Tag: GM

GM President Dan Ammann taking over as CEO of Cruise autonomous unit

Elijah Nouvelage | Reuters
A woman gets in a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV car during a media event by Cruise, GM’s autonomous car unit, in San Francisco, California, November 28, 2017.

General Motors President Dan Ammann is taking over as CEO of the automaker's Cruise autonomous vehicle unit, the company said Thursday.

Current CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt will become chief technology officer and president. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2019, the company said.

“These appointments further demonstrate our commitment to transforming mobility through the safe deployment of self-driving technology and move us closer to our vision for a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “As we move toward commercial deployment, adding Dan to the strong team led by Kyle is the next step.”

GM's shares were slightly down in intraday trading.

Now that Ammann will head Cruise, GM's international businesses and its financial wing will report directly to Barra, GM said.

GM's autonomous unit is currently valued at $14.6 billion, GM said. The business received an investment from Japanese conglomerateSoftbank in May. In October, the company announced a partnership with Japanese automaker Honda to build an autonomous vehicle.

Ammann is credited with leading GM's acquisition of the San Francisco-based autonomous vehicle technology company in 2016.

Cruise Automation taps GM president Dan Ammann as its new CEO

Cruise Automation, the self-driving car subsidiary of GM, is getting a new CEO. The autonomous vehicle company, which was acquired by GM in 2016 and became subsidiary GM Cruise, has tapped Dan Ammann as CEO. Ammann (shown on the right in the photo above) will step down as GM’s president, a role he’s held since… Continue reading Cruise Automation taps GM president Dan Ammann as its new CEO

Lyft Becomes America’s Largest Bikeshare Service

Today, we’re excited to share that we are completing the acquisition of America’s largest bikeshare service, Motivate. Headquartered in New York City, the company is responsible for the growth of the country’s most ridden bikeshare systems, including: Citi Bike (New York), Ford GoBike (San Francisco Bay area), Divvy (Chicago), Bluebikes (Boston Metro area), Capital Bikeshare… Continue reading Lyft Becomes America’s Largest Bikeshare Service

Fiat Chrysler to spend $5.7B to revamp Italy car plants

Fiat Chrysler to spend $5.7B to revamp Italy car plantsFiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will spend 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) through 2022 on the carmaker’s factories in Italy, stepping up the pace on making more in-demand sport utility vehicles and electric cars, people familiar with the plans said.
The increased outlay will finance Fiat’s plan to build a compact Alfa Romeo SUV at the Pomigliano plant, hometown of Italy Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio, and a battery-powered Fiat 500 in Turin’s Mirafiori factory, the people said, declining to be named because the information isn’t public. The manufacturer’s Italian sites for years have struggled to run at full capacity, raising costs.
In addition, a second model under the Jeep brand will be manufactured in southern Italy to tap into burgeoning demand for SUVs. The investment will allocate more than 11 percent of Fiat’s average 8.7 billion-euro global expenditure through 2022 on product overhauls and electric cars to Italy.
A spokesman for Fiat declined to comment.
The Italian-American carmaker’s plans for Italy, set to be officially announced later Thursday, comes as the company grapples with an increasingly lopsided business that saw North America account for some 97 percent of profit during the third quarter. Earlier this week, General Motors Co. said it’s shuttering seven factories globally and shedding more than 14,000 jobs to cut unprofitable models and juggle unprecedented spending on new technologies with an uncertain payoff.
Fiat will keep all Italian factories open, the people said earlier. A third pillar of Fiat’s plan adds the compact Jeep Compass SUV to be made alongside the Renegade and the Fiat 500X in Melfi, southern Italy, they said. Deliveries for the brand surged 61 percent in the year through October in Europe, contrasting with a decline of 2 percent for the group.
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Top Automotive Industry News for Week of October 29 – November 4, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week October 29, 2018 -November 4, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Every Mid-Size Luxury Crossover and SUV Ranked from Worst to Best

(Car and Driver)

Faraday Future's Rough Road: Funds Sought As Cofounders Depart, Workers
Furloughed

(Forbes)

Ford could provide a 40% return in the year ahead as restructuring
takes hold, Goldman says

(CNBC)

GM memo: We must cut costs, can't wait to see what happens in industry

(Detroit Free Press)

GM Throws Weight Behind Nationwide Electric-Car Quota

(Cars.com)

