Daniel Jarratt

Great article here on GM’s battery development activity. Very encouraging to hear that serious work is being done by serious people that might ultimately save domestic auto production. And with all the gloom-and-doom news over the loss of the EV tax credit, this was particularly encouraging: GM says its affordable, more sustainable LMR batteries will decisively outperform China’s best lithium iron phosphate (LFP) specimens — currently the world’s favored low-cost solution. The company’s new cells should deliver one-third more driving range than LFP, at virtually identical cost. … They’ll also save GM at least $6,000 per battery pack, versus today’s pricey high-nickel cells. That’s nearly enough, by itself, to offset the loss of those $7,500 credits and bring EVs closer toward elusive price parity with gasoline models.

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🚨 U.S. Auto Supplier Shuts Plant as EV Demand Cools! The EV dream just hit a speed bump. Dana Inc., one of America’s top auto component makers, has closed its Detroit-area plant, laying off ~200 workers due to “lower EV demand and reduced customer orders.” Here’s what’s driving the slowdown 👇 🔹 EV market share in the U.S. is still under 10% — far below expectations. 🔹 The $7,500 federal EV tax credit recently expired, removing a key buyer incentive. 🔹 Dana is now targeting $200 million in cost cuts by 2026 to stay lean. 🔹 Meanwhile, OEMs like GM and Mercedes are already delaying EV launches as consumer demand softens. This isn’t the end of the EV story — it’s a reality check. The transition will take time, stability, and smarter industrial strategy. ⚙️ What this means for the industry Suppliers must diversify — EV + hybrid + ICE mix will be key. OEMs need to align production with real consumer demand, not projections. Policy makers must ensure consistent incentives, not stop-start schemes that disrupt entire supply chains. 💡Final Take This closure is a wake-up call — not a failure. The EV ecosystem is evolving, and only those who adapt to volatility and policy shifts will survive and thrive. #EVs #ElectricVehicles #Automotive #Manufacturing #Jobs #SupplyChain #CleanTech #AutoIndustry #Mobility #Sustainability #EVMarket #Innovation

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Rivian is investing nearly $120 million to construct a supplier park near its plant in Normal, IL, which is expected to add several hundred supplier jobs and nearly 100 direct Rivian jobs in the next two years https://lnkd.in/g-Ji2zTz

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GM lays off more than 1,700 at sites in Michigan, Ohio, citing EV challenges General Motors laid off more than 1,700 workers across manufacturing sites in Michigan and Ohio, the company confirmed to CNBC. The layoffs include jobs at Detroit's electric vehicle plant and Ohio's Ultium Cells battery cell plant, in addition to temporary layoffs at Ultium Cells' Tennessee plant. The company cited a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. General Motors laid off roughly 1,700 workers at manufacturing sites in Michigan and Ohio on Wednesday, citing a slowdown in the electric vehicle market. The company confirmed there were around 1,200 layoffs at Detroit's electric vehicle plant and 550 cuts at Ohio's Ultium Cells battery cell plant, in addition to 850 temporary layoffs at that site in Ohio. The company also said it would temporarily lay off 700 at Ultium Cells' Tennessee plant. "In response to slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment, General Motors is realigning EV capacity," the company said in a statement. "Despite these changes, GM remains committed to our U.S. manufacturing footprint, and we believe our investments and dedication to flexible operations will make GM more resilient and capable of leading through change." GM also said battery cell production at its Ohio and Tennessee facilities will be temporarily paused beginning in January. It anticipates resuming operations at both battery cell sites by the middle of 2026 and will use the pause to upgrade its facilities. Wednesday's layoffs follow the company saying last week that it would cut more than 200 salaried employees, mostly engineers at its global tech campus in metro Detroit, as part of a restructuring effort. After September, federal incentives of up to $7,500 to purchase electric vehicles was discontinued, leaving consumers racing to use the benefit before the expiration. Though sales for plug-in vehicles soared to records for many automakers in the third quarter, that demand is expected to decline following the discontinuation. GM previously reported a more than doubling of sales for electric vehicles from the year prior, a trend other automakers like Ford Motor and Hyundai saw as well. The Detroit News first reported on the layoffs.

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👩‍💻 Are Zoox and Waymo Automotive Companies or Tech Companies? Five years ago, I made a significant shift in my career: moving from supporting some of the world’s most innovative high-tech customers to working in the automotive industry. It wasn’t just a change of industries— it was stepping into a space where hardware meets AI, where vehicle safety meets software reliability, and where two massive industries are colliding to redefine mobility. As I immersed myself in this new world, one question kept coming up — both for the companies leading the charge and for professionals like me: 🤔 Are companies like Zoox and Waymo automotive companies, tech companies, or something entirely new? Zoox, acquired by Amazon in 2020, is building a fully autonomous vehicle from the ground up — not retrofitting existing models. This places it firmly in the automotive realm for engineering, safety, and manufacturing. But its true edge is its software stack: perception, localization, motion planning, and fleet orchestration — capabilities traditionally owned by robotics and AI firms. Waymo, born from Google’s self-driving project, took a different approach. By partnering with OEMs like Jaguar and Chrysler, it integrates its autonomy platform into existing vehicles. This positions Waymo less as a manufacturer and more as a mobility technology platform, akin to how Android powers various smartphone brands. 🤔 Why Does this matter you might ask? This distinction influences how these companies operate: 👉 Capital Structure: Automotive requires heavy investment in factories and regulatory approval; tech prioritizes software, cloud, and data infrastructure. 👉 Business Models: Automakers sell vehicles; tech companies license platforms or charge per use. 👉 Regulation: Automotive focuses on crash safety and production standards; tech focuses on cybersecurity, AI ethics, and data compliance. 👉 Talent: Automotive attracts mechanical and operational expertise; tech attracts AI, software, and cloud talent. Zoox integrates both worlds — building vehicle + software. Waymo focuses on scaling autonomy software across partners. 🤔 The real answer may not be “automotive” or “tech.” Both companies are moving toward Mobility-as-a-Service — deploying autonomous fleets that could reshape urban transport. Ownership gives way to orchestration: fleets, logistics, and city-scale mobility infrastructure. The automotive and technology industries are no longer separate lanes — they’re converging into a new mobility ecosystem. Zoox and Waymo sit at the center of this transformation, challenging legacy categories. ✅ The question of automotive or tech? is certainly outdated. The answer might be: both — and something more. #AutonomousVehicles #MobilityInnovation #AutomotiveIndustry #MobilityTech #SoftwareDefinedVehicles #FutureOfTransportation #MobilityAsAService #InnovationStrategy

