United Auto Workers chief, prosecutor to discuss reforming union
United Auto Workers represents about 150,000 workers employed by Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, but it also includes casino workers, university graduate assistants and others.
Auto Industry
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Car dealers hungry for inventory after factory shutdowns leave lots depleted
Automakers essentially halted production for eight weeks—from mid-March through mid-May—as the pandemic wreaked havoc on supply chains and sparked concern for autoworker safety.
Despite pandemic, Indiana’s RV industry sees demand surge
The coronavirus pandemic has made many consumers cautious of air travel, cruise ships and hotels, and they now see RVs as a safer mode of travel and better vacation alternative.
Fuel pump problem forces Subaru to recall more than 200K vehicles
The recall covers certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles built from June 26, 2018, through Feb. 25, 2019.
State working with 15 companies to acquire more personal protective equipment
Luke Bosso, chief of staff for the Indiana Economic Development Corp., said during Monday’s media briefing that the state has purchased 1.9 million pieces of PPE so far.
Fear of impending car-price collapse grips auto industry
The auto industry—already fretting lengthy factory shutdowns and depressed new-vehicle demand—is starting to sound the alarm about a potential used-car price collapse that could have far-reaching consequences.
Winnebago plans to begin reopening Indiana RV plants in May
Winnebago and other RV manufacturers temporarily idled their manufacturing plants last month after stay-at-home orders were issued in Indiana and other states where RVs are produced.
Trump administration rolls back future mileage standards for vehicles
The Trump administration says the looser mileage standards will allow consumers to keep buying the less fuel-efficient but safer-to-drive SUVs that U.S. drivers have favored for years.
UPDATE: Trump seeks to force General Motors to produce ventilators
General Motors said it is scheduled to start shipping ventilators as soon as next month from an automotive electronics factory in Kokomo.
Greenfield auto parts plant lays off 336 employees in temporary closure
BWI Group—also known as BeijingWest Industries Co.—said the layoffs are necessary because Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered all non-essential businesses closed and because the Ford plants it supplies have shut down their production lines.
UPDATE: Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Toyota seek to restart factories
The plants would reopen in early or mid-April, restoring the largest source of cash for automakers that generally book revenue when they ship vehicles to dealerships.
KAR rethinks strategy for startup after it loses $125M in two years
Auto auction giant KAR Global’s bet on a phone app that facilitates dealer-to-dealer car sales has cost it a fortune over the past two years—so much so that KAR now is retooling its strategy for the fast-growing division.
GM planning 13 electric vehicles as it tries to run with Tesla
General Motors touted an exclusive new battery technology that could propel some of the vehicles as far as 400 miles on a single charge as it tries to capture electric vehicle enthusiasm.
Automakers in China gradually reopen after virus shutdown
Local officials have orders from the ruling Communist Party to get businesses functioning again while still enforcing anti-disease curbs that have shut down much of the world’s second-largest economy.
GM scrambles to shield U.S. plants from virus disruption
A United Auto Workers union member said the threat of parts shortages at GM facilities is growing, but the automaker doesn’t expect to have to pause production at plants in Indiana, Michigan and Texas, according to spokesman.
Buyers move to used vehicles as new autos hit record prices
Consumers bought an estimated 40.4 million used vehicles last year, likely passing the old record of 40.2 million set in 2018, according to figures from the Edmunds.com auto pricing site.
BorgWarner to buy rival auto parts supplier Delphi for $3.3B
BorgWarner Inc. stockholders are expected to own about 84% of the combined company, with Delphi Technologies shareholders owning approximately 16%
Toyota spends extra $700M, plans another 150 jobs to cap Indiana plant project
In total, the previously announced plant transformation represents an investment of $1.3 billion and will create 550 jobs, the company said Friday. Toyota overhauled the plant so it could begin producing the 2020 Highlander.
GM says 1,350 temp employees to get full-time jobs
The workers got a path to full-time status in contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers union and the company.
Takata’s new recall of 10M inflators could be last of air bag saga
Takata is recalling 10 million more front air bag inflators sold to 14 different automakers because they can explode with too much force and hurl shrapnel.