GM to offer buyout to some workers in cost-cutting move: DJ

(CNBC)

Jaguar Land Rover undergoes $3.2 billion turnaround plan as sales slump

(autoblog)

Tesla electric vehicles will park themselves in 2019, Elon Musk says

(USA Today)

Tesla’s third-largest shareholder says it’s willing to pump more money
into the company

(CNBC)

The brutal and extreme tests Ram, Ford, Chevy run on trucks

(Detroit Free Press)

US regulators subpoenaed Tesla Model 3 production forecasts, data

(USA Today)

Volvo and Baidu join forces to mass produce self-driving electric cars
in China

(CNBC)

-Automotive Evolution News-

Cadillac cancels its car subscription program after just two years

(autoblog)

Ford, Volkswagen explore driverless venture to challenge Tesla, Waymo

(MarketWatch)

GM is making e-bikes as it expands beyond cars

(autoblog)

Hyundai, Kia Motors to develop new solar charging tech for vehicles

(Reuters)

Uber details why its driverless SUV killed a pedestrian and how it's
working to fix safety problems

(LA Times)

Uber says it's ready to start testing self-driving cars again

(Mashable)

VW and Intel's Mobileye Will Launch Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service In
Israel Next Year

(Forbes)

Waymo Gets California's Okay For Human-Free Driving Tests As Robo-Car
Skepticism Rises

(Forbes)

-Automotive Retail News-

5 hottest-selling U.S. vehicles in October: Tesla, Toyota, Subaru make
the list

(USA Today)

FCA, Honda and VW Lead October Auto Sales

(The Detroit Bureau)

GM Financial: More Loans, Fewer Leases in Q3

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Luxury car owners trade up for American pickups as Ford, GM and Dodge
trucks dominate market

(CNBC)

New Vehicle Prices Continue to Rise in Fourth Quarter

(The Detroit Bureau)

Rising interest rates and prices hurt October auto sales, with SUVs
still faring better than cars

(USA Today)

Rising interest rates pinch U.S. auto sales, consumer confidence

(Reuters)

Vehicle sales reached 11-month high in October

(MarketWatch)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

Car Depreciation Reaches 10-Month High

(Vehicle Remarketing)

Lane watch: Wintry chill hits wholesale prices

(Auto Remarketing)

-Automotive Ownership News-

A Comfortable Place to Spend 38,000 Hours Behind the Wheel

(The New York Times)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

140-car collection headed to Mecum’s Las Vegas auction

(ClassicCars)

Here are the most Googled car brands of 2018

(autoblog)

-Automotive Servicing News-

AAA offers free Lyft rides to and from repair shops

(autoblog)

New car safety technology saves lives — but can double the cost of
repairs

(NBC)

Stalling prompts recall of 2019 Jeep Cherokees with 2.4-liter engines

(Detroit Free Press)

Subaru, Toyota recall 165,000 U.S. cars with defect that could lead to
engine stalling

(USA Today)

-General Business & Executive News-

Broadcom makes $1 billion patent claim against Volkswagen: Der Spiegel

(Reuters)

New Autotrader Experience Helps Car Shoppers Accelerate Their Deal, Buy
Faster From The Palm of Their Hands

(PR Newswire)

U.S. Auto Industry's October Surprise

(Forbes)

With $50M investment, AutoNation obtains 7% stake in Vroom

(Auto Remarketing)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

Contact Us Page >>

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

Member Services

memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

The trade unions on the FCA plan: “We believe in full employment, even in Mirafiori”

“We were looking forward to this meeting and we received a detail on the 2019-2021 plan and we had confirmation of a very important amount of investments as regards Italy”, is the first comment of the unions at the end of the meeting with the top management FCA and in particular for voice of Rocco… Continue reading The trade unions on the FCA plan: “We believe in full employment, even in Mirafiori”

Ford cuts shifts at factories in Kentucky and Michigan, but keeps jobs

Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images
An employee works on a Ford Expedition sports utility vehicle on the assembly line at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ford is cutting a shift at two of its plants, but the automaker is avoiding layoffs by moving workers to other facilities, the company said Wednesday.

The automaker is shifting about 500 workers from its Louisville Assembly plant to its Kentucky Truck Plant — both in Kentucky — to increase production of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which are both experiencing strong sales.

