Tensions escalate as Stellantis sues the UAW over strike threats related to layoffs and plant delays, while GM faces similar union disputes. Rivian cuts production forecasts due to parts shortages despite high inventory. Toyota considers ending pure internal combustion vehicles in the U.S. Mercedes unveils a new modular van platform with advanced tech. GM aims to upgrade its hands-free driving system to Level 3 autonomy. Fisker faces SEC investigation amid bankruptcy proceedings. Chinese EVs push ultra-fast charging tech, and Tesla expands its Supercharger network. Trade tensions rise with EU tariffs on Chinese EVs and Trump’s tariff threats on Mexican imports. The Battery Show in Detroit highlights EV innovations.
Topics:uaw labor disputesstellantis lawsuitrivian production cutstoyota electrification plansmercedes van platformgm hands free drivingfisker sec investigationev fast charging technologytrade tariffs on evsbattery show detroit
- Stellantis Sues UAW Over Strike Threats - UAW May Strike GM Pickup Plant - Rivian Slashes Production Forecast - Toyota May Drop Pure ICE Vehicles in U.S. - Mercedes Teases New Electric Vans - GM Working to Make Super Cruise an L3 System - Fisker Under SEC Investigation - Fortescue Develops Fast Charger for Mining Trucks - Tesla Expands Supercharger Network - VW CEO Wants Tariff Exemption for Chinese OEMs - Trump Threatens 200% Tariff on Mexico Car Imports
"...t charging capability and a twenty two kilowat AC charger. Mercedes says current tests involved getting all..."
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Speaker 1: This is Utoligned Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. The war of words between Stalantis
and the UAW is really ramping up. The union is
calling for a strike vote, accusing the company of renegging on promises that it made in last year's labor contract, saying that layoffs at its Warren Truck plant, its Sterling Heights truck plant, and Cocomo transmission plant violate the jobs commitment that it negotiated. The UAW also says the company
is delaying the opening of its Belvidere assembly plant for its part Stillantis says it has a side letter to the labor contract that the union agreed to that gives the company freedom to make changes based on market conditions.
Last month, Stalantis's sales in the US plummeted twenty percent, and it announced that it's cutting back on production to get rid of an excess of inventory that its dealers are carrying. To prevent the union from going on strike
at a parts plant in Los Angeles, Stillantis filed a lawsuit in US federal court, so now the next step is up to a federal judge. Meanwhile, General Motors is
also tangling with the UAW. The union is mad that
GM didn't convert two hundred and fifty part time employees into full time ones at its massive Fort Wayne assembly plant for full size pickups.
Speaker 2: When the union refused to.
Speaker 1: Allow those employees to continue as part time workers, GM laid them off. The company also moved some workers from
the first shift to the second and third shifts. The
UAW says that violates seniority rules, while GM says the union cannot legally strike over that, and so there's going to be more negotiating over what happens next. But we
wouldn't be surprised at all to see this end up in a federal courtroom as well. Rivian says it's running
into a serious parts shortage that is forcing it to lower its production forecast for the year. Last year, Rivian
produced over fifty seven thousand vehicles, but this year it.
Speaker 2: Expects to make eight to ten thousand less.
Speaker 1: And yet Rivian forecasts it will deliver more trucks and vans to customers this year. And you know what that means,
Rivian has a lot of inventory.
Speaker 2: Investors were unhappy with the news.
Speaker 1: Last week, Rivian stock dropped eight percent and it's down fifty percent for the year. Toyota is thinking about dropping
all of the IC only versions of its vehicles in the US. The company's chief scientist Gil Pratt told Bloomberg
that a decision is being made now about quote whether to stop making pure IC for the US market, and while he says he's not a part of that decision, he also added, just the.
Speaker 2: Fact that we're thinking of that means that, okay, it must be.
Speaker 1: Toyota's electrified vehicle sales in the US have taken off the last few years.
Speaker 2: In September, hybrids.
Speaker 1: P haves and beevs accounted for forty eight percent of its sales, up from less than twenty percent two years ago.
