John Absmeier

General Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. could cooperate in areas from passenger and commercial vehicles to electric cars and raw materials. General Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. have agreed to explore partnerships across a range of areas, including vehicle development and production as well as electric and hydrogen powertrain technologies, in a move that underscores mounting pressure on the auto industry to cut costs and achieve massive scale. GM CEO Mary Barra and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chungsigned a memorandum of understanding to "immediately" assess areas for cooperation and possible binding agreements, the companies said in a brief joint news release issued Sept. 12. "Potential collaboration projects center on co-development and production of passenger and commercial vehicles, internal combustion engines and clean-energy, electric and hydrogen technologies," the companies said. "The two leading global OEMs also will review opportunities for combined sourcing in areas such as battery raw materials, steel and other areas." The goal is to improve efficiencies, boost competitiveness, share cost burdens and bring a wider range of products to market at a faster pace, the companies said. Other details were scant, including what kind of time frame the companies were working under. The joint announcement made no mention of investments or the possibility of a capital alliance. Nor did the companies specify markets of focus. Barra said collaboration has the potential to enable "disciplined capital allocation." Cost reduction and increased scale are key priorities, the companies said. "This partnership will enable Hyundai Motor and GM to evaluate opportunities to enhance competitiveness in key markets and vehicle segments, as well as drive cost efficiencies and provide stronger customer value through our combined expertise and innovative technologies," Chung said. The agreement is expected to concern Hyundai but not sibling brand Kia. Teaming the top U.S. and South Korean automakers has the potential to generate mammoth scale and to leverage a huge tool chest of advanced technologies. Their combined sales exceed 10 million vehicles annually, with GM's tally of 6.2 million in 2023 and Hyundai Motor's 4.2 million. 10-million club Scale in the double-digit millions lifts the duo into the realm of Japanese giant Toyota Motor Corp. and German juggernaut Volkswagen Group. Toyota sold 11.2 million vehicles in 2023, including its Hino and Daihatsu subsidiaries. VW Group sold 9.2 million. The gambit is a rare move for South Korea's flagship manufacturer, which long ago brought Kia under its umbrella but has little history of deep cooperation with overseas rivals. GM, by contrast, has dabbled in loose partnerships in the past, including with Italy's Fiat and Japan's Suzuki and Subaru. GM still has a technological tie-up with Honda Motor Co. in areas such as hydrogen fuel cell systems and autonomous driving.

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"Overall, Asian automakers led in reliability metrics by a wide margin in 2023, with an average score of 63 for the region. Seven of the 10 most reliable brands are from Asian automakers. Specifically, #Japanese vehicle-makers dominate the top of the rankings, making up six of the top 10 and four of the top five most reliable car brands." #japan #asia #car #reliability #automakers #vehicle #electricvehicles #auto

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The article discusses a dispute between Geely and BYD over the claim of having the world's most thermally efficient engine. This dispute arose after BYD announced its fifth generation DM (PHEV) technology, which raised questions about the three main claims and how they are measured. Geely is not happy with BYD's claim and has engaged in a spat over who actually has the most efficient engine. The article also mentions the launch of BYD's fifth generation DM technology and the unveiling of the first two cars to use it, the Qin L DM-i and the Seal 06 DM-i, at a press conference. Key information from the press conference includes BYD's claims of achieving the highest engine thermal efficiency, lowest fuel consumption, and longest comprehensive range. The article also touches on the specifications of the new PHEV system and the potential impact of the dispute on the companies involved. For more details, you can visit the link: https://lnkd.in/gGWpBmta

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1 week to go until I make my way to Novi, Michigan for the #AMM with Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA) I can’t wait to discuss the latest technology trends with the other members and see ways to further support the advancement of car connectivity and transition to SDVs. I’m also keen to see how me and SMART Engineering & Development can support the COVESA ecosystem, the projects and the members with our deep automotive product development knowledge and experience. Curious to see who will I have the pleasure to meet there? #automotive #development #SDV #softwaredevelopment

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U.S. sales also hit by an aging portfolio and a lack of hybrids. TOKYO – Nissan has a Rogue problem in the U.S. that is torpedoing global profits. A lackluster launch of the updated crossover, Nissan’s top-selling nameplate, forced the embattled Japanese automaker to hoist incentives on mounting inventories of the outgoing model. The result was soaring expenses that nearly erased parent company operating income. In announcing the dramatic profit plunge in Nissan’s fiscal first quarter, CEO Makoto Uchida blamed the downturn on U.S. operations and cut the company’s full-year financial outlook. “We were unable to boost volume as expected,” Uchida said at the company’s July 25 earnings announcement. “This has been a very challenging quarter for Nissan.” Nissan’s operating profit collapsed 99 percent to 995 million yen ($6.4 million) in the three months ended June 30. Net income tumbled 73 percent to 28.56 billion yen ($183.0 million). Worldwide sales essentially flatlined at 787,000 vehicles in the April-June quarter. Nissan’s North American volume declined 1.7 percent to 323,000 vehicles, on a 3.1 percent slide in U.S. deliveries to 237,000. Sales slid because of problems in model changeovers for the Rogue and Sentra small car as well as because of Nissan’s aging product portfolio and its lack of hybrids. “The results for the first quarter were due to the impact of the U.S. operations,” Uchida said. “We knew that optimization of inventories in the U.S. would pressure our profit.” Selling expenses To limit the decline and bolster demand, Nissan booked overall selling expenses and pricing adjustments of around 77.8 billion yen ($498.5 million), taking a huge bite out of operating income. Nissan cleared stocks of the 2023 Rogue as the company rolled out the freshened 2024 model of the popular nameplate. The model changeover, Uchida said, was further undermined by a sudden softening of overall U.S. market demand that required more spiffs. Nissan’s spending over the quarter came mostly in the form of consumer loan assistance, instead of cash on the hood, in an effort to buoy resale values, Uchida said. “The most important factor here is U.S. inventories,” he said. Nissan’s global inventory, including dealer and company stocks, has swelled since March 2022, when it stood at 250,000 vehicles. By the latest quarter, it had ballooned to 640,000 vehicles. Nissan plans to reel in inventories to manageable levels over the July-September quarter, partly by adjusting production, Uchida said. Upcoming updates of higher-margin, up-market nameplates, including the Murano crossover and Armada SUV, will help sell vehicles, he said. Nissan thinks it can bring down U.S. inventories 20 percent by the October-December quarter. In other regions, Nissan’s sales rose 7.6 percent to 79,000 in Europe in the quarter ended June 30. China saw a stabilization from last year’s sales slide, contributing a 3.3 percent volume increase to 167,000 vehicles.

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Automotive Safety Matters... This is what a 0-Star ASEAN NCAP rating looks like: https://lnkd.in/gATicR3d

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From being able to build EV to being a best-selling EV brand (Q1, Q2), there is much more work than most legacy automakers imagined. China's EV sector has never overplayed its consistent endeavors for the past 20+ years, and this is not a reason for its competitors to downplay, one way or another, its innovation, impact, and importance. Q1: "Audi and SAIC will develop models built on new architecture called the Advanced Digitized Platform, which 'enables Audi to significantly reduce time-to-market by more than 30%,' the Germany legacy marque said in a statement." Q2: "Audi has lagged far behind Tesla and other Chinese rivals in EV sales amid a protracted EV price war." https://lnkd.in/gtyg8gFM

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