Straight Talks: New players, new rules - IP disruption in the automobile industry
A number of auto suppliers are reducing R&D and engineering budgets in response to cost pressures, according to a report in Crain’s Detroit. Declining automotive plant capacity utilization in the U.S. is expected to be a...more
A recent decision of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Board (the “Board”) reinforces why auto manufacturers need to ensure they have a proactive process in place to address the timely renewal of expiring dealer agreements. Based on...more
Key Developments - U.S. new light-vehicle sales reached a SAAR of 15.3 million units in June, and second quarter 2024 sales fell by approximately 0.4% from April-June 2023, according to initial estimates from Wards...more
A federal court in Wisconsin recently granted a motion to dismiss all claims in a putative multi-district class action against motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson, asserting claims that the OEM’s warranty violated the...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Cox Automotive predicts U.S. new light-vehicle sales in the first half...more
Welcome to the June, 2024 edition of Plugged In. I am filling in this month for our editor, Heather Frayre, during her well-earned vacation. This month we focus on the U.S. and China relationship as North America’s EV...more
Trade associations representing independent repair facilities have become strong advocates for expanding right to repair laws to increase member access to vehicle telematics data. These efforts have created uncertainty for...more
Editor’s Note - Welcome to the May 2024 edition of Plugged In! This month, we delve into the nuanced developments shaping the future of EVs, from strategic challenges to investment trends....more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Foley & Lardner and MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers will host a...more
Last week, the Illinois federal court in Volkswagen Group of America v. Illinois Secretary of State, 2024 WL 2020036 (N.D. Ill. May 6, 2024) granted a motion to dismiss a challenge brought by Volkswagen (“VW”) against a 2022...more
1. “No re-export to Russia” clauses become mandatory for certain contracts within the EU - As of March 20, 2024, so-called “no re-export to Russia” clauses have become mandatory for certain types of contracts concluded by...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Foley & Lardner provided an overview of recent state and federal...more
The Michigan Supreme Court’s July 2023 decision in MSSC, Inc v AirBoss Flexible Prods Co renewed many suppliers’ ammunitions in customer negotiations. One OEM, however, has been publicly pushing back against those arguments,...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Recent pricing disputes with suppliers have resulted in production...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Foley & Lardner LLP partner Nicholas Ellis is quoted in the Supply...more
On March 1, 2024, at the direction of President Biden, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on the proposed...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - U.S. new light-vehicle sales are projected to reach a SAAR of 15.4...more
Increasingly, buyers are turning to a new tactic to stem the tide of rising costs: Upstream buyers are demanding longer payment terms. The demands often come from the top (i.e., OEMs and Tier 1s) down and take many forms....more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Nearly 9,000 UAW members at Ford’s largest truck plant in Kentucky...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - U.S. new light-vehicle sales reached a SAAR of 15 million units in...more
Editor’s Note - Happy New Year to all our readers. Plugged-In had an excellent kick-off year in 2023 with all our editions being well received both internally and externally, and led to new collaboration with guest authors...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - China may have surpassed Japan to become the world’s largest...more
This update helps automotive suppliers inform their legal and operational decisions to help address challenges and opportunities. Key Developments - Full-year 2023 U.S. new light-vehicle sales reached approximately 15.5...more
On Friday, December 22, 2023, FCA US LLC, the manufacturer of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram vehicles, among others, scored the latest in a series of victories for automakers over claims by consumers that “destination charges”...more
Key Developments - Full-year 2023 U.S. new light-vehicle sales are expected to reach 15.5 million units, and increase to 15.9 million units in 2024, according to projections from S&P Global Mobility. Global light-vehicle...more