Tensions rise in Germany as Volkswagen faces potential strikes amid tough union negotiations over plant closures and layoffs. The ripple effect impacts suppliers like Bosch and Webasto, with Mercedes-Benz also planning major cost cuts. Swedish EV battery startup Northvolt files for bankruptcy, highlighting challenges in battery production. In North America, Ram reconsiders Mexico production plans due to potential tariffs. Hyundai delays its Amazon car-buying platform after a cyberattack. Innovations in battery technology from the University of Waterloo promise faster charging and longer life. VW delays hybrid offerings in the US, while Jeep plans new hybrids. Kia debuts refreshed and sportier EV models at the LA Auto Show, and Volvo prepares a China-exclusive plug-in hybrid based on Lincoln technology.
Topics:volkswagen labor negotiationsgerman auto industry layoffsnorthvolt bankruptcyram mexico production planshyundai amazon car sales delaybattery technology innovationvw hybrid plansjeep hybrid introductionkia ev model updatesvolvo china plug-in hybrid
- Volkswagen Strike Becoming More Likely - Bosch To Ax 5,500 Jobs in Germany - Webasto Selling Off Assets - Mercedes Plans Billions in Cost Cuts - Northvolt Files for Bankruptcy - Ram Reconsiders Mexico Expansion - Cyberattack Delayed Hyundai and Amazon Partnership - Researchers Develop Fast Charging Battery - VW Hybrids in U.S. Still Years Away - Jeep Will Launch New Hybrid Next Year - Kia LA Auto Show Reveals - Volvo Plans PHEV Exclusively for China
"...what it calls virtual gear Shift. Inspired by the Hyundai IONIK five N. It simulates gearshifts with visuals, eng..."
Select text to request an explanation
Speaker 1: This Saudolne Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. We don't like seeing what's going on
in the European auto industry right now, as the disruptive changes that we've been warning about here for years are really starting to hit home. And we hate to say it,
but this is just the beginning. Let's start with Volkswagen,
where the situation in Germany with its union IGMTTAL is getting to be pretty tense. The latest round of negotiations
ended with both sides far apart on how to cut costs up till now. Workers were prohibited by their labor
contract to go on strike, but that only holds until November thirtieth, and after that ig MATTAL will likely start staging walkouts to pressure Volkswagen at the negotiating table. But
as we said, both sides are far apart. VW wants
to close plants and layoff workers, while the union is offering to forego any future pay raises. They start negotiating
again on December ninth, but we think we're going to see strikes and mass protests before this gets resolved, and VW's problems are rippling throughout the German auto industry. Bosch
announced it will get rid of fifty five hundred employees by the end of twenty twenty seven. Those people work
on eight ass EV motors and steering at different plants around the country, and Ig Mattal promises it's going to fight those plant closings too, and Wobasto, the German supplier that makes sunroofs, convertible tops and heating equipment, says it has to restructure its debt. It's selling off assets like
its EV charging stations, and it hired Ross's Child and Company, a private equity firm that handles mergers and acquisitions, and last Mercedes Ben says it needs to cut costs by billions of euros a year, though it didn't say how or when it will do that, but it sure sounds like layoffs and plant closings could be part of the plan.
Now over to Sweden, where North Volt filed for bankruptcy.
The ev battery startup raised over ten billion dollars in funding from Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo and private equity, but it's run out of money. It only has enough cash on
hand to run for a week, and it has over five billion dollars in debt. North Volt CEO Peter Carlson
stepped down and says the company needs over a billion dollars right now just to keep its operations going. Interestingly,
Northfolk filed for Chapter eleven bankruptcy in the US because it has some operations in California, and US bankruptcy laws are considered to be easier for companies that are trying to restructure their debts. Launching a battery plant is really
hard to do, and we think there's a good chance that someone could pick up the company for pennies on the dollar. In North America, Delantis says it's reconsidering moving
production to Mexico and other low cost countries, and it's all because of Trump's threats to increase tariffs on imported vehicles.
Last month, RAM announced plans to move some production from the US to Mexico, where it also builds heavy duty trucks.
But Chris Fuel, the CEO of RAM, now says the company is looking into alternatives for its planned and supplier networks if the Trump administration imposes tariffs on imports that disrupt its supply chains, but no decisions have been made yet.
Last year, Hundai formed a partnership with Amazon to allow car buyers in the US to shop for and buy its vehicles on Amazon's website. It was supposed to kick
off this year, but Jose Munoz, the current head of Hondai North America but soon to become the CEO of the entire Hondai Motor Group, says that the launch of the platform was delay because of that cyber attack on cdk's dealer management system this summer. More than half of
Hundi's dealers were disrupted by the attack, which forced it to delay the online buying platform, but Munno says it will be ready to launch in January. The platform allows
buyers to search for vehicles, pick the model, trim, color, and features they want, and choose payment in finance options through Amazon's checkout.