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GM took a $6 billion writedown on the same battery plant Tesla just locked up for $4.3 billion. Read that again. In 2022, GM and LG Energy Solution announced a $2.6 billion joint venture in Lansing, Michigan. 50 GWh of battery capacity. 1,700 jobs. The crown jewel of GM’s all-electric future. By 2025, GM sold its stake. Took the writedown. Pivoted the Orion plant back to gas trucks. Tesla picked up the supply chain. Not for EVs. For Megapacks. Here’s where it gets interesting. LG is retooling the entire facility for LFP prismatic cells. Not the nickel-cobalt chemistry GM planned for electric cars. Lithium iron phosphate. Cheaper. Safer. And until now, almost entirely made in China, where producers control 69% of the global battery market. This deal puts 50 GWh of domestic LFP production online by 2027. Feeding Tesla’s Megapack 3 systems built in Houston. Why does Tesla want these cells this badly? Energy storage is now the company’s most profitable division: ∙ $12.8 billion in revenue last year (up 27%) ∙ Record 46.7 GWh deployed in 2025 (up 48%) ∙ Nearly a quarter of total gross profit ∙ Margins above 29% The business is supply-constrained. Not demand-constrained. The U.S. installed a record 57.6 GWh of battery storage last year. That number hits 70 GWh in 2026. GM and Ford combined for $26 billion in EV writedowns. The battery infrastructure Detroit built for electric cars is being repurposed for the grid. The capital is telling you something. The fastest part of the energy transition isn’t in your driveway. It’s behind the meter, at utility scale, in places most consumers never see. Is this actually a storage story disguised as an EV story? Or are we still pretending this is about cars?

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The Hub will anchor a campus fostering collaboration as Ford competes in a global industry focused on electrification, connectivity, autonomous tech.

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Want to Work for GM, Ford, or Stellantis? Master These 3 Skills First. Dreaming of a career at Michigan’s automotive giants like General Motors, Ford, or Stellantis? Before you send out that résumé, make sure you’ve mastered the skills they’re really looking for: 1. Advanced Manufacturing Technology Skills From robotics to automated assembly lines, today’s auto plants demand tech-savvy workers. Understanding programmable logic controllers (PLCs), machine diagnostics, or even 3D printing gives you a major edge. 2. Data & Quality Control Analysis Big auto is driven by data. Employers need team members who can interpret production data, spot quality issues fast, and keep operations lean. Familiarity with Six Sigma or statistical process control (SPC) is a bonus. 3. Adaptability to Fast-Changing Work Environments The auto industry is shifting fast—think EVs, AI, and supply chain innovation. Companies want workers who can think critically, learn quickly, and thrive in high-tech, fast-paced environments. 💼 Want in? Don’t just apply—prepare. These three skills can get you noticed and in the door. #Michigan #Jobs #AutoCareers #GMJobs #FordCareers #StellantisJobs #WorkforceDevelopment #GetHired #JobFairGiant

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#Forecast: Legacy automakers know that EVs are the future—but as public companies, the only future they can plan for is next quarter’s earnings report. As the current US administration slashes support for new technologies, automakers have been mostly silent, and some have quietly scaled back previously-announced electrification plans. The $3-billion plant, in Marshall, Michigan, uses technology that Ford licensed from Chinese battery maker CATL.  https://lnkd.in/gvcWq-Ri

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General Motors CEO Mary Barra and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung will be keynote speakers at the Automotive News Congress on Sept. 11 in Detroit. The Congress will bring together leading industry executives under the theme “Driving the Future: Innovation and Transformation in the Global Automotive Industry.” Speakers will include experts and executives from LG Energy Solution, Group 1 Automotive, S&P Global Mobility and many others. —— Read the rest of this story here: https://lnkd.in/ejrfyB25 #GM #Hyundai #Automotive #Innovation #Leadership #AutomotiveIndustry #Executives #FutureOfCars #Detroit #Transformation #Tech #Cars #Sustainability #Mobility #Conference #AutoTech

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If you missed it, it’s not too late! You can still catch the Road to 2030: Propulsion Battery Webinar and hear directly from industry leaders about how battery technology is shaping the future of mobility—and why the Detroit Region is positioned to lead in powertrain development and production. The conversation dives into current and future trends, Detroit Region initiatives, and the broader opportunities for mobility and stationary power applications. 🎥 Watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/enM7tYns

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