It will also move 500 jobs from its Flat Rock Assembly Plant to its Livonia Transmission plant, which makes transmissions for several vehicles, including its F-150 full-size pickup and the Ranger, a midsize pickup Ford is reintroducing after 8 years. Both plants are in Michigan.

Ford makes the Ford Escape and the Lincoln MKC, both compact crossover vehicles, at the Louisvile Assembly plant, and the Mustang sports car at Flat Rock.

Higher demand for pricey pickups and SUVs have helped automakers, particularly American ones, weather falling sales this year. Ford is especially strong in larger pickups and SUVs. Ford Expedition sales in October increased 36 percent from one year ago, while Lincoln Navigator rose more than 80 percent over the same month in 2017. At the same time, sales of the Escape fell 7 percent, the MKC 8.5 percent, and the Mustang 6 percent.

“Our collectively bargained contract provides for the placement of all members displaced by the shift reduction and, after working with Ford, we are confident that all impacted employees will have the opportunity to work at nearby facilities,” said United Auto Workers Union Vice President Rory Gamble.

General Motors came under fire this week after announcing it was winding down production at five plants in the U.S. and Canada and cutting 14,000 jobs. President Donald Trump was irate with GM, tweeting on Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” with the company and CEO Mary Barra for idling plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland.

“Nothing being closed in Mexico & China. The U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get,” Trump tweeted. He also threatened to cut all of the company's federal subsidies, following up on Wednesday with the announcement that the administration was studying all tariffs on cars imported to the U.S. because of the “G.M. event.”

WATCH: Ford is using bionic suits to help employees work safer

Ford is using bionic suits to help employees work safer
6:24 PM ET Fri, 20 April 2018 | 02:20

Ford to shuffle hourly workers to meet SUV demand

Ford to shuffle hourly workers to meet SUV demandEven as General Motors Co. is planning to idle four U.S. plants affecting 3,300 hourly jobs, rival Ford Motor Co. is moving to trim car production without idling a plant.
The automaker plans to move 500 hourly employees from its Flat Rock Assembly Plant where it builds cars to its Livonia plant to build transmissions for in-demand trucks and SUVs. Ford said Wednesday its Flat Rock plant, where it builds the Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental sedan, will go down to a one-shift schedule in the spring. That will displace 650 full-time hourly employees.
Five hundred of those people will be moved to Ford's Livonia Transmission. The remaining 150 will be offered jobs at other Ford plants, spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Wednesday. The automaker also will shift 500 people to its Kentucky Truck Plant to build full-size SUVs and trucks.
“We have been informed by Ford that due to sales, there will be scheduled work reductions at the Flat Rock, MI and Louisville, KY plants,” UAW Vice President Rory Gamble, head of the union's Ford department, said in a statement. “Our collectively bargained contract provides for the placement of all members displaced by the shift reduction and, after working with Ford, we are confident that all impacted employees will have the opportunity to work at nearby facilities. The UAW will be working with our members to ensure they have continuous work and help minimize, as much as possible, any hardship on members and their families.”
The news comes two days after crosstown-rival GM announced its on-going restructuring would idle three plants that make sedans, a transmission plant in Warren and one of two assembly plants in Oshawa, Ont. The Detroit automaker also plans to eliminate 8,000 salaried workers to reduce costs.
Ford is deep in a restructuring expected to cost the automaker $11 billion, including cuts to the global salaried workforce. According to an internal memo from UAW Local 3000 Chairman Larry Stewart, the UAW expects about 50 positions to open up at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant, where the automaker builds the F-150.
“Basically everybody who has a job will keep a job,” Felker said.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, in a statement said she was “deeply disturbed” that Ford is eliminating a shift in Flat Rock, but praised the automaker's move to retain jobs.
“Ford’s announcement today continues to be a warning about the strength of the auto industry in this country,” said Dingell. “We all must pay attention to what this means for workers, the industry, and the whole economy.”
The Livonia plant currently builds transmissions for Ford F-150s, Rangers, Navigators and other trucks and SUVs. The automaker is also shifting 500 jobs to its Kentucky Truck Plant from Louisville Assembly Plant in effort to increase Expedition and Lincoln Navigator production by 20 percent.
The Louisville plant, which builds Escape and the Lincoln MKC, will move to a two-shift schedule in the spring.
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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