Speaker 2: Developing today's vehicles issues can happen in an instant. What
good is knowing your problems without the data to solve them.
Meet Wireless Neovi Cloud your secure off the shelf solution, empowering real time collaboration for quick resolution. With Wireless Neova Cloud,
your team can prevent issues before they can esc l driver communication data and remote diagnostics to analyze and resolve your problems using OTA, allowing your executives to oversight throughout the process, Wireless nearby cloud, your vehicle update solution in production and on the road intrepid control systems driven by your data.
Speaker 1: The University of Waterloo in Canada revealed a new way of making battery anodes that could significantly reduce charging time while also increasing lifespan. Anodes are typically made from graphite
and other additives and binders, but those additives and binders can block the electrical pathway, So the University of Waterloo developed graphite binders that have electron ion and heat transfer parties which freeze up those pathways. It showed that it
could charge a battery from zero to eighty percent in fifteen minutes while still retaining eighty percent of its original capacity after eight hundred fast charging cycles. The best part
is there's no exotic materials being used, and battery makers wouldn't have to make any changes to existing production lines.
But they've only made prototypes to gauge interest and are still working on how to produce them at scale. Yesterday,
Volkswagen revealed the all new tig One and we were surprised it won't have a hybrid option in the US at launch, since hybrid sales are going really strong, and while VW does have a plan to offer one, it's going to be a few years away. VW's head of
sales in the US said that a hybrid for the tig One will quote becoming mid cycle sometime. It still
hasn't decided if it will be a regular hybrid or a plug in, but both options are on the table.
VW also said the next Atlas will have some form of hybridization, but it's not set for a redesign until twenty twenty six so if you were hoping for a VW hybrid, you're gonna have to wait a while. And
VW hasn't sold a hybrid in the US since it dropped the Jetta hybrid in twenty sixteen, and while VW is dragging its feet with hybrids, JEEP CEO Antonio Fellosa says it will be adding a hybrid to its lineup next year in the US. It will be a regular
hybrid and not a plug in, and will be a replacement for the Cherokee, which was discontinued last year. Felosa
also said Jeep could add a pure electric version of the model in the future if it sees strong demand for one. The LA Auto Show kicked off today and
Kia has a trio of new models on display. It
refreshed its top selling and longest running nameplate in the US, the Sportage. It's highlighted a fresh design on the outside
and a standard curve screen on the inside, which can be augmented by an available head up display. The model
is still offered with an IC hybrid and plugin hybrid setup, but the electrified versions do see a slight bump and power.
Next step, Kia introduced a sportier GT version of the EV nine. At its heart is a dual motor all
wheel drive system that produces an estimated five hundred horse power, which has Kia targeting a zero to sixty time of four point three seconds. The model also boasts its own
unique styling features, upgraded breaks, a standard NAXT charging port, and what it calls virtual gear Shift. Inspired by the
Hyundai IONIK five N. It simulates gearshifts with visuals, engine
sound effects, and other adjustments to the motors. That same
feature will also be available on the new EV six, which is also getting a refresh for the twenty twenty five model year. It doesn't have major styling changes, but
the biggest tweaks are to the front Facia Kia tweak battery sizes as well to a slightly larger sixty three and eighty four kilowat hours, and it gave the EV six its latest operating system, which is faster and has expanded standard OTA capabilities. The refresh twenty twenty five model,
excluding the GT version, will be built at the Hondai Group's new plant in Georgia, where it joins the EV nine as well as the Hondai YAYANIK five and nine.
And speaking of new models, Carnws China reports that Volvo is going to launch a new plug in hybrid exclusively for the Chinese market. Interestingly, it says the vehicle will
be based on a Lincoln Co model, which is also owned by Gili. Lincoln Co sales have not been good
in China, and Zekeer, another GLI brand, just took a controlling stake in Lincoln Co and buying out a thirty percent share from Volvo. So even though it looks like
Lincoln Co is going away, its technology will probably continue to spread throughout the Gili group. But that brings us
to the end of today's show. Thanks for making autoline
a part of your day and I hope that you have a great weekend.
Speaker 3: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by Bridgetone Solutions for your journey, Intrepid Control Systems, over the air engineering boost your game, and by Tajent Automotive Technologies the formula for better mobility. Making the life full of memories, one
road trip at a time. That's what really matters.
Speaker 2: Bridgetone weather Peak Tires with.
Speaker 3: A seventy thousand mile women at warranty. There's nothing wrong
with heavy metal. Hey light enough, but with world class
composite material Taging Automotive Technologies makes vehicles lighter, safer, and more eco friendly. Wards is the industry leader for news,
data and analysis. That's why companies across the globe subscribe
to our premium service. Maybe even your own log in
for subscriber access. Now check your company's intranet for details
and rely on Wardzauto dot com to keep you informed.
Request an explanation for:
4 cars
4 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
