Daron Gifford Partner at Plante Moran, leading its automotive industry consulting services practice See All Staff Page Recent Stories Guest commentary: Inflation Reduction Act poses a big automotive manufacturing challenge The incentives for EV consumers are large, but so are the strings attached for manufacturers and suppliers. Suppliers must pivot as Biden accelerates ZEV push The infrastructure bill represents a massive opportunity to hasten transformation by taking advantage of funding and incentive programs. Can suppliers avoid extinction as the automobile pivots to electric? As electric vehicles take hold throughout the industry, suppliers will likely face the biggest disruptions — and the biggest opportunities. Don't repeat mistakes that led to microchip shortage The crunch that has squeezed the auto industry in recent months should be mostly over by the middle of this year. But carmakers shouldn't be so quick to forget the lessons of this crisis: Not only will there be a next time, but that next time will likely be worse. Biden era holds big promise for future of electric vehicles As the incoming administration's policies unfold, U.S. automakers and suppliers will benefit from much-needed clarity around how to invest and prepare for the transition. Crisis exposes flaws in supply chain As vehicle stockpiles became depleted, automakers and their global supply chains have not been able to meet the continued demand, exposing structural flaws in an industry that won't return to normal anytime soon. Why global production numbers don’t always tell the full story If you examined a 20-year graph of global light-vehicle production, you’d find an industry consistently marching onward and upward for two decades, save for recent setbacks and a recessionary dip in 2009. Suppliers need product technology strategy Such an approach is the only way for suppliers to survive in the face of the sweeping changes that are coming to the industry, and the only way to effectively prepare for new challenges such as electrification and autonomy. Mobility-driven future will mean more sales Consumer trends may change. Who's doing the buying may change. But we will certainly need cars in the future. A lot of them.
Daron Gifford Partner at Plante Moran, leading its automotive industry consulting services practice See All Staff Page