Trade News

Unifor has picked General Motors Canada as its next bargaining target, a day after union members narrowly ratified a three-year collective agreement with Ford Motor Co. of Canada that set the pattern for this year’s auto talks.

The union secured double-digit wage gains, a path back to defined benefit pension plans and one-time bonuses of C$10,000 (about $7,400 USD) for full-time workers in a Sept. 19 tentative agreement with Ford that came following a last-minute company offer and a 24-hour strike deadline extension. Fifty-four percent of Unifor members voted to ratify the deal in two days of voting over the weekend, narrowly meeting the majority needed to approve the deal.

With members at Ford locked into a new collective agreement that won’t expire until Sept. 20, 2026, Unifor is turning its attention to GM.  

“We’ve got an incredibly strong pattern agreement at Ford that will serve us well over the coming years," Unifor President Lana Pay…

This document delves into "The Future of Automotive and Autonomous Controls." We start with an introduction and then explore key trends such as the evolution towards Multi-Domain Controllers, significant advances in vehicle processor computing power, and the growth in sensor performance and quantity. We also examine the implementation of 5G+IoT technology, the increasing demand for ADAS in connected cars, and critical aspects of information security. Furthermore, we delve into Micro-Control Units (MCUs) and SOC + MCU design structures, concluding with insights into the best applications for Autonomous Driving Control Units from customers.

Key Takeaways:

Exploring the Future of Automotive Controls for OEMS and Tier 1s Multi-Domain Controllers and Their Role in Commercial and Autonomous Vehicles Advancements in Vehicle Computing Power Inside the Brains of Vehicles: MCU and MCU + SOC Design Mastery Customer Case Studies- from Electric Commercial Vehicles to Autonomous Fle…

BERLIN - German automaker Mercedes-Benz has applied for tax breaks for potential projects at two of its U.S. plants under the Inflation Reduction Act, a company spokesperson said on Monday.

"We have decided to participate in the application process for production-related tax relief" under the IRA for the plants in Alabama and South Carolina, according to the spokesperson.

German daily Handelsblatt, citing several sources, reported that Mercedes is looking to expand its Alabama plant to produce the all-electric GLC from 2026 and wants to build fully electric delivery vans and medium-sized luxury transporters on the new VAN.EA electric platform at its plant in South Carolina.

A final decision is expected later this year or early next year, Handelsblatt reported. Mercedes did not want to comment on the production plan for the electric GLS.

The IRA is the U.S. government's key incentive and investment program to transition the economy to climate-fr…

Toyota has gone from being an environmental darling, lauded for pioneering hybrid technology, to a pariah among many conservationists. Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, defends the company’s commitment to hybrids. And we hear from environmental activists and former government officials who say the world’s largest auto company is dangerously dragging its feet.

The drama is building in this second week of the UAW strike against the Detroit Three, even as Unifor in Canada brings home its first ratification.

On one level, UAW President Shawn Fain adding General Motors and Stellantis parts depots to the three assembly plants on strike looks to be a cost-effective move. It broadens protest activities about 13-fold, providing local footage to dozens more media markets, while increasing the number of strikers by less than 50 percent.

It's also shrewd in terms of squeezing a key source of franchised dealerships' profitability to apply indirect pressure on the automakers though their wholesale customers and vital partners.

But there's some risk to the union: When American consumers can't get their cars fixed, their sympathy with strikers may run dry. "It sounds to me like they are going to become a national villain to the retail customer or the retail public," said Ben Keating, owner of Keating Auto Group, which includ…

Will Ford deal in Canada drive UAW contract?

The drama is building in this second week of the UAW strike against the Detroit Three, even as Unifor in Canada brings home its first ratification.

On one level, UAW President Shawn Fain adding General Motors and Stellantis parts depots to the three assembly plants on strike looks to be a cost-effective move. It broadens protest activities about 13-fold, providing local footage to dozens more media markets, while increasing the number of strikers by less than 50 percent.

It's also shrewd in terms of squeezing a key source of franchised dealerships' profitability to apply indirect pressure on the automakers though their wholesale customers and vital partners.

