Brian Henderson

Stellantis NV CEO Carlos Tavares' message to dealers and suppliers struggling for profitability on the bumpy road to increasing adoption of electric vehicles is: "Deal with it." "You insert an additional cost of 40% in a system, which is very constrained, obviously it creates a lot of tension, and obviously it creates anxiety," he said. "We are all facing the same reality. And my people, they also have anxiety, but we are dealing with it. We are dealing with it, and everybody needs to take a fair share and deal with it." https://lnkd.in/gyRVev2P

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Stellantis confirmed on Thursday that CEO Carlos Tavares would retire at the end of his contract in early 2026 and announced major senior management changes as it struggles to turn around its lagging North American operations. Earnings and sales in the French-Italian automaker's traditional profit powerhouse have been declining, forcing it to last week cut its 2024 profit forecast and signal possible reductions to its dividend and share buybacks next year. Analysts have downgraded the company's stock, which has tumbled 42% this year after missteps in North America, where sales of popular products such as its Jeep and Ram trucks typically produce much of its profits. https://lnkd.in/gYTGUMiv

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Fascinating, but sadly not surprising report from CDK Global about the sentiment towards #EVs from #Dealers in the US. In short, they are very pessimistic about them. They cite lots of reasons, but it's clear that there are still huge gaps in #EV knowledge, even among those that are supposed to make a living from selling them. It would be interesting to know what #OEMs in the States are doing by way of training to combat this negativity? Question is, if the people who are supposed to 'sell' these cars don't like them, is it any wonder that the people who visit the dealers to buy the cars are similarly unexcited? Even those who are really keen on going #electric are likely to be less keen, if faced with a #Salesperson who reels off a load of #evmyths and inaccuracies. I suspect a similar survey in the UK would be less downbeat, but there would still be a significant chunk of #salespeople who are 'misinformed' and therefore negative about EVs, even though they know by #2030 that's the only new cars they'll sell. I recognise this is a generalisation and some brand teams will be better than others, and some dealers will be more positive/successful than others, but as an industry, I think we still have a way to go to convince those on the front line that EVs are great for customers and their businesses! https://lnkd.in/eBXnxJBr

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Get a handle on how to engage your used car customers the RIGHT way. Better Car People's CEO Aaron Kleinhandler discusses the change in the Used Car Market and how to work with customers who are more knowledgable than ever.

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#Stellantis' revenues are down double digit YoY in both their North American and European markets. #DifficultTimes Carlos Tavares will visit Detroit this week, where he will seek to develop a strategy to fix the European automaker's struggling North American operations and reassure employees and investors, a person familiar with the plans said. 🗣️"He wanted to make clear he was handling it personally," the source said. "North American operations are basically funding the rest of the group." 💭Only MENA is doing great so far 💪🤞 📖 Source¹ https://lnkd.in/gSeDNhk6 graphics 📖 Source² https://lnkd.in/gWHqhWUa #IONAS #CleanMobility #eMobility #ElectricCars  #FutureMobility #Batteries #Automotive  #ElectricVehicles #AutonomousVehicles  #EV #Lithium #Innovation #Sustainability  #Recycling #Future #Energy #Efficiency #Technology #AVEVAI #TomTsogt 🔔👍

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Interesting developments in the US.

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Stellantis is the latest manufacturer to get in front of bad news (VW and Mercedes-Benz recently adjusted guidance), reducing its full year margin forecast and cash flow guidance ahead of earnings (expected late October) citing its challenges in North America. In good news for US dealers, Stellantis said #incentives would impact margin and most importantly, they would be shipping 200,000 fewer vehicles to North America in the back half of this year than previously forecast (up from 100,000 in their previous guidance).

