company’s management, but it had not been passed on to the workers. A top executive from one parts manufacturer also said, “It is a matter of life and death for suppliers that have been supporting (Nissan), and if Nissan wants to survive, it must seek survival with its suppliers. Such policies should be established and explained clearly.”  (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on May 20, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/20

ut for the Cortex 2.0 supercomputer cluster facility is rapid, according to local sources, and looks like activities could begin there next year. Besides FSD and robotaxis, Tesla’s Optimus program will likely require a substantial amount of computing power as well. Elon Musk has stated that Tesla should be able to build its first “legion” of Optimus robots this year, with production ramping next year.  (multiple sources on May 13, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/17

or ‘adequately conclusive and verifiable information’ is unclear, making it difficult to comply without investing significant resources to interpret these uncertainties. ACEA asked for more focused approach on the number of products rather than their weight. ACEA said that a risk-based approach should be introduced to focus on deforestation risks and streamline due diligence, allowing companies to conduct targeted risk analysis and better imp...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/15

thyssenkrupp Steel and IG Metall reach agreement in principle on future industrial concept thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG and the IG Metall union have reached an agreement in principle for the upcoming restructuring of the company. The further negotiating process should lead to a collective-bargaining agreement by summer 2025. The agreement builds on the industrial concept presented in November 2024 to make thyssenkrupp Steel independent, competiti...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/15

) and from 211 to 188 at the Puente San Miguel plant (Cantabrian). This revised proposal was submitted to the works councils on May 12, 2025. The company also announced plans to increase annual production at the Basauri plant by 100,000 tires, bringing total output to 800,000 units. Furthermore, if should the market recovers, the first 150,000 additional tires will be produced at this plant instead of Poland. For the Cantabria site, Bridgestone h...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/13

FIOM-CGIL union opposes Audi’s plan to sell Italdesign, citing job and industry impact in Italy On May 9, the FIOM-CGIL union announced that it opposes Audi's planned exit from Italdesign. In a statement, the union said that the company is a key part of Italy’s contribution to the VW Group and should be preserved and strengthened. The union will take all necessary steps to protect this important design and engineering center, including workin...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/12

a.  The Scout EREV models powered by the Harvester system will feature a smaller battery pack about 60-70 kWh, about half the size of the purely electric models. Scout promised a range of about 500 miles for the range-extended models, with about 150 miles of purely electric range. The BEV variants should provide about 350 miles of range.  Scout is building a USD 2 billion plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, with plans to start Terra and Travel...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/10

the other hand, the two countries specifically discussed matters such as bilateral trade expansion, non-tariff measures, and economic security collaboration. While Japan is considering lowering tariffs by product item and tariff termination, the U.S. has stated that reducing tariffs by product item should be excluded from negotiation. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on May 8, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/08

last year. Aston Martin remains focused on maximizing the value of each vehicle sold and building a strong order book, with retail sales likely to exceed wholesale deliveries this year. In Q2 2025, performance is expected to improve quarter-on-quarter, despite the tariff effects. Wholesale volumes should match last year’s levels, but fewer Special models will affect the overall mix. Production will also be temporarily reduced for about 3 weeks...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/07

he impact of tariffs is hard to predict, but BMW assumes some will be temporary and may ease from July 2025. The company plans to take steps to reduce the effects of higher tariffs. BMW expects slight growth in vehicle sales, with a bigger share from fully-electric models. Group earnings before tax should match last year’s level. The Automotive EBIT margin is forecast at 5–7%, with a return on capital employed (RoCE) between 9–13%. Based on...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/07

o less competitive, especially against lower-priced Asian products. Market conditions and cost structures are not expected to improve. The closure of the Lavradio site will be carried out in several phases. Production will be closed in June 2025. Final activities to complete the closure of the site should be fully implemented by the end of 2026. SGL Carbon will comply with existing contracts and obligations. Based on SGL Carbon press release...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/07

, although elevated financing costs and OBD2B-linked price adjustments posed isolated bottlenecks. Fada mentioned that in aggregate, these dynamics point to a cautiously optimistic outlook—demand will be choppy, but disciplined inventory management, targeted incentives, and easing borrowing costs should help the industry navigate the month. Based on the FADA India press release...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/05

he additional tariffs, Stellantis suspended shipments from Italy in April, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) also suspended shipments in April, and Audi took emergency measures such as keeping all vehicles arriving in the US in ports from April 2. The future trend of inventory volume, especially for imports, should be closely watched. U.S. new vehicle sales (April 2025) 2025Apr. 2024Apr. y-o-y 2025Jan.-Apr. 2024Jan.-Apr. y-o-y Passenger ...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/02

ncements to date, specifically to avoid a situation of stacking, where more than one tariff may seem to apply. Tariffs on finished automobiles, Proclamation 10908 of March 26, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States) stands on its own, and no other tariffs should be applied on automobiles. Further clarity on automotive parts may be given later by May 3. (Whitehouse.gov document on April 29, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/30

ays the system creates a heavy administrative burden and urgently needs simplification. In its CBAM simplification proposal, ACEA outlines six key points: Empowered Authorities: National authorities must be fully prepared before the rules take effect. De Minimis: small shipments with low emissions should be exempt from reporting. Default Values: ACEA supports using default emission values without restrictions. Group Reporting: companies operatin...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/29

Omoda and Jaecoo brands launch in Brazil The Chinese Chery Group’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands were officially launched in Brazil, debuting with two models, the Omoda E5 compact electric SUV and the Jaecoo 7 compact plug-in hybrid SUV. The vehicles will be initially imported, though manufacturing in Brazil should begin before 2028. The Omoda E5 is a compact SUV-coupe with dimensions similar to the Jeep Compass. It will be offered in two versions: a...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/17

production conditions amid challenging international trade dynamics driven by U.S. policies. Additionally, Stellantis is reassessing the future of one of its models, a vehicle with limited market demand, regardless of the tariff impact. The review focuses on whether the electric vehicle in question should continue production under the current conditions, reflecting broader concerns about market viability and the evolving trade environment. (Multi...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/09

l 3, 2025. The full impact is unclear, but it will likely slow global economic growth and affect jobs. The German auto industry, with over 2,000 U.S. locations and 138,000 employees, is deeply interwoven with the U.S. supply chain. EU must respond strongly while keeping negotiation options open. It should speed up free trade agreements and establish itself as a reliable trade partner. European leaders, including Germany’s new government, need t...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/04

ed by the two cross-cutting themes of "People focus" and "Sustainability". It is aiming to increase Group sales organically to more than EUR 2,500 million by 2030 (2024: EUR 1,877 million) and expects an additional sales contribution of at least EUR 500 million from acquisitions so that Group sales should total more than EUR 3,000 million in 2030. The topic of "sustainability" is integrated at every stage of the value chain. It intends to grow mo...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/01

’s offer for U.S. Steel was originally blocked by the Biden administration on national security grounds. Trump had initially opposed any sale of U.S. Steel but at a press conference in February said he was open to Nippon making a strategic investment as he does not believe the Japanese steelmaker should be able to acquire the company. (multiple sources on March 27, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/03/29