But there's some risk to the union: When American consumers can't get their cars fixed, their sympathy with strikers may run dry. "It sounds to me like they are going to become a national villain to the retail customer or the retail public," said …

Unifor members at Ford Motor Co. of Canada have voted by a slim majority to ratify the tentative collective agreement struck Sept. 19 between union negotiators and the automaker.

Membership approval of the three-year deal, which was unanimously endorsed by Unifor’s auto bargaining committee, locks in substantial wage gains and pension improvements for workers, and will see Ford invest to expand production at one of its Windsor, Ont., powertrain plants starting in 2025. 

Unifor said 5,600 members at Ford workplaces in Canada voted on the deal over a period of roughly 24 hours Saturday and Sunday, with 54 percent voting in favor.

Union President Lana Payne said the Unifor bargaining team pushed Ford on every front to secure a contract that will "change lives in a profound way."

"It fundamentally transforms pension plans, provides protections during the EV transition and includes the highest wage increases in the history of Canadian a…

Automotive labor negotiations are a forum for the Detroit 3 and union representatives to agree on a contract that serves the companies and the workers who build their vehicles. It is not a bargaining table for past or present U.S. presidents.

It may be unavoidable that state and federal officials would visit picket lines and rallies, as they have in Michigan and Ohio, to show their support for striking union members. But the involvement needs to stop there, lest they undermine UAW leaders' authority as negotiators or misunderstand the role of corporations in America.

President Joe Biden said he supports the workers. He has urged Ford, General Motors and Stellantis to work harder to meet the union's demands.

Biden even took the unusual move of planning to send a White House adviser to help at the negotiating table. UAW President Shawn Fain said he didn't want Biden meddling in his organization's affairs, and Biden shifted to a Zoom me…

The writer and visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School details the financial, safety and climate-related costs associated with pickups and SUVs and the potential of minicars and micromobility to change transportation.

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Lamborghini's first electric vehicle will be a four-seat, two-row SUV similar in size to its top-selling model, the Urus. But the Volkswagen Group's supercar brand will continue to produce limited runs and special editions of current and previous models. However, its first full EV won't arrive in the U.S. before 2028.

The brand's entire range will be electrified in 2024, relying on hybrid motors and small batteries to reduce carbon emissions, with more EV models coming on the group's SSP architecture.

Lanzador: With help from Porsche and Audi, Lamborghini is continuing development on its all-electric SUV, shown in concept form as the Lanzador.

The 2+2 GT vehicle will likely take advantage of the new SSP architecture. It is unlikely to reach the U.S. before 2028.

Urus: Lamborghini's volume model underwent reengineering to accommodate a plug-in hybrid powertrain in 2023 with its new Performante trim. Engineers squeezed …

Rolls-Royce will silently glide into the electric age this winter with the arrival of the Spectre — the British marque's first battery-powered vehicle.

The 2024 Spectre starts at $420,000 and promises performance in an ultraluxury package.

The coupe is "a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second," CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said.

The tony BMW Group subsidiary is the first major ultraluxury brand to launch an electric vehicle, putting it ahead of rivals Bentley, Aston Martin and Ferrari.

All new Rolls-Royce models will be zero-emission as the brand goes fully electric by 2030, with all combustion engine models being retired after the 2031 model year.

Until then, Rolls-Royce won't leave V-12 enthusiasts in the cold.

"We've not fallen out of love with V-12, and we'll invest in it to meet new requirements," Müller-Ötvös told British publication Autocar this year.

Electric crossover: Rolls-Royce's planned second EV — a full-si…

Ferrari's trademark performance will be bolstered by electric and hybrid powertrains in the years ahead, but it also plans to evolve the internal combustion engine.

The automaker expects electric and hybrid models to account for 80 percent of its sales by 2030. Ferrari's business plan indicates the "hybrid engine can further increase performance."

Ferrari also says it will continue to "push the internal combustion engine evolution and, with the support of partners, will develop solutions in energy efficiency and alternative fuels to build on an essential part" of its heritage.

The automaker has said it will use a new "e-building" at its Maranello, Italy, plant to handle development and assembly of electric motors, inverters and battery modules for its electric vehicles.

EV: The brand's first battery-electric vehicle, slated to be unveiled in 2025, could debut in the U.S. for 2026.

Ferrari said the EV's "unique features, leveraging the ra…