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Chevy Silverado EV RST First Drive Review: Quite simply, worth the wait! Chevy writes a new, defining chapter for electric trucks!!! #gm #chevy #ev #ultium #pistonautomotive #silverado

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No legacy automaker will survive if we keep delaying EV plans—the American automotive industry must commit now to stay in this race. Jim Farley‘s leadership in calling for a heightened sense of urgency is super critical—existential. This is the hardest pivot our industry has ever needed to make, and there’s no time to soft talk this issue any longer or continue catering to what most customers want right now due to fears and resistance to change; either pivot to electric vehicles or risk being done in the next few years. Happy 4th of July America 🇺🇸! Source full talk: https://lnkd.in/emA-2HcX Source Jim’s op-ed: https://lnkd.in/e3pZgXk2 #AutomotiveIndustry #EV #ElectricVehicles #Ford Ford Motor Company

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For Immediate Release   New Board Officers of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA)   New Chairman   The Connected Vehicle Trade Association, Inc. the world’s largest and preeminent business league in vehicle communications, today announced that Chuck Brokish, Green Hills Software’s Director of Automotive Business Development, has been elected Chairman of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA). Brokish has been an active member of CVTA, and has served on its board of directors for several years.      Scott McCormick, President of CVTA since its founding in 2004, said, “The Board of Directors unanimously voted for Chuck, due to his extensive support of the organization as a Board Director, providing leadership, expertise and guidance for many years. I consider Chuck a personal advisor on matters not only related to his field, but the growth of the organization.”    Chuck has been working on embedded processing applications for mobile and automotive industries for 35 years, and has been active in embedded security for over 25 years. He has experience in mobile communications, automotive active noise control, infotainment, ADAS, and V2X.   About Green Hills Software   Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with European headquarters in the United Kingdom. Visit Green Hills Software at https://www.ghs.com.   Gary Streelman, Chairman Emeritus   Gary Streelman has been appointed as CVTA Fellow for his 20 years of leadership, expertise and guidance to the Connected Vehicle Trade Association. McCormick said, “Gary was the first person I called when the ten largest automakers asked me to consider forming a nonprofit trade association for vehicle communications industry. Gary was our third Chairman over the 20+ years we have been established.     Dr. Hanan Alhaddi   Dr. Alhaddi was unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association at our June Board meeting.   Dr. Hanan Alhaddi is an industry expert and academic practitioner with 20 years of experience in vehicle connectivity strategy, enterprise transformation, and corporate strategy. She is a guest lecturer on strategy and director of integrative cases on AI at Oxford University.    Hanan holds a doctorate degree in business administration, graduate degrees in strategy and innovation from Oxford University and Harvard University, and bachelor’s degree in engineering from WSU. She is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Management and Strategy. She is the president and CEO of Alhaddi Consulting Group (launching in Q2 2024), a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation, and artificial intelligence.       

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The day after the election brings both uncertainty and opportunity for the automotive industry. As we navigate these changes, dealerships are looking to adapt and recalibrate in response to the evolving market. Check out our insights on the post-election landscape and what it means for your auto parts business.

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🚨 Stellantis has filed its fifth supplier lawsuit this year, now with Brose over pricing issues that halted production. 🚨 This reflects the tough balancing act suppliers and OEMs face today, as rising costs meet tight margins. In my role, I see how critical strong communication and mutual trust are for navigating challenges like these. Here’s hoping for a resolution that strengthens—not strains—these industry partnerships. #AutomotiveIndustry #SupplyChain #Stellantis

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„Tavares said the challenge for automakers was to sell EVs, whose production costs are 40% to 50% higher, at the same price as equivalent petrol models. This forces them to cut costs at every level of their operations, including supply chains and logistics. "You are going to see a huge shift of the supplier base. The sourcing will move from the Western world to the best cost countries," he said during the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference. "The EV race has become a cost cutting race," he added. Tavares, the head of a company whose brands include Fiat and Peugeot said the EV transition was being held back by affordability, with customers reluctant to buy expensive EVs unless supported by governments through incentives. "The Western world consumer is telling the Western world government, okay, there is the global warming issue, fine, but if you don't help me, I will not help you," he said. Stellantis would continue to bet on multi-energy platforms -- those created for EVs but that can also underpin hybrid electric-petrol vehicles -- to retain flexibility in its ranges.“ #change #electromobility #electrification #automotivesuppliers #automotivemanufacturing Thanks for sharing, Matt Hannah

