The chip shortage has been going on long enough to generate some survey data, and there are some positive things to be found there, but overall the picture is bleak. The general trend seems to be that the impact will be massive and it will last at least through most of 2021, but there are […]

On the Transmission show this week, we speak with Dan Hearsch, managing director at AlixPartners, about the difference between a shortage and a crisis. In the auto supply chain world, that distinction means a lot as automakers continue to scramble to source the semiconductor chips they need to keep building cars. Hearsch told us that […]

The semiconductor chip shortage continues to be the dominant news item in the automotive supply chain world. Not that anyone is surprised by this anymore. The NTEA, the association for the work truck industry, said in its May 2021 edition of NTEA News that it expects the semiconductor chip issue to cause some sort of […]

The evolving automotive supply chain — and it is evolving, perhaps more than casual observers are aware — is forcing companies to rethink best practices when it comes to getting cars out of the factory and into customer hands. Some are focusing on making their supply chains more independent while others are trying to find […]

Next week on the Transmission podcast and FreightWavesTV show, I’ll be speaking with Dionis Teshler, the CTO and co-founder of GuardKnox. There are two things we recommend doing in preparation for that discussion. First, finish reading this email, in which we will take a look at the company blog post Teshler recently wrote about a […]

When it comes to making the switch to an electric vehicle, public recharging can be a hurdle for drivers. General Motors made the hurdle a bit lower this week, announcing a new connected EV charging station program called Ultium Charge 360. Ultium Charge 360 represents a “holistic charging experience” for GM EV drivers. To make […]

The fallout from the semiconductor chip shortage continues, and since it’s affecting the production of vehicles across the globe, it should be no surprise that automakers will be making fewer electric vehicles in the coming months, just as they’re making fewer internal combustion engine vehicles. Exactly how many fewer vehicles the industry will build this […]

Anyone who’s been tracking electric vehicle sales for the past decade, like yours truly, knows that progress has been slow but steady. It looks like 2021 might be a year of more dramatic change, which is a great bit of news to hear as we honor the 52nd Earth Day today. First celebrated in 1970, […]

Electric vehicles are being manufactured around the globe, but automakers are making moves that will mean production is a bit more localized in the future. GM’s big battery plant announcement in Tennessee follows one from Volkswagen a few weeks ago about European plants. It’s not that everything used in tomorrow’s EVs will be locally sourced, […]