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Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Dec 6, 2024

Americans’ Cars Keep Getting Older—and Creakier

Drivers are skimping to save a few bucks. That could mean bigger bills down the road and a rebound for parts and service companies.

Spencer Jakab | The Wall Street Journal

#automotive #economy #EV

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Aug 26, 2024

Autos, Hurricane Beryl weigh on US manufacturing output in July

Production at U.S. factories fell in July amid a decline in motor vehicle output and disruptions from Hurricane Beryl.

Microsoft Start

#automotive #manufacturing

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jun 30, 2024

Suppliers fret over rising costs, crime in fast-growing Mexico

As Mexico's auto industry continues to grow, some companies say they're running into more issues in some parts of the country.

John Irwin | Automotive News

#automotive #commercial #Mexico #supplychain

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - May 3, 2024

5 key takeaways from April U.S. sales reports

U.S. light-vehicle sales slipped 3.9 percent to 1.32 million last month compared with April 2023; Toyota led among the brands.

David Phillips | Automotive News

#automotive #economy #manufacturing

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Dec 21, 2023

Automakers face slow U.S. sales growth in 2024

Automakers will have to work hard to move new cas and light trucks in 2024 despite facing what could be the most normal conditions since the pandemic turned the industry upside down.

Carly Schaffner | Automotive News

#automotive #EV

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jul 21, 2023

Dead EV Batteries turn to gold with US incentives

The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act has companies scrambling to recycle electric vehicle batteries in North America, putting the region at the forefront of a global race to undermine China's dominance of the field.

Nick Carey, Paul Lienert, Victoria Waldersee | Reuters

#automotive #EV

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jun 5, 2023

5 factors in transforming the auto supply chain

The automotive industry has undergone significant disruption in recent years. Advancements in electric mobility, autonomous solutions, automotive retail and vehicle connectivity have propelled the sector forward and left enterprises and consumers alike excited for what comes next. Despite all of this growth, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in challenges, specifically surrounding supply chains. The semiconductor shortage and other geopolitical factors have resulted in supply and demand issues across all functions, which has led many companies in the industry to focus on building a future-proof supply chain that is both flexible and resilient. To ensure preparedness for potential future crises, many auto manufacturers have begun digitizing their supply chains and prioritizing risk management as a part of their strategy. But this cultural and technological shift toward resiliency — with an added focus on sustainability — cannot happen overnight, and there are many elements to consider for automotive companies on this journey. Here are the five major factors impacting the automotive supply chain. 1. Global uncertainties and geographic regulatory guidelines The U.S. auto market is one of the largest global markets, with a combination of import and local production supply chain strategies. Complex global supply chains and triggers such as material shortages, cost pressures, and increased waiting periods and localization guidelines have brought more opportunity for local manufacturing in the automotive supply chain in the U.S., which will in turn make this market more competitive with global manufacturers. While expanding the supply chain here will have a positive impact, the policy formulation and implementation transitions associated with manufacturing typically involve a lengthy time frame. For this reason, it is imperative for automakers to implement the proper infrastructure, which enables data and business insights, in order to establish trust and allow for fast execution and business continuity. 2. Raw material shortages Raw material shortages have resulted in noise around revisiting supply chain strategies. Challenges supplying critical ingredients for vehicle production, such as cobalt, lithium and nickel, have become a major barrier to manufacturing — and many automakers are getting creative to mitigate these shortages. The U.S. is increasing collaboration with Canada to supply battery minerals, while several industry players have begun investing in rare mines and prioritizing a geocentric supply chain model to enhance local mining operations of lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite. For example, one multinational automotive manufacturing company will extract lithium in California and expects to start production in 2024. Another electric vehicle giant will start mining lithium in Nevada for future battery production. 3. Digital transformation The shift from legacy supply chain technology to more advanced capabilities will allow automotive companies to avoid being negatively affected by what has yet to happen. Many companies are investing in new technologies — Internet of Things, 5G, artificial intelligence, etc. — to build a more flexible and transparent supply chain and avoid unwanted disruption. These technologies have enabled the automotive sector to increase connectivity across all areas of business. Connected consumers, factories, automobiles and supply chains generate a wealth of data and enable manufacturers to identify potential supply issues, increase efficiency and predict timelines more accurately. By improving these operations through digital transformation, automotive manufacturers can enhance their financial liquidity and profitability while streamlining processes and improving customer experience. 4. Changing customer demand The modern consumer has evolved significantly since the early days of car purchasing. The shift to digitization has not only impacted the way that vehicle technology operates, but also how the consumer demands new experiences. Those in the market for a vehicle are looking to automotive manufacturers and dealers for a 360-degree digital buying experience. New retail models allow customers to order a vehicle directly from an auto manufacturer on a one-price model, with no dealership haggling or in-person inventory challenges. This changing customer demand for more digital purchasing experiences impacts outbound logistics as well as supply chain efficiency and cost structure. In addition, the omnichannel retail experience allows for new customization features, which make stress-testing the supply chain even more essential. 5. Sustainability and net-zero ambitions in focus Research shows that 72 percent of automotive companies believe they have made better progress in sustainability than other industries, and many have outlined net-zero goals and environmental, social and governance priorities in an effort to deeply embed sustainability into their strategy. The growth of EVs and sustainable manufacturing has signaled to many leaders that they must address the sustainability of the supply chain and end-to-end product life cycle. In fact, many auto enterprises have made structural changes around vendor selection to include sustainability evaluation parameters and risk assessments, signaling that the green future is high on the priority list. The same methods that can increase supply chain resilience often improve sustainability — and can result in cost reductions. However, creating a sustainable supply chain requires collaboration. An evolving way forward is a transparent and structured collaborative approach among the key stakeholders in the automotive supply chain ecosystem. For example, automakers must rely on Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to help them ensure environmental, social and governance compliance at lower tiers. Collaboration can also reduce waste by ensuring that suppliers produce exactly what is needed. The adoption of environmentally conscious operations in logistics, distribution, warehousing and inventory management can help leaders begin to prioritize a more sustainable supply chain. Technological disruptions are prompting organizations across industries to revisit their supply chain strategies. In the automotive sector, there is a paradigm shift toward a more resilient, data-enabled culture, with a focus on scenario-based planning and dynamic decision layers. While there are many external factors that continue to impact the movement to a more sustainable and flexible supply chain, it is important for leaders to reexamine their road maps and assess where improvements can be made. By viewing these external factors as opportunities rather than impediments, leaders in this space can build a more streamlined, greener automotive future for all.

