Your latest news update from Ennis & Co aims to bring you the very latest information within automotive from various UK-based and international media sources. This weeks update brings you:
· New appointments in the industry
· COVID-19 recovery
· Automotive companies making moves to support BLM
· EV & technology advancements
· “Ones to Watch”: the latest automotive webinars
| New Appointments in Automotive |
Michael Cole named as first non-Korean Hyundai CEO Cole, who will begin his role on 1 July, moves from his current job as president of sister brand Kia’s US division. He succeeds Dongwoo Choi, who held the Hyundai Europe CEO position for two years. Read the full article here |
The AA Ex-Honda fleet boss Marc Samuel joins the AA The AA has announced that former Honda fleet sales operations manager and ex-Pendragon B2B director, Marc Samuel, has been appointed head of SME and B2B telesales. Read the full article here |
Daimler Daimler Trucks Mexico appoints Jane Rosaasen in Saltillo Daimler Trucks Mexico recently appointed Jane Rosaasen as the new general manager for the Daimler factory in Saltillo, Mexico. Rosaasen becomes the first female director for the plant, which produces Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia Class 8 trucks. Read the full article here |
CDK Global CDK Global appoints Joe Tautges into new Chief Operating Officer role Joe Tautges, executive vice president (EVP) and chief financial officer (CFO), will assume the COO position effective upon appointing a successor to the CFO role. Read the full article here |
Jaguar Land Rover Senior Board Changes For JLR Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed the up-coming retirement of a long-standing board member and two new appointments. Executive director human resources and global purchasing Ian Harnett will step down at the end of July following almost 38 years with the business. Read the full article here |
COVID-19 Recovery Taxi manufacturer LEVC launches black cab campaign to support safe city journeys The new ‘Black Cab: Private Public Transport’ initiative highlights how passengers can always stay socially distanced, in a personal and contactless space by choosing to travel in a licensed black taxi. Read the full article here |
Renault F1 team play key role in developing new COVID-19 treatment device Renault F1 engineers have played a significant role in developing a new aerosol shield, dubbed the ‘Oxford Box’, to keep frontline medical staff safe when treating patients with coronavirus. Aerosol shields are a barrier between a patient undergoing intubation and the staff treating them, allowing access to the patient, while at the same time keeping medical staff safe from infection. Find out more here |
Luxury Car Market – An Emerging Hint of Opportunity According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Luxury Car Market by Vehicle Type and Fuel Type: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026,” the global luxury car market size was valued at $495.7 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $733.2 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 5.2% from 2019 to 2026. Read the full article here |
Automotive companies making moves to support BLM  Some automotive brands have stepped up as the Black Lives Matter protests and anti-racism movement continues. Last week NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, who’s black and the only POC in the top-flight Cup Series, called for the national racing league to ban Confederate flags at its events. Almost immediately after Wallace’s remarks, NASCAR took action, announcing it would no longer tolerate Confederate flags at any of its events, prohibiting anyone from flying one. In related news, Mercedes-Benz announced that it was making a donation to the U.S.-based NAACP Legal Defence Fund, which has been fighting for racial justice since the turn of the 20th century. BMW also publicly announced on Twitter that it would be making a donation to the NAACP Legal Defence Fund too. General Motors’ CEO Mary Barra made an internal announcement letting employees know she’s creating a new Inclusion Advisory Board, plus the company have designated $10m to support inclusion and justice. Digital auction platform Bring a Trailer also made a $25,000 donation to the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit that advocates for social justice for marginalized Black Americans. Read the full article here |
Automotive trends  New technology Groupe PSA introduces virtual showroom technology Groupe PSA has developed a new Virtual Showroom system which allows potential buyers of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and DS cars to browse the latest models from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Buyers are given high-definition tours of the latest models, all via their smartphone, tablet or computer. During this time they can ask brand specialists questions, book test drives and even buy vehicles – all while at home. Read the full article here |
KT and Hyundai Accelerate Digital Transformation with Smart Robots KT, South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, announced it signed strategic cooperation and investment contracts with Hyundai Robotics, to speed up collaboration for digital transformation based on 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart factory. Read the full article here |
EVs  UK to roll out green license plates for zero-emission vehicles in attempt to incentivize uptake In an announcement Tuesday, the UK government said the new number plates would have a “green flash” on their left hand side. Only zero-emission vehicles will be allowed to use them. The overarching idea is to make these types of vehicle easier to spot when on the road. The government said that this would in turn help “local authorities design and put in place new policies to incentivise people to own and drive them.” This could take the form of cheaper parking and free entry into zero-emission areas, the government said. Read the full article here |
| How is Formula E shaping the cars we drive in the real world? Formula E, Formula One’s electric little brother, is at the forefront of developing sustainable electric vehicles (EVs). A few years ago, fully electric cars were only reaching ranges of around 100 miles at a time. That’s not the case anymore. Today the new versions of the Leaf or Zoe can reach double their former distances, with other models like the Audi e-tron SUV or Kia e-Niro able to go 270 miles without needing a top-up. Read the full article here |
| Ones to Watch Webinars SMMT COVID-19 webinar 13 Tuesday 30th June, 15:00 – 16:00 GMT Join the SMMT for their next webinar on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the automotive sector. Mike Hawes will be joined by Mick Flanagan and Ray Tate of Adient, who will be talking about the challenges they’ve faced during the pandemic. Find out more here |
| Auto Trader Weekly webinar, 24th June 2020 Getting retail ready Find out more here |
| Auto Beat Mitigating the Five Major Pitfalls of Implementing Automation Tuesday 14th July Learn what common things can go wrong with automation projects and the best practices to follow to save time, money, and unnecessary headaches. Find out more here |
