exclude the press?

Penske Automotive Group (NYSE:PAG) today announced its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders due to the continued public health concerns regarding COVID-19, including the restrictions on in-person gatherings in Michigan, that the 2020 Annual Meeting will be conducted by remote communication.

As previously announced, the 2020 Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 13 May 2020 at 8:00 a.m., EDT. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person; however, stockholders will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on 17 March 2020 are entitled to vote at or attend the Annual Meeting. Penske Automotive  confirm that this means no media access. How this doesn’t violation SEC regulation FD is unclear.
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Global Unions Want COVID-19 Dubbed Occupational Disease

AutoInformed.com on COVID-19 as Occupational DiseaseWith a third of the population around the world currently living under various forms of lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, millions of workers, including those in health and social care, emergency services, agriculture, food and retail, transport, education, infrastructure and construction work and other public services, continue to work hard to keep society functioning.

The global union movement says workers need official recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease. Such recognition would ensure the right to worker representation and occupational safety and health (OSH) rights and the application of agreed measures to reduce risk. These rights include the right to refuse to work under unsafe working conditions. This also ensures employers are responsible and liable and that negligent employers are subject to the application of penalties.
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BMW Welt in Munich to Reopen on 4 May

AutoInformed.com on COVID Closings

If you open it, will they come?

BMW says that since the Bavarian State Government has now eased its regulations and measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus that BMW Welt will be reopening its vehicle collection service, sales rooms and showrooms from May 4.

Customers can therefore again take delivery of their new BMW in person at BMW Welt. In addition, a limited number of visitors can get personal advice on new vehicles in the BMW Welt showrooms or visit the BMW Welt Lifestyle & Accessory Shop to purchase from a wide range of BMW and MINI branded products.
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Porsche Production to restart in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig

Porsche Resumes Production in Germany 4 May 2020 - AutoInformed.com

The question is Demand, not Supply at this point.

On Monday 4 May, Porsche is restarting production on a site- and task-specific basis. All the required measures have been taken in advance to guarantee the safety for employees and so that production can be increased in stages up to full capacity.

Porsche initially stopped production in its two factories on 21 March 2020 for a period of two weeks. Due to bottlenecks in global supply chains, the factories have remained closed for a total of six weeks because orderly production was not possible.
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Daimler Q1 2020 Net Profit Down -92% at €168m from €2149  

AutoInformed.com on Daimler Earnings Drop

The effects of the pandemic and the decrease in sales led to a significant earnings drop.

Daimler AG (ticker symbol: DAI) today reported its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. Group net profit was €168 million (Q1 2019: €2,149 million). Total unit sales decreased by -17% to 644,300 passenger cars and commercial vehicles (Q1 2019: 773,800) due to the global spread of the corona virus. Revenue slipped slightly by 6% to €37.2 billion (Q1 2019: €39.7 billion). First-quarter EBIT was €617 million (Q1 2019: €2,798 million). Adjusted EBIT, reflecting the underlying business, was €719 million (Q1 2019: €2,310 million). AutoInformed: Daimler Confirms 2020 Group Sales and Revenue Will Decline 
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Ford Motor Posts -$2 Billion Q1 Loss

AutoInformed.com on Ford Motor Q1 2020 Financial Results

Click to Enlarge.

While Ford shut down its plants around the globe in March, cash use has remained high because production supplier payables are about 45 days. The company’s cash outflow – it is claimed – will be substantially lower after early May as Ford pays down those payables. (UAW Pressure: Ford Further Postpones NA Production Restart, Ford Motor Maxes Out Lines of Credit) Continue reading

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