Vamshi Rachakonda and Roshan Batheri | Automotive News

#automotive #supplychain

Waupaca Foundry

Sustainability - Apr 30, 2023

The world auto industry is attacking carbon emissions as a shared goal

Automotive News takes a deep dive into how the audacious gambit is affecting everything from technology, production, labor and trade to the industry's rapidly changing competitive landscape.

Hans Greimel | Automotive News

#automotive #environment #sustainability

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jul 28, 2022

U.S. Senate Preps More Money for Auto Industry

Senate Democrats have settled on how to funnel more money into the automotive sector using all-electric vehicles and environmentalism. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia's Joe Manchin have reportedly agreed on a proposal that would expand the $7,500 tax credit for EVs while also introducing a new $4,000 subsidy for used models.

Matt Posky | The Truth About Cars

#automotive

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jul 7, 2022

Chip shortage? Some industries now have too many

It's getting complicated for investors in semiconductor stocks, with last year's big chip shortage morphing into an inventory glut for some companies, and others getting caught up in geopolitics.

Bloomberg | Automotive News

#Automotive #news

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jan 12, 2022

Edmunds: Shopping for a Car This Year Will Not Be the Same

Only a handful of unsold 2021 Ram pickup trucks sit on the empty storage lot outside a Ram dealership on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Littleton, Colo. 2021 was an unusual year for the automotive industry. While customer demand for new cars rebounded from the economic uncertainty of 2020, automakers found themselves unable to meet that demand because of semiconductor chip shortages and supply chain problems. So what should car shoppers expect for 2022? Much of the same, unfortunately.

Industrial Equipment News

#automotive #supplychain

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jan 12, 2022

Early 2022 Auto Sales Forecasts Are Disheartening

Moving into 2022, NADA anticipates new-vehicle sales of 15.4 million units. This represents an increase of 3.4 percent from 2021 and is fairly close to what's being estimated by IHS Markit (15.5 million) and a glut of other outlets. But most analysts overestimated last year and just about everyone is convinced that automotive production won't rebound until late in 2022 or early 2023. That's roughly the same pitch we got at the start of 2021 — just with everything being pushed another 12 months down the road.

Matt Posky | The Truth About Cars

#automotive

Waupaca Foundry

Iron Castings - Nov 19, 2021

Light Minded

As automotive makes a slow transition from internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICEVs) to electric vehicles (EVs), the evolution will find foundries morphing and honing their expertise to meet the changing demands of OEMs, or, in some cases, diversifying their businesses toward other sectors in the long term. But for the next two or three decades to come, castings in ICEVs are not only safe from extinction, they'll continue getting lighter and performing better.

Kim Phelan | Modern Casting

#automotive #casting #manufacturing

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Oct 25, 2021

The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: 26,000 N.A. vehicles out

North American factories took another 26,000 vehicles out of their production schedules last week, significantly more than companies were cutting at the beginning of the month.

John Irwin | Automotive News

#automotive #manufacturing

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Sep 25, 2021

Volvo hopes ‘green steel' will catch on

The automaker plans to commercialize a technology that promises to eliminate the use of coking coal — a major pollutant.

Urvaksh Karkaria | Automotive News

#automotive #sustainability

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Aug 2, 2021

Startup Claims Breakthrough in Long-Duration Batteries

Form Energy says it has built a low-cost iron-air battery that can discharge electricity for days, which could have big ramifications for storing electricity on the power grid.

Russell Gold | wsj.com

#automotive #energy

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jul 14, 2021

Surging Prices For Used Cars, Gasoline, Food and Airfares Are Driving the Jump In Inflation

Driven by price increases in used cars, car rentals as well as a rebound in airfares, lodging and food, inflation increased 4.5%, the largest move since September 1991.

Yun Li and Nate Rattner | cnbc.com

#automotive #economy

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jun 28, 2021

Steel Going Into Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Reaches Record

A key steel product used in construction and automobiles reached a record Monday as U.S. President Joe Biden pushes ahead with his infrastructure spending plans.

Hot-rolled coil for July delivery rose 0.7% to $1,800 a short ton in New York, an all-time high, extending gains since the president secured a $579 billion bipartisan infrastructure deal on Thursday. Prices have more than tripled in a year.

Yvonne Yue Li | Bloomberg.com

#automotive #steel

Waupaca Foundry

Global MFG - Jan 12, 2021