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Day eighteen of the UAW strike, and tempers are starting to flare.
General Motors and Ford say that they are fed up with Sean Fayne's rhetoric and all the theatrics. GM CEO Mary barras slammed the UAW president. She said,
and I quote by their own admission, the UAW leadership's plan from the beginning has been to drag their membership into a long, unnecessary strike to further their own personal and political agendas. Barr was referring to elite UAW memo that
said the union strategy is to keep the automakers quote wounded for months and cause quote reoccurring reputations, damage, and operational chaos. She said the UAW strategy
is only going to help non union car companies and Ford CEO Jim Harley accused Shawn Fayne of holding up the contract because he wants workers at battery plants included in this contract, even though those plants haven't been built yet and none of the workers have been hired. Farley also hit back at Shawn Fayne's tactics and
Then the union ramped up the pressure on Friday by striking two more assembly plants, GM's Grand River plant in Lansing, Michigan, which makes the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave, and Forged Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes the Explorer in Lincoln Aviator. That put about seven thousand more workers on strike, bringing the
total to about roughly twenty five thousand. Labor experts are beginning to believe that
the strike could go on for months. One source told Auto Line that if
you include ratification of local contracts, not just the master agreement, that things may not get fully wrapped up until January. But the UAW did reach a
new labor agreement with Mac Trucks. Unlike the public bargaining that Sean Fayne is
doing with GM, Ford and Stellantis, none of the contract details with Mac have been released, and by averting a strike with the truckmaker, the union preserves its strike fund for its battle with the automakers. However, we knew
from the beginning that a lengthy strike was going to impact the smaller tiered suppliers the most. The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents more than a
thousand auto companies at many different tiers. Says that seventy five percent of its
members will be forced to lay off employees if the strike lasts for one month, so it sent a letter to the Biden administration urging it to offer support to keep smaller suppliers going. It's asking for loans with low interest rates and
possible loan forgiveness of amounts between five hundred thousand and ten million dollars for companies that generate less than two hundred million dollars of revenue. The funds would go
towards keeping suppliers afloat during the strike, helping them ramp back up once the strike ends, and transition to evis in the future. At Schiffler, we
pioneer Motion Electrifying mobility, manufacturing smarter, reducing CO two emissions, making energy production clean. Scheffler Pioneer's Motion to advance how the World moves. Tesla launched
an updated version of the Model Y in China, but it's not getting new exterior lighting and faces like the Model three at least yet. However, like
the new three, it comes with an updated wheel design, the same ambient lighting package, and new dashboard material. It also seems like the standard version
is getting a motor upgrade because it's time from zero to one hundred kilometers an hour, drop the full second to five point nine seconds, and the updated Y see some efficiency gains as well. Range of the standard version is up
slightly and the long range version can go twenty eight kilometers or about seventeen miles further than before. Despite the changes, Tesla is keeping starting prices the same,
which ranges from about thirty six thousand to forty eight thousand dollars in China.
Volkswagen officially wiped out plans to build a new EV plant in Germany.
It was supposed to be built around the middle of the decade at an all new site in Wolfsburg and produce electrics off its new SSP platform, which is being developed now. In Instead, VW will convert its main plant that's already
in Wolfsburg to make sspevs like the new Golf that's going to save VW billions of euros. In fact, VW is prepping its entire German based production network
to be as efficient as possible, with some sites making both electric and ice vehicles, as well as vehicles from other VW brands that were never built there.
Before. In twenty twenty six, it will start making a new electric
a segment SUV that it says it will make an high volume at its Wolfsburg plant, and as for its software to find vehicle with Level four AV capabilities called Trinity project, it will update its Wickout plant, which is also in Germany, to make those vehicles. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobbying
group that represents the auto industry, is blasting nitz as cafe or Corporate Average Fuel Economy proposal. The group says it quote exceeds maximum feasibility and that automakers
will pay fourteen billion dollars in fines between twenty twenty seven and twenty thirty two for being unable to comply with the standards. The alliance also claims that the
rules will add three thousand dollars to the cost of a new vehicle on average, and says that will hurt car sales. Nitze responded by saying automakers can
just introduce more electric vehicles to comply and avoid penalties. The Teamsters Union is
urging NITZA to deny a petition from General Motors to exempt its Cruis origin Autonomys shuttle from vehicle safety standards. The president of the union says the self driving
vehicle is quote dangerous for other motorists, for pedestrians, and for middle class jobs. Cruz says that most of the public comments responding to the petition have
been positive and that the company will work with Nitzete ensure the safe and responsible deployment of the technology. Cruis is seeking to deploy up to twenty five hundred
autonomous vehicles annually with no steering, wheel mirrors, turn signals, or windshield wipers. Speaking of autonomy, Mercedes Benz is launching its Level three hands free
driving system in the US, the first automaker to do so. The technology,
called drive Pilot, will first be available on a limited number of EQUS sedans later this year in California and Nevada, the only two states that have approved the system. Next year, the S class sedan will also get the
technology. The system will be offered through a subscription on the Mercedes me Connect
store and includes a twenty five hundred dollars activation fee. European countries are starting
to fight back against low priced evs from China that have flooded the market.
Italy is proposing new incentives for vehicle purchase is that factoring carbon emissions for manufacturing and transport, Chinese cars likely won't qualify for the incentives because most are built at plants that are coal powered and the vehicles are shipped by boat. France
also adopted a similar scheme last month, which Italy is using as a framework for its own proposal. That brings us to the end of today's show.
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About this episode
Tensions rise on day eighteen of the UAW strike as GM and Ford criticize union leader Shawn Fain's tactics, accusing him of prolonging the strike for political gain. The strike expands, impacting thousands more workers and threatening smaller auto suppliers, who seek government aid. Tesla updates its Model Y in China with performance and efficiency improvements but no major exterior changes. Volkswagen cancels plans for a new EV plant in Germany, opting to retrofit existing facilities. The auto industry pushes back against stricter fuel economy rules, while Mercedes-Benz launches Level 3 hands-free driving in select US states. European countries propose measures to limit low-cost Chinese EV imports.
- GM’s Mary Barra Slams Shawn Fain… - …So Does Ford’s Farley - UAW Expands Strike to Two More Plants - UAW Reaches Agreement with Mack Truck - Auto Suppliers Beg for Strike Relief - Tesla Updates Model Y in China - No New EV Plant for VW In Wolfsburg - Auto Alliance Says CAFE Rules Not Feasible - Teamsters Oppose GM Cruise AV Exemption - Mercedes Launches L3 Drive Pilot in U.S. - Italy Wants to Block Chinese EV Imports
