Honda confirms it has a new CEO

Honda has a new CEO, Kia begins its ramp-up for Carnival and Renault. All this and more The morning shift by February 19, 2021.

1st gear: Honda confirms it has a new CEO

He was only wednesday this week when sources told Reuters that Honda’s chief research and development officer would become its CEO, news Honda denied. Except now Honda’s head of R&D has become its new CEO, the company confirmed with a press conference and everything.

This is apparently an attempt to keep pace with the Teslas.

Of Reuters:

Japan’s second-largest carmaker in terms of sales, Honda Motor Co, announced on Friday that its chief executive, Takahiro Hachigo, would step down and be replaced by Toshihiro Mibe, its head of research and development, on April 1.

Mibe, 59, who worked with Hachigo to advance structural reforms, has been chair of the research and development unit since 2019, having worked in engine development and the drivetrain industry after joining the company in 1987.

“We would consider using external information or potential alliances among other actions to make decisions without hesitation,” Mibe said at a press conference in which he called for a “major transformation of Honda high speed”.

His appointment, first reported by Reuters this week, comes as Honda races to catch up on all-electric cars and faces competition from new entrants and tech giants such as Tesla, Apple and Amazon.

“He looked to the future, a direction Honda should take,” Hachigo said at the conference, attributing Mibe’s expertise in environmental technology and energy and attention to change as the reasons for his choice. .

Honda is in a strange middle ground, one in which it does very well in many ways, but I could see it find itself caught off guard in five years if the transformation to electric cars really materializes and it stays. like, “Come buy the Honda Insight.”

2nd gear: the Kia carnival is coming!

The artist formerly known as Kia Sedona is not a van, fool. It’s a “multi-purpose vehicle,” a term that has been around for a while but still confuses me. Are all vehicles versatile?

Either way, Kia has started to ramp up.

Of Automotive news:

The Carnival will be unveiled on February 23 and will be the first vehicle in the United States to sport the new Kia logo and badge.

Kia said the Carnival MPV would push “the boundaries of design and innovation to become a multifaceted and unexpected companion.”

Based on a preview image released by Kia, it will offer three rows of seats, room for seven or eight passengers, and a “bold and boxy” style that resembles the brand’s latest recent utility vehicles such as the Telluride, the Sorento and the Seltos.

The changes are designed to remain viable in a market that is moving away from traditional vans and embracing crossovers and SUVs. As the minivan segment continues to shrink, it remains a key entry point for some brands for buyers, especially families, who want more features (think multiple cup holders and storage bins), seats more flexible and easier entry and exit in a vehicle.

An “unexpected companion” is my favorite description of a new van in probably forever.

3rd gear: Renault has a record loss

For most automakers, that would be bad news. IIndeed, it is also for Renault. It’s just that Renault is the kind of company – partly belonging to France itself – that I want persist through thick and thin and always be with us.

All that means is you probably don’t have to worry too much that Renault is predicting very bad things for 2021.

Of the Financial Times:

Renault suffered a record loss of € 8 billion in 2020 and warned of a difficult year due to weak demand and a global shortage of microchips that rocked the industry.

The automaker and its alliance partner Nissan, which contributes to the French group’s revenue, were hit hard in the first half of last year, as the pandemic hit demand in Europe.

The net loss was worse than the 7.8 billion euros predicted by analysts, but performance improved from July, with Renault describing 2020 as a “year of contrasts.”

The operating margin was 3.5% in the second half of the year and Renault generated positive automotive operating free cash flow, although the company still suffered a net loss of 660 million euros.

It was indeed a year of contrasts. I still can’t believe the Twingo is dead.

4th gear: Daimler is not impressed with its electric car brand in China

China has moved towards electric vehicles fairly quickly, but Daimler’s electric vehicle brand there, Denza, isn’t that hot. Bloomberg said that Daimler is now warning the brand.

Ola Kallenius, CEO of Daimler AG, said the success of the latest Denza crossover will determine the future prospects of the Chinese electric car brand with its partner BYD Co. Ltd., after years of poor sales.

“The cash investment is behind us” for the model, Kallenius told reporters Thursday. “Now we watch how Denza develops and then we will make decisions.”

Lukewarm demand for electric vehicles from Denza has raised concerns as car maker Mercedes-Benz strives to boost yields. BYD declined to comment.

Daimler and BYD created the brand ten years ago to tap the growing Chinese market for new energy vehicles. As sales have taken off, fierce competition in price-sensitive volume segments poses a challenge in terms of profitability.

5th gear: Uber remains bad

The title on this Reuters story is so clear that it is almost shocking. “Uber drivers have a right to workers’ rights, UK highest courts speak out against the business model.” As in, Uber’s entire business model exploits its workers.

A group of Uber drivers are entitled to workers’ rights such as minimum wage, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Friday dealing a blow to the ridesharing service which has ramifications for millions more in the odd-job economy.

In a case led by two former Uber drivers, a London employment tribunal ruled in 2016 that they were entitled to rights which also included paid vacation and breaks.

Uber drivers are currently treated as self-employed, which means the law grants them only minimal protections, a status the Silicon Valley-based company has been seeking to maintain in a long-standing legal struggle.

“The Supreme Court unanimously rejects Uber’s appeal,” Justice George Leggatt said on Friday.

[…]

According to lawyers, details of Friday’s decision could still take several months for details of Friday’s decision to be processed at a new labor court hearing to sort out the practicalities of the amounts owed to the drivers.

The Leigh Day law firm says qualifying drivers may be entitled to an average of 12,000 pounds ($ 16,780) in compensation. He represents more than 2,000 potential applicants.

Uber is simply not tenable.

Reverse: John Paul Jr.

It’s the birthday of the late racing driver. He had a strange life.