Plants, jobs, sales figures, regulation and the executives behind them. The business of building cars.
Page 6 of 10
Volkswagen is under pressure from IG Metall to establish a works council at its Chattanooga plant, but faces legal and political obstacles to union representation in the US.
BMW commits £750 million to UK MINI production, increasing local supplier content and introducing new engines at Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall sites.
VW de Mexico will invest $118 million to expand its Guanajuato engine factory, enabling production of advanced EA888 engines and creating 150 new jobs by 2016.
The Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor has secured $1.5 million in federal funding to advance the use of agricultural materials in automotive manufacturing, with benefits expected across 22 Michigan counties.
Ford plans to boost exports of North American vehicles to China, including the Lincoln range, aiming for 40,000 units a year as Chinese demand for performance and SUV models rises.
Volkswagen’s global works council chairman Bernd Osterloh has publicly supported the UAW’s efforts to represent workers at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee factory, intensifying debate over unionisation at foreign-owned US plants.
A new vehicle warranty law in China, effective from 1 October 2013, increases consumer protection and is expected to raise costs for smaller domestic manufacturers.
Hundreds of NHTSA staff risk furlough as the agency warns it will halt defect probes, recall notifications and safety research if Congress fails to approve funding.
Ferrari will increase its technology investment to €2 billion through 2017, focusing on high-performance, fuel-efficient engines to meet emissions targets and support new models.
German supercar firm Gumpert has officially closed after a failed investment left the company unable to recover from insolvency, ending nearly a decade of Apollo production.
Elon Musk says Tesla is planning factories in Europe and Asia to support future mass-market electric car production as Model S demand outpaces current capacity.
Volkswagen is preparing to invest in a new assembly facility in Indonesia, with plans potentially tied to the country’s green car incentives and eco-friendly vehicle production.
A consortium led by Hamburg lawyer Ingo Voigt has tabled a $25 million bid to acquire the insolvent US plug-in car maker Fisker, aiming to restart Karma production in America.
More than 2,150 workers walked out at BMW’s Rosslyn plant near Pretoria, stopping 3 Series output and disrupting export schedules to key global markets.
Infiniti has named Vincent Gillet as its new Vice President of Marketing, with the experienced brand executive set to take up the Hong Kong-based role in September 2013.
GM plans to triple Cadillac sales in China by 2015 by expanding into tier-two and tier-three cities, increasing local production, and adding new dealerships.
Nissan, Honda and other Japanese manufacturers are shifting more sourcing to Chinese suppliers to lower costs and compete with domestic rivals in China’s booming entry-level car market.
Ongoing industrial action at Hyundai’s South Korean plants has led to a production shortfall of 41,000 vehicles and losses exceeding $730 million.
Daimler has sold its remaining 7.5% stake in EADS for €2.2 billion, closing a decade-long investment in the Airbus parent to focus on its core automotive business.
After weeks of industrial action and threatened production moves, Dacia and its Mioveni plant workforce have agreed a pay deal including a 6% salary increase and a higher bonus.
French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroën will begin assembling four models in Kazakhstan from June 2013, partnering with Agromash Holding and targeting up to 10,000 units annually.
Porsche plans to increase its workforce by 3,000 by 2018 as part of its drive to reach 200,000 annual sales, with new roles focused on its core German sites.
Alfred Rieck has resigned as Opel's sales chief after less than a year, with Vauxhall's Duncan Aldred taking over the role on an interim basis.
General Motors will establish its third US IT innovation centre near Atlanta, hiring around 1,000 specialists as part of a major in-sourcing and technology transformation plan.