The Latest SAA Newsletter
Register Today for the 17th Annual Purchasing Summit
The SAA, MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers, and Plante Moran are pleased to announce the 17th Annual Purchasing Summit taking place May 19 at Marelli’s Customer Experience Center in Southfield, Mich.
This long-standing industry event brings suppliers together with OEM purchasing leaders for timely insights, candid discussion and meaningful networking. The program will open with key findings from the 2026 Plante Moran North American Automotive OEM Supplier Working Relations Index® Study, offering an inside look at the current state of OEM supplier relationships across the industry.
Following the presentation, purchasing executives from participating OEMs will join a discussion on the study’s results and share perspectives on how suppliers can strengthen collaboration and navigate the evolving purchasing landscape. The program will conclude with a networking session, providing valuable opportunities for face-to-face engagement with OEM purchasing leaders and industry peers.
Click here for more information and to register.
SAA Motoring Minds Featuring Tu Le from the Beijing Auto Show
Join SAA Motoring Minds, a free series for automotive professionals and enthusiasts. Each session explores the latest industry trends and innovations with expert-led discussions. This is a Zoom event, but a recording will be available.
Motoring Minds is hosted by Adam Bernard, SAA President and Founder of AutoPerspectives. The first episode on April 29 will feature Tu Le, live from the Beijing Auto Show, who will be talking about the people, products, and brands making the biggest buzz at the show.
Click here for more information and to register.
13th Annual Automotive Recalls Summit: Join In-Person or Virtually
In 2025, a near-record-breaking 406 unique light vehicle recall campaigns were reported as the trajectory of filed campaigns continues its ten-year ascent. The data suggests that a by-product of continued rapid light vehicle innovation is an increased number of recalls. But it’s not just the numbers that tell the story. The nature of recalls is shifting dramatically: more mid-sized campaigns and increased tail risk, i.e., the time it takes defects to manifest, stood out in 2025. As the automotive landscape rapidly evolves, connectivity and vehicle sophistication are rewriting the rules of defect detection and response. The question isn’t just how many recalls – it’s what comes next.
The 13th Annual Automotive Recalls Summit on April 28 is where the industry comes for answers. This is the must-attend event for anyone navigating the high-stakes world of automotive safety, compliance, and quality. Expect bold conversations, hard data, and actionable insights across the issues defining recalls.
This event is held in partnership with Stout, and is sponsored by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. The event is free for SAA members; $49 for non-members.
Click here for more information and to register.
Register Now for Two Upcoming YPN Events
- April 28: Manufacturing, Mobility & Innovation at Newlab Detroit
Enjoy a guided tour of Newlab’s state‑of‑the‑art facility, followed by a relaxed, on-site happy hour to connect with peers across the manufacturing and automotive community.
Click here for more information and to register.
- May 21: Exclusive Tour of HP Pelzer Automotive
Adler Pelzer Group (APG) is a global automotive supplier specializing in acoustic and thermal solutions that enhance vehicle comfort, performance, and efficiency. Attendees of this event will gain insight into the company’s engineering capabilities and tour a facility that features an A2LA-certified materials laboratory, a fully equipped acoustics lab with a chassis dynamometer for in-vehicle testing, and a pilot shop producing prototype parts for OEMs like Ford, Stellantis, GM, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, and Honda
Click here for more information and to register.
Key Legal Insights from Foley’s Automotive Team
Stay ahead of the curve with Foley’s latest Automotive Update, offering a clear, concise look at the market, legal, and regulatory trends shaping the industry right now. This edition breaks down shifting U.S. and global vehicle sales forecasts, escalating trade and tariff risks, and ongoing supply‑chain disruptions-all critical factors influencing near‑term strategy for automakers and suppliers alike.
The update also examines key regulatory scrutiny of automated driving technologies and highlights notable OEM and supplier activity that signals where investment and innovation are heading. Designed for busy automotive leaders, this snapshot delivers practical insights to help you assess risk, anticipate change, and position your business for what’s next.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Innovation in an Affordability Era: What Suppliers Should Focus on Today
With the reshaping of powertrain strategies, rising consumer price sensitivity, and global competitors influencing the landscape, suppliers face mounting pressure to reduce costs while continuing to deliver value. Today, innovation isn’t about expansive R&D portfolios. It’s about disciplined, targeted improvements that help suppliers compete on cost, speed, and functionality. Join Plante Moran’s automotive experts on April 21 for a timely webinar that will highlight how suppliers can navigate affordability pressures by aligning with OEM expectations, prioritizing consumer-valued features, and improving operational efficiency. Register today.
Click here for more information.
Loyalty Opportunities Hidden in Today’s Affordability Environment: What Automotive Analytics Reveal
Nearly half of returning car buyers are switching brands-and affordability pressure is accelerating the shift. But inside that disruption are real conquest opportunities for OEMs and dealers who know where to look.
