The Latest SAA Newsletter
Speakers Announced for 17th Annual Purchasing Summit; Register Before it Sells Out
The speaker line-up is now complete for the 17th Annual Purchasing Summit, taking place on May 19 at Marelli's Customer Experience Center in Southfield, Mich. Speakers from Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda will share their perspectives on how suppliers can strengthen collaboration and navigate the evolving purchasing landscape.
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.
This event is held in conjunction with MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers. Click here for more information and to register.
Motoring Minds Launches; Reports on Insights from the Beijing Auto Show
SAA’s first Motoring Minds aired on April 29. The sessionS explore the latest industry trends and innovations with expert-led discussions and are hosted by Adam Bernard, SAA President and Founder of AutoPerspectives. In the inaugural live episode, Adam spoke with Tu Le, reporting live from the Beijing Auto Show. Tu shared his expert insights on what he saw at the show, including the products and brands making the biggest buzz. If you missed it, click here to watch it now.
Introducing Foley's 2026 AI in Manufacturing & Supply Chain Series
The manufacturing and supply chain sector is experiencing rapid transformation driven by advances in artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and connected technologies, amid continued global uncertainty and heightened regulatory scrutiny. As organizations integrate predictive analytics, agentic AI, and real‑time data into core operations, they face expanding legal and operational risks, including liability exposure, cybersecurity and data governance challenges, workforce impacts, and contractual complexity. To help industry leaders navigate this evolving landscape, Foley is pleased to launch the 2026 AI in Manufacturing & Supply Chain Series. The series delivers focused insights on key legal and strategic considerations — including AI contracting, data ownership, intellectual property, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and AI‑driven liability — designed to support responsible adoption and long‑term success in an increasingly autonomous, data‑driven environment. Subscribe here to the series to get updates about new articles. Contact authors Vanessa Miller at vmiller@foley.com or RJ McVeigh at rmcveigh@foley.com for more information.
Chinese Automakers Need Side Hustles Because They Can't Make Money on Cars
China has held the mantle as the world's largest new vehicle market for 17 straight years, which explains why long-established legacy automakers have jumped through so many hoops for a piece of the action. But what once was the envy of automotive executives from Detroit to Stuttgart has overheated with capacity to build way too many vehicles for the domestic market. There are about 150 automakers in China today, and only about a dozen are likely to survive the great purge. Something's gotta give.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Miss the Recalls Summit or Want to Watch it Again?
SAA's 13th Annual Automotive Recalls Summit on April 28 once again provided insight on the state of recalls. The event has become a must-attend event for anyone navigating the high-stakes world of automotive safety, compliance, and quality and features bold conversations, hard data, and actionable insights across the issues defining recalls today. The event is held in partnership with Stout and is sponsored by LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
If you missed the Summit or would like to watch it again, you can find a link to a recording of the entire event in the Members Section on the SAA website (SAAauto.com) under Presentations.
Chinese Automakers Plan to Almost Triple Overseas Production by 2030
Chinese automakers and suppliers aim to make international markets their main profit driver by almost tripling overseas production by 2030, according to a new report from AlixPartners, the global consulting firm. China is already the world’s biggest car exporter but is pivoting from established markets in Russia and the Middle East to develop production plants in more than a dozen countries, with Europe and Latin America emerging as a key battleground, says the report.
Click here for the rest of the article.
AI-Driven Predictive Maintenance Across Modern Vehicle Platforms
As vehicles become increasingly software-defined, OEMs are under pressure to move beyond reactive, rule-based maintenance. Interpreting noisy, high-volume vehicle telemetry to predict failures, optimize maintenance, and manage warranty costs has become critical—across both passenger and commercial vehicle programs.
Working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), KPIT applies automotive-specific AI models and Generative AI to vehicle telemetry and service data to enable predictive maintenance at scale. AI-based Remaining Useful Life (RUL) models help anticipate component degradation based on real-world operating conditions rather than fixed intervals. In one US truck OEM deployment, this approach extended engine oil life by approximately 12% (4,000–4,500 km), while AI-assisted diagnostics have also delivered up to 40% faster diagnosis, 30–50% higher technician efficiency, and 20–30% fewer incorrect warranty claims across programs.
Together, these capabilities support earlier interventions, better maintenance decisions, improved vehicle uptime, and tighter control of lifecycle costs—regardless of vehicle segment. Click here to learn more.
