Tag Archives: magna

Trump Tariff Pandemic is Crisis for the U.S. Auto Industry

Swamy Kotagiri the Chief Executive Officer of MAGNA spoke to the Automotive Press Association this week in Michigan about the complexities of the global automobile industry. He spoke as global volumes are relatively flat and volumes in North America and Europe are down. Now programs are being canceled after the investments are made. Volumes are being reduced after the capacity is installed.

“There is increased spending over a smaller number of units. This is sub-optimal for returns. And what does our industry look for? Scale and we need stability to be efficient through the value chain, given how the industry works to be efficient,” said Kotagiri, whose next big event is the Shanghai Motor Show at the end of the month to be held in the midst of the ongoing Trump versus the world trade wars. Last year MAGNA did ~$5.5 billion in sales in China, growing 15%. Continue reading

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Autonomous Driving Systems – Magna and NVIDIA

“Combining NVIDIA accelerated compute and AI capabilities with Magna’s extensive automotive expertise and innovation, we aim to explore new standards for next-generation software-defined vehicle intelligence and autonomy,” said Steven Jenkins, Vice President of Technology Strategy at Magna Electronics. “Our collaboration allows us to develop market applications for AI-powered solutions that could redefine the driving experience and address the evolving demands of the automotive industry.” Continue reading

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Continental, Magna Drive Two Autonomous Cars to CAR Conference

The automated driving vehicles crossed into Windsor, Ontario before going north to Sarnia, Ontario and returning into Michigan. The first cross-border demonstration (hands free publicity stunt?) of its kind, allowed the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to test automated driving technology in a variety of settings. Continue reading

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Magna to Make BMW 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid

BMW’s new 530e plug-in hybrid will be produced at Magna’s contract manufacturing plant in Graz, Austria, starting in summer 2017. Continue reading

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Toyota Promotes an American Executive to key Job in Nagoya Headquarters

A significant move is promoting Mark S. Templin, from group vice president and general manager – Lexus Division in the U.S. to managing officer and executive vice president of Lexus International, where he will lead Lexus global operations from Toyota City, Japan. Templin is the first non-Japanese executive to oversee a Toyota division within the company’s global headquarters in Japan. Continue reading

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Magna International Loses Bid for New Infiniti Compact Car

Magna International said today that Nissan Motor will make a new premium compact Infiniti car itself rather than use a Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria in 2014. The Infiniti deal, first announced last May, would have represented the first Japanese car ever assembled by the giant Canadian-based auto components company whose largest operations are in Europe. Continue reading

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Magna Board Says Bye-Bye Belinda Stronach. Unexpected Result of Deal that Ceded Control of the Auto Parts Giant

Magna International Inc. (TSX: MG; NYSE: MGA) announced late yesterday that Belinda Stronach,  daughter of Magna founder Frank Stronach, will be “resigning” from her role as Executive Vice-Chair and member of the Board of Directors, effective 31 December 2010. “The … Continue reading

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