Mercedes is getting ready to launch in all new generation of vans. It says in twenty twenty six, all new
medium and large vans will be based on a new architecture called Van EA. It's modular, flexible, and scalable, and
is front wheel drive based, but has the option for all wheel drive with an additional motor on the rear axle, and it has a variable length centers that can house different sized battery packs. The lineup will expand to include
everything from quote family vans to exclusive VIP shuttles to luxurious and spacious limousines for customers with the highest demands.
They will also feature the latest operating system, eight hundred volt charging capability and a twenty two kilowat AC charger.
Mercedes says current tests involved getting all the components to interact properly with each other, which will be followed by cold weather testing in Sweden. GM is trying to ramp
up the capability of Supercrews, its hands free driving system.
Dave Richardson, the VP of Software and Services at GM, told tech Crunch quote, we're looking aggressively to make that an L three solution where you don't even have to look at the road anymore. Currently, Mercedes is the only
automaker that offers a Level three system outside to China, which I believe is limited to parts of Germany and California and Nevada in the US. But Richardson didn't say
when Super Crews will get Level three capability.
Speaker 2: Well. More bad news for Fisker.
Speaker 1: The ev startup is now under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The company filed for bankruptcy in
June after burning through cash trying to ramp up production of its Ocean SUV. Fisker is planning to ask a
bankruptcy judge this week to approve its liquidation plan. However,
the SEC objects to that plan and has sent multiple subpoenas to Fisker. Regulators are seeking details on how it
will maintain its corporate records after its settlement is approved, but so far the SEC says it hasn't received a response, so they say they may issue more subpoenas if necessary.
Chinese automakers are starting to come out with evs that have incredible charging capabilities, some that are able to fully charge in under ten minutes.
Speaker 2: That also requires.
Speaker 1: Incredible charging rates of eight hundred kilowatts or more, which is more than double some of the top fast chargers today. However,
mining company for Tescu laughs at those pitiful numbers. Ha
It says it's developed a six megawatt or six thousand kilowat DC fast charger that can recharge a massive one thousand, nine hundred kilowat hour battery pack that goes into one of those giant mining.
Speaker 2: Trucks in just thirty minutes.
Speaker 1: Those chargers will be used on its growing EV fleet for Tescu signed a two point eight billion dollar deal with heavy equipment maker leap Hair for four hundred and seventy five electric trucks, excavators and dozers, as well as to deploy an autonomous EVY haulage solution for mining. Speaking
of ev charging, Tesla says it opened two thousand, eight hundred superchargers stalls globally in the third quarter, which is down slightly from last year, but it was able to grow its overall network by twenty three percent and deliver twenty seven percent more energy or one point four terawatt hours or one point four billion kilowat hours. It says
that was enough to save more than one hundred and fifty million gallons of gas and offset over three billion pounds of CO two. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Bluma has been
very vocal about his opposition to the EU's new tariffs on Chinese made evs. He's concerned that China will retaliate
with its own tariffs that could hurt its sales and profits in the country. To help avoid a trade war,
Blooma says that Chinese automakers should be exempt from the terraffs if they invest in create jobs in Europe. Last week,
EU countries voted in favor of raising tariffs on Chinese made evs that go as high as forty five percent, but the EU says it's still trying to negotiate a deal with China to avoid those tariffs before they go to an effect next month. And speaking of tariffs, Republican
presidential candidate Donald Trump threatened to slap vehicles imported from Mexico with a two hundred percent tariff at a campaign rally over the weekend. Trump has threatened to boost tariffs
on imports from Mexico in the past, but the auto industry is against it because they say it will lead to higher vehicle costs. Last year, nearly three million vehicles
were imported from Mexico, with Detroit automakers accounting for about half of them.
Speaker 2: The Battery Show gets going in Detroit.
Speaker 1: This week, and it's the hottest automotive show in town, jam packed with exhibitors and attendees. Even though it's called
the Battery Show, it's not just about battery. It's about
anything to do with electric vehicles. And we'll be posting
videos about some of the things that we see there, So look out for those and that brings us to the end of today's show.
Speaker 2: Thanks for tuning in.
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