Improve Supply Chain Collaboration with the Working Relations Index®
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-supplier relations are complex and dynamic, directly influencing product development, cost competitiveness, quality, profitability, and more. Here’s how the Plante Moran Working Relations Index® (WRI) study can help improve customer/supplier communications, build operations efficiency, and increase performance.
Click here for the rest of the article.
5 Steps to Drive Value from Your Cloud Migration
A successful cloud migration delivers far more than infrastructure relief. With intentional planning, strong governance, and ongoing optimization, organizations can turn cloud adoption into a durable source of agility, security, insight, and long-term enterprise value. Plante Moran’s technology experts address 5 areas to prioritize.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Record-Breaking Beijing Auto Show Highlights Accelerated Shift to Smart EVs
The 2026 Beijing Auto Show officially closed on May 3, with the event's record scale and massive attendance highlighting China's core position in the global auto industry's transformation. The exhibition's total display area reached a record 380,000 square meters, making it the world's largest auto show by scale.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Trump is Ending EV Subsidies. What Happens Next?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to eliminate what he incorrectly labels “the electric vehicle mandate” imposed under former President Joe Biden. His order on Monday is consistent with pledges Trump made on the campaign trail to end what he calls a “preposterous” focus on EVs by Biden and other Democrats. The order, along with other steps expected in a second Trump administration, could slow U.S. efforts to address climate change, much of which is caused by burning gasoline and diesel fuel that emit carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Ford CEO Jim Farley Says Industry Must Make EVs 'More Affordable' as New-Car Costs Strain Buyers
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley says making vehicles more affordable must become a priority for the auto industry, arguing that Ford is already preparing lower-priced models as new-car costs strain U.S. households. In a CBS News interview, Farley was asked whether Americans can afford new cars today. "Some Americans can," he said. "But we need to do a great job as a brand and as an industry to make our vehicles more affordable. I think you’re certainly going to see that at Ford over the next couple of years."
Click here for the rest of the article.
Why Automakers Are Turning Back to Hydrogen as EV Plans Shift
For over a decade, the global automotive industry had committed to and invested in the battery electric vehicle concept. That narrative has now all but collapsed, confronted with fading consumer demand, volatile supply chains, and infrastructure bottlenecks. OEMs are now pulling capital out of the BEV fad and moving toward hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Dealers Adapt as Market Pressures Reshape April Auto Sales
Tariffs, high interest rates, and rising gas prices are squeezing dealers from multiple directions, and the April numbers show it. New-vehicle sales posted their eighth consecutive year-over-year decline, EV demand continues to fall, and affordability remains an obstacle for buyers, according to NADA’s April 2026 Market Beat report.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Automakers Killed Sedans for SUVs, Now They Want Them Back
During the first quarter of 2026, the Toyota Camry did something it hadn’t achieved in almost a decade: it outsold every one of its stablemates, including the ever-dominant RAV4. It wasn’t even all that close. The Camry delivered 78,255 units, up 11.3% year over year, while the RAV4 managed 59,869 units, down 48.1%. To be fair, the SUV is caught mid-transition to a new generation, which distorts the comparison.
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Michigan Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal and Leaves Uncertainty for Automotive Manufacturers
Foley & Lardner Partners Vanessa Miller and Nicholas Ellis, as well as Associate William Kalas, assessed the ramifications of the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the appeal of FCA US LLC v. Kamax Inc., “a case of considerable importance to manufacturers—particularly automotive suppliers—that commonly utilize requirements contracts to govern long-term supply arrangements.”
Click here for the rest of the article.
SDVs Pose Challenges to Automotive Supply Chains, Moody’s Says
The software-defined vehicle will expose the automotive supply chain to potentially higher cost pressures. That’s the view expressed in a Moody’s blog article, which pointed out that as cars start to behave more like updatable software platforms, supplier failures, outages or vulnerabilities can have immediate operational, regulatory and reputational consequences for manufacturers.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Autonomous Vehicle Funding More Than Triples in 2026 to Hit Record Amount
Funding to autonomous vehicle startups has seen a massive resurgence in 2026, more than tripling so far this year compared to all of 2025 globally, Crunchbase data shows. Several multibillion-dollar megadeals drove the spike in first-quarter investment. That signals investors aren’t just paying for research anymore, but betting on companies that are ready to scale up and put their AI technology into actual cars people can buy or hail.
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