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<!--*/ */ /*-->*/ In defense of pivots

The word "pivot" is getting scorn from wordsmiths these days.

It even made an Atlantic magazine story on overused buzzwords this year: "If there's anything corporate America has a knack for, it's inventing new, positive words that polish up old, negative ones," a staffer wrote. "If you mess up and need to start over, just call it a 'pivot' and press on."

I'm usually all for nipping potential cliches in the bud. But "pivot" remains a pretty good way of describing the strategy shifts we focus on in Monday's issue. And each of them is being spearheaded by a new leader.

For example:

■ American Honda is rolling out a number of structural changes to its sales and manufacturing organization. The goals are more intriguing than the details. Simply put, Honda wants to be less bureaucratic and more open to trying new things.

"We can't afford anymore to have a dealer talk to a field rep, who tal…

For Michigan’s burgeoning aerospace industry, the sky isn’t the limit. It’s the starting point. Gavin Brown, executive director of the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association, details the state’s potential as a commercial space hub. Meanwhile, Adam Kall, co-founder of Kall Morris Inc., explains why his Marquette, Mich.,-based startup is laser-focused on collecting junk in space.

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TOKYO — Lawyers defending former Nissan director Greg Kelly, the American accused of conspiring to conceal Carlos Ghosn's big paychecks from the public, took their first crack at cross-examining a key state witness last week and argued that prosecutors had violated Japan-U.S. extradition laws by setting a trap to arrest the Tennessee executive on Japanese soil.

Kelly's legal team tried to poke holes in the case by showing the witness to have a faulty memory and by casting doubt on the level of Kelly's involvement in alleged schemes to hide Ghosn's pay.

Meanwhile, as that trial continued in Tokyo, a separate case kicked off just south of the capital in Yokohama, where Nissan Motor Co. is suing Ghosn for nearly $100 million in damages over allegations of financial misconduct and misappropriation of funds. As the second case began, Ghosn issued a statement from Lebanon, where he is living in self-imposed exile, denouncing the claims as having "ab…

With production of its first customer vehicles scheduled to begin in about seven months, Rivian is moving quickly to establish it parts and service operations. The company also has taken its first steps toward building a nationwide network of body shops to handle accident repairs.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told Automotive News that the company plans to have a fully operational service network ready before most customers take delivery of their battery-electric R1T pickups and R1S SUVs.

Customers, he said, will have two options for repairs that cannot be carried out by over-the-air software updates: They can visit a brick-and-mortar service center or schedule mobile service at their homes and businesses. That plan closely mimics Tesla's strategy.

In a wide-ranging interview with Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein on the "Daily Drive" podcast, Scaringe for the first time addressed how Rivian will offer service for its vehicles without …

TOKYO — Jeep boss Christian Meunier says his mission is to further globalize the iconic off-road company and transform its image into that of the "greenest SUV brand" in the world.

The strategy will involve leveraging synergies with PSA Group and promoting Jeep's upcoming range of electrified vehicles, partly through a new marketing campaign.

Speaking with journalists in Tokyo by videoconference last month, Meunier highlighted Jeep's rapid international expansion on the back of brisk sales in markets such as Japan.

Jeep's worldwide sales grew fivefold in the past decade, from just 300,000 vehicles in 2009 to around 1.5 million in 2019, he noted. Sales in Japan, Jeep's ninth-largest market, notched a tenfold increase over that period. Japan is now the top buyer of Wranglers outside North America.

Jeep used to have just four assembly plants, all in the U.S. Now, it has 10 in six countries.

"There are many d…

The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter has attracted the interest of commerce giants in Europe such as Amazon. But the electric delivery van will not be available in the U.S., for now — putting the company behind rivals such as upstart Rivian and Ford's planned Transit EV.

Mercedes has decided not to offer the eSprinter in the U.S. because safety specifications and other performance requirements cannot be sufficiently met.

"The components for the electric drive system do not meet Daimler's internal standards for crash tests that go beyond legal requirements," a source told Germany's Automobilwoche, a sibling publication of Automotive News.

The cost of adapting the van for America would be so expensive that Daimler is initially foregoing it.

Mercedes has been selling the all-electric eSprinter delivery van for about six months in Europe.

Interest from logistics providers is strong. At the end of August, Mercedes booked a major order from Amazon for so…

DETROIT — Fiona Meyer-Teruel grew up enthralled by the wonders she read about in science-fiction books. At age 26, she's a General Motors battery engineer helping to turn some once-fantastical concepts into reality.

"What really drew me toward automotive ... is that thought that this is the area where you can invent the future and really create those scientific marvels," she told Automotive News.

Meyer-Teruel is now a lead technology development engineer behind GM's new wireless battery management system, which will debut on the GMC Hummer pickup next year and eventually make its way across GM's entire lineup.

She's "very innovative," said Tim Grewe, GM's director of global battery cell engineering. "She saw a need here. She started developing these wireless systems against these very demanding requirements for the Ultium system. She considered a lot of options. She worked with the supply base and Analog Devices to make this industry-first solution." Read more

Unlike neighboring states in the Southeast, North Carolina does not have an auto assembly plant, although it has come close to landing one or two in recent years. A site near Greensboro, N.C., was the runner-up for the Toyota-Mazda joint venture assembly plant that ultimately went to Huntsville, Ala. The state also pitched Tesla for its truck plant that ended up in Austin, Texas, this year.

North Carolina officials are determined to play a larger role in the auto industry, and one key step toward getting there is identifying and designating large, readily available industrial tracts of real estate known as certified megasites. In recent years, the state has assembled a number of certified megasites that, if called for, could be turned over to an automaker to accelerate construction of a major plant, said Chris Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Chung, 44, discussed megasite certification with Staff Reporter Jack Walsworth. He…

Uber Technologies Inc. is in talks to sell its autonomous driving unit, Uber Advanced Technologies Group, to self-driving startup Aurora Innovation TechCrunch reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The talks between the companies could falter, the report said. Uber declined to comment on the report, while Aurora did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. TechCrunch reported the two companies have been in talks since last month.

Aurora is among dozens of startups, automakers and large technology companies working on self-driving car systems. TechCrunch reported that the deal, if completed, could triple Aurora’s work force. Uber, meanwhile, would shed an expensive long-term project.

The startup, which is already testing ivehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pittsburgh, in July said it was expanding testing and development of its vehicles to the Dallas-Fort Worth Area in Texas.

Laura Schwab, president of Aston Martin the Americas, the British ultraluxury brand's largest region by sales volume, is leaving the company.

Schwab, 47, had been in her post for a little over five years, having started in October 2015. She was the first woman to hold that title at Aston Martin.

Before Aston Martin, Schwab worked at Land Rover for 14 years.

"After five years with Aston Martin, Laura Schwab has elected to leave her post as regional president, Aston Martin the Americas in order to pursue other opportunities; effective Friday, November 13," the company said in an emailed statement to Automotive News. "Aston Martin thanks her for her service and until a permanent successor is named, Ed Moran, head of sales for the Americas, will assume the role of interim president for the Americas, reporting to Jon Pollock, head of global sales, Aston Martin Lagonda."

Schwab's departure occurs in what has been a tumultuous year for the automaker, whi…