The Latest SAA Newsletter
Registration Now Open for 14th Annual Purchasing Summit; All Six Major OEMs to Participate
The 14th Annual MEMA/SAA Purchasing Summit will be held on May 23, 2023, at Marelli’s offices in Southfield, MI. The summit offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from purchasing executives representing the six major OEMs.
The event will begin with an industry overview and supplier outlook perspective from Citi’s Itay Michaeli. Plante Moran’s Dave Andrea will share key highlights from the latest Plante Moran North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index® (WRI®) Study. The OEM purchasing executives will then provide commentary on the study results and answer questions from event participants.
Click here for more information and to register.
Register Today for June 20 Event: The Value of Benchmarking and Cost Reduction to the Mobility Evolution
Join the SAA on June 20 for an exclusive tour of the Caresoft Global facilities. In addition to the tour, Caresoft executives will be speaking about how benchmarking is playing a critical role in driving down costs and aiding in the mobility evolution. Attendees will see how 12 EVs are currently being benchmarked with parts on display.
Click here for more information and to register.
Mike Wall Discusses EV in Latest SAA Industry Insights Video
Mike Wall, Executive Director of Automotive Analysis for S&P Global Mobility, discusses the company’s latest automotive sales forecast in this quarter’s SAA Industry Insights Video. Check it out here.
U.S Light Vehicle Market Heats Up in April with Robust Result
LV sales grew by 10.2% year-on-year (YoY) in April according to preliminary estimates, to 1.36 million units. While year-ago sales were somewhat impacted by a lack of inventory, April’s volumes were comparable with pre-pandemic levels. In month-on-month (MoM) terms, April is projected to have edged up slightly (+0.2%), despite the fact that seasonality would normally suggest that March would be a significantly stronger month – and it had an additional selling day compared to April.
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Who Does and Doesn’t Respond to Recall Notices?
A way to boost vehicle owners’ recall response rates – which vary by age and income groups – is a team effort that includes not just automakers but also car dealers and even state departments of motor vehicles. That’s a takeaway from the Society of Automotive Analysts’ annual Recall Summit that focuses on a multibillion-dollar facet of the auto industry: fixing defects emanating from design and manufacturing processes.
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Many Gen Z Teenagers Drop Driving as a Necessity
Gen Z teenagers do not view the world from behind a steering wheel. Today, nearly half of 18-year-olds (an estimated 47%) have not acquired their driver’s license. Compare that to 1983 when over 85% of 18-year-old Boomers secured a driver’s license.
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Product Liability Trends in the Automotive Industry
Automobiles may be the most complex, essential and widely used consumer products in the world and every year they incorporate increasingly advanced technology into nearly every component and function. The advancing technology, as well as increased or changing regulatory scrutiny, raises new legal challenges for automakers and their component suppliers, particularly with respect to product liability. In this article, we address key product liability challenges every automotive company must prepare for in this fast-changing industry.
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New Survey of Automakers Confirms Aluminum Use Expected to Grow in New EVs
A new survey of automakers and Tier 1 suppliers conducted by Ducker Carlisle concludes that as electric vehicles continue to enter the mass market, aluminum demand will grow through the end of the decade. The report, “2023 North American Light Vehicle Aluminum Content and Outlook,” released by the Aluminum Association indicates that demand for more sustainable transportation will help drive an increase in market share for aluminum content by nearly 100 net pounds per vehicle (PPV) from 2020 to 2030.
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Automotive Supply Chain Resiliency in 2023: Thought Leaders Gather to Discuss Shift to Electrification
The Society of Automotive Analysts (SAA) and Foley & Lardner welcomed dozens of thought leaders to Detroit for a discussion and reception on issues affecting the resiliency of the global vehicle supply chain focusing on the systemic shift to electrification.
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How is AI Transforming the Future of the Automotive Industry?
In today’s tech-savvy world, people want their vehicles to be as smart as their phones or computers. Thanks to artificial intelligence for bringing our vision of smart vehicles to reality! While the impact of AI is considerable in almost every business sector, AI in the automotive industry is immensely powerful.
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Automotive Professionals Are Invited to Actify’s Supplier Event at Topgolf
Meet other professionals and industry experts, participate in open supplier discussions, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and have some fun at Topgolf in Auburn Hills, courtesy of Actify. The event is June 8, 2023, from 12 pm to 3 pm. Space is limited so register today.
Driving Innovation in Vehicle Lightweighting
Vehicle lightweighting is critical to meeting fleetwide CAFE fuel economy targets and customer demand for greater electric vehicle battery range. The imperative for suppliers is clear: innovation throughout the supply base is needed to help OEMs reduce vehicle mass.
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Forging Closer Supplier-Customer Relationships
Do you understand how your supply chain partners view you? How can your business grow and improve if you have smoother supplier and customer relationships with better communication? Plante Moran’s experts will help you understand what stakeholders want from you and what you can do to improve commercial relationships.
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WiTricity Featured on Ask This Old House
WiTricity was recently featured in a Future Home segment of the PBS hit television show, Ask This Old House, which draws attention to home remodeling, trends, and developments. The program demonstrated how homeowners will be able to incorporate wireless EV charging in their homes and how WiTricity Halo™ can make charging an electric vehicle as easy as parking.
Click here to watch the segment.
Another Record Broken: Q1 Electric Vehicle Sales Surpass 250,000, as EV Market Share in the U.S. Jumps to 7.2% of Total Sales
For more than a year now, the Industry Insights team at Cox Automotive has been expecting monthly new-vehicle sales to improve. In most of 2022, monthly sales volume was consistently stuck at around 1.1 million units as low new-vehicle inventory levels squeezed sales. Inventory has improved notably, and new-vehicle sales are increasing. Inventory volume in Q1 was up by 70% compared to the same timeframe last year. And what do we know about higher inventory? It often leads to higher sales.
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As EV Costs Tumble in China, An Export Wave Builds
Elon Musk has said the only thing holding back electric vehicle (EV) sales is their price. Companies like BYD are solving that problem in China – and getting ready to solve it for the world.
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Increase the Activation of Connected Car Services
Activation rates of connected services would be higher if buyers of connected cars were offered to try those services in a free trial, according to a survey conducted in November 2022 by LexisNexis Risk Solutions with over 2,000 connected car owners. But only 43% of buyers heard in their dealerships about the opportunity to enroll in a free trial – and after trying them, nearly half (45%) became paid subscribers.
In this short video, David Nemtuda, Head of Automotive Products at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and author of the survey report “The Driver’s Mindset: Connectivity & Connectedness”, explains the consequences of that and how automakers can still engage their clients and offer them connected services.