New analysis from S&P Global Mobility breaks down what loyalty data reveals at the manufacturer, model, trim, and DMA level, and how to match the right incentive to the right household before a competitor does. For loyalty, incentive, and pricing teams, the findings are directly actionable: from targeting low-loyalty competitor households to identifying where value perception is breaking down and where there’s still room to hold the line.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Consumers Look for Increased Value in New Vehicles as Wallets Tighten
According to a recent Cars.com survey, three-quarters of in-market car shoppers indicate they are spending less money, focusing on necessities and ensuring they get the most value on major purchases. As costs for fuel, electricity, insurance, auto service and repair parts and more continue to rise, total car ownership, not just the purchase price, is increasingly top of mind.
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Tesla is Developing a New Smaller, Cheaper EV
Tesla is developing an all-new smaller, cheaper electric SUV, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The automaker has contacted suppliers in recent weeks to discuss details of the plan for the compact SUV – which would be a new vehicle and not a variant of Tesla’s current Model 3 or Y, the people said. The conversations involved the manufacturing process and specifications for various components, they said.
Click here for the rest of the article.
From Misconceptions to AI Readiness for Middle-Market Manufacturers
For middle-market manufacturers, AI readiness depends on data discipline and realistic expectations. Addressing early assumptions allows teams to leverage AI on the shop floor to cut downtime and improve day-to-day decisions. Knowing when to move forward, and how, starts with an honest look at your readiness. Plante Moran’s operations and technology experts share seven of the most common AI misconceptions and how they’re handled in practice.
Click here for the rest of the article.
New Survey Shines Light on Software-Defined Vehicles Strategies
AlixPartners recently presented a press conference on its survey of software-defined vehicles (SDV) executives around the world. SDVs are perhaps the most misunderstood trend in the auto industry, but they are also-most experts agree-the very future of the industry. And, as the AlixPartners’ survey reveals, many automakers and auto suppliers today are “giving away” control of their own futures by not controlling key SDV elements.
Click here to watch a replay of the press event.
Automakers’ 2025 Financial Reports: 80% Profitable, but Growth Slows for Most
It would seem that the broader auto industry’s profit margin slump has little to do with listed automakers. In 2025, China’s auto sector remained trapped in a dilemma of rising volume but stagnant profits. The industry’s profit margin for the full year slumped to a low of 4.1%, well below the 5.9% average for industrial enterprises. Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the CPCA, has repeatedly warned that the sector must guard against the erosion of long-term health by price wars to avoid falling into a vicious cycle.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Manufacturer Secures $40 Million in R&D Credits with Strategic Tax Planning
When taxpayer guidance around R&D tax credits changed, a leading global manufacturer of automotive products needed clearer insight into the impacts on their R&D credit eligibility – and whether they were leaving savings on the table. Learn how Plante Moran’s proactive expertise helped a global automotive manufacturer optimized its tax credit strategy and secure over $40 million in savings.
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Used Car Prices Rise to Highest Point Since Summer 2023
Prices of used vehicles are continuing to rise amid relatively tight supplies, according to a closely watched automotive industry barometer. Cox Automotive’s Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index – which tracks prices of used vehicles sold at its U.S. wholesale auctions – increased 6.2% last month compared with a year earlier. The index also hit its highest level since the summer of 2023.
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Domestic Nameplates Outpace Foreign Cars in Odometer Miles
U.S. drivers are accumulating record-high mileage on their vehicles as the average age of cars and light trucks on the road continues to climb. By 2025, the typical light vehicle on U.S. roads had approximately 25% more odometer miles than a decade earlier, and the trend shows no signs of slowing.
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BYD Not in the U.S. Yet. Looks Ready to Expand to Canada
While the US auto industry has been actively trying to keep Chinese carmakers out of American showrooms, Canada seems to be welcoming them. Chinese carmaker BYD will open 20 stores in Canada this year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
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Ford is Taking Lemons in the World’s Largest Auto Market and Making Lemonade
As recently as a decade ago, foreign automakers were planning on China’s massive and growing automotive industry to turn into a second pillar of profitability, standing next to North America, to support long-term growth. Unfortunately, China’s automotive market pushed the boundaries of electric vehicles (EVs) more quickly than anticipated, and created a market that was roughly 50% new-energy vehicles — and a market that foreign automakers such as Ford Motor Company struggled to compete in.
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EV Sales Decline Slows in First Quarter of 2026, Share Stabilizes Near 6%
Electric-vehicles sales fell by 27% year over year in Q1, according to the latest counts from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book. At 216,399, EV sales in Q1 were lower by 7.8% compared to the previous quarter, an improvement and suggesting the sales drop after government-back incentives were terminated has slowed. In Q4 2025, sales were lower by 36% year over year and 46% quarter over quarter.
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