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With a nearly triple-digit days' supply, Nissan Motor Corporation is letting its retailers advertise vehicle prices below invoice — the first time the automaker has done so widely since before the pandemic. From May 1, dealers can market nearly the entire 2024 model year lineup at up to 10 percent below invoice, Nissan said last week in a memo obtained by Automotive News. The aging Armada may be advertised up to 15 percent below invoice. Nissan is betting lower prices will stoke flagging consumer interest and persuade shoppers to come into its stores. Retailers like the plan. They just don't want to be the ones paying for it. "Nissan is saying, 'We can't afford to be in the market, so you need to be. The responsibility has been moved from the factory to us." Other retailers welcome the relaxed advertising rules. "We want more flexibility to make better deals and get more traffic into the stores.” Cox Automotive Inc.

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STELLANTIS BLOWS UP REAL GOOD. As I’ve pointed out repeatedly over the last 24 months, a succession of Jeep executive leaders actually started to believe their press clippings and the “can’t-miss” upward trajectory of the brand, which translated into some of the most egregious pricing in the industry. All you have to do is look at the current prices of the Wranglers that you find on dealer lots, which run between $60,000 - $70,000 on average, and up. For a Wrangler. (And that’s not even counting the Wrangler Rubicon 392, which stickers for around $93,000! -WG)   Trying to emulate those Meisters of Greed at Porsche was a wrong-headed strategy, but that’s exactly what Jeep operatives were attempting to do. First of all, Porsche operatives have been honing their craft for decades, to the point that no other automaker in the industry extracts more ca$h-ola from their faithful than Porsche. That’s fine for Porsche, because they have enough buyers who just can’t wait to be the Biggest Tools in The Shed – witness the current feeding frenzy for the 911 Dakar to see what rampant stupidity looks like.   But again, that’s Porsche. Which is a far cry from Jeep. Any Jeep. But Jeep operatives got stars in their eyes and got hit with the giant Greed Stick, while figuring that the sales good times would never end, so they kept relentlessly jacking up Jeep prices over the last three years. And guess what? They ignored one of the time-honored axioms in this business, which goes something like this: The good times always come to an end. READ THE ENTIRE COLUMN HERE: Autoextremist.com

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GM's Strategic Challenge in China's Dynamic Auto Market.🚗 General Motors's recent financial struggles in China highlight the changing tides of global automotive markets and underscore the complex challenges faced by traditional automakers. With a $106 million loss in Q1, marking a rare downturn in what was once its most lucrative market, GM confronts increased local competition and shifting geopolitical dynamics. 🌐 🔻 Strategic Dilemmas: Facing nearly a decade-long decline in market share and profits in China, GM is at a crossroads—should it double down or strategically retreat? 🌍 Geopolitical & Market Shifts: As tensions between the U.S. and China persist, coupled with the rise of nationalist-backed Chinese automakers, GM's struggle is emblematic of broader industry shifts. 🚀 Opportunity for India: India can leverage these insights by accelerating its own EV and tech-driven automotive initiatives, potentially attracting companies seeking alternatives to the Chinese market. Strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and fostering a welcoming environment for technological innovation could position India as an attractive hub for international automotive investments. #trade #export #manufacturing #usa #china #india #automotive #tech

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Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares did something very few business CEOs ever do, take full responsibility for the sales and marketing mistakes made on his watch. We need more business leaders to follow his example. #stellantis #ceo #sales #marketing #marketshare #decline https://lnkd.in/eS9m3ues Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says he should have set up a task force before three crucial issues converged to hit the carmaker.

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The global advanced driver assistance (ADAS) market size is projected to grow from 334 million units in 2024 to 655 million units by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.9%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. #OpusIVS #collision #adas https://loom.ly/Enaje_Y

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