テスラ、値下げとサービス低下でレンタカー会社との評判回復に躍起
おはようございます！2024年5月20日月曜日、これは世界中の自動車関連の主要ニュースを毎日まとめてお届けする「The Morning Shift」です。知っておくべき重要なニュースをご紹介します。
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1st Gear: レンタル大手を取り戻すためテスラの「ダメージコントロール」開始
電気自動車の購入を検討している人にとって、テスラがここ数カ月に実施した値下げの集中砲火は、 バッテリー電源に全力を注ぐための歓迎すべき後押しとなったかもしれない。しかし、 レンタカー会社 で、車両の電動化に何百万ドルもつぎ込んだにもかかわらず、値下げによってその価値が下がってしまった場合、テスラは今のところお気に入りの会社ではないかもしれない。
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ロイター通信によると、テスラが度重なる値下げを行ったため、レンタルEV車の 価値は新車購入時の価格のほんの一部にまで落ち込んでいる。レンタル会社にとっては、電気自動車を適正価格で販売することが非常に難しくなっている。また、テスラから購入した車の寿命期間中のサービスの質の悪さや修理費の高騰についても不満が寄せられている。現在、この米国企業は、レンタル客の間で傷ついた評判を修復しようと、被害抑制モードに入っている。ロイター通信は次のように報じている。
ロイターが大手リース・レンタカー会社の幹部９人、および企業の車両管理担当者約１２人に対して行ったインタビューによると、その取り組みには、在庫がある新車購入時の非公式割引や、車両管理担当者やリース会社がテスラが何年もの間これらの問題を無視してきたと指摘してきたサービス、修理、発注に関する広範な苦情に対処する取り組みなどが含まれている。
テスラの販売価格引き下げは、世界的な電気自動車需要の低迷と、特にBYDなどの中国の電気自動車メーカーとの競争激化に対応して、販売を強化することが狙いだった。しかし、それは、フリート購入が自動車販売のほぼ半分を占める欧州の主要顧客の利益に打撃を与えた。
リース会社は新車を購入し、リース終了時にいくらで売れるかを予測してリースを手配する。価格が急落すると残存価値が下がり、リース会社に損失が生じる。
Despite its efforts, one expert Reuters spoke with warned that the measures may be too little, too late. This could spell trouble for the EV maker, as its sales have begun slowing in recent months as other automakers enter the EV space, the second hand market begins growing and buyers consider hybrids instead.
If Tesla can’t get rental companies back on side, storage space at its facilities in California, Texas and Europe could soon begin piling up with unsold models .
2nd Gear: UAW Loses Key Vote To Unionize Mercedes
The United Auto Workers union is on a high right now, after winning record contracts for workers across Stellantis, Ford and General Motors last year. Now, it’s targeting expansion into facilities run by other automakers , but it just faced its first setback at Mercedes-Benz.
Workers at Mercedes’ Alabama assembly plant were last week asked to vote on joining the UAW, reports the Detroit Free Press. However, workers came down against joining the union, with 56 percent of those polled voting against membership. As the Free Press explains:
Voting wrapped up Friday morning and the unofficial tally — 2,642 against to 2,045 in favor — was released in the afternoon by the National Labor Relations Board. The UAW loss means thousands of full- and part-time workers at Mercedes-Benz assembly and electric vehicle battery plants in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama, east of Tuscaloosa, will remain without union representation.
The union campaign had come under attack by politicians, including Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, as an effort by outside forces that would hurt the state’s auto industry, and the company had been accused of union busting, which it denied.
Union supporters said they were intent on ending the “Alabama discount,” the idea that companies benefit from lower wages in the state.
The vote followed a successful campaign for unionization at a VW plant here in America and came as the union ramped up its activities at Hyundai plants as well. Despite the setback, the momentum to unionize more American auto plants has “slowed” but continues. One expert the Free Press spoke with predicted that it could mean delays to a vote at Hyundai plants in Alabama, but added that the union could hold a follow up ballot in a year’s time.
3rd Gear: Polestar Risks Being Kicked Off The Stock Market
Tesla’s struggles keeping renters on side isn’t the only concern the electric car world is facing right now. Struggling startups across the sector aren’t selling cars at the rate they expected, and this is leading investors to lose faith. Now, it looks like Swedish startup Polestar could be heading for rough waters as it’s been threatened with delisting from the U.S. stock market, reports Reuters.
The Geely-backed company has been notified by the NASDAQ that it risks being delisted after failing to meet the exchanges listing rules, reports Reuters. The company reportedly failed to file its annual reports with the U.S. securities regulator in a “timely” manner. As Reuters explains:
The company said it is working to file its annual report for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31 and to report its first-quarter financial results of 2024.
Polestar has 60 days from the date of the notice to submit a plan of compliance to Nasdaq, it said in a statement.
A deficiency notice from Nasdaq is a formal alert sent to a company that is not meeting the minimum standards for continued listing. It serves as a warning to rectify the issues or face potential delisting.
The warning came after Polestar announced plans to delay publication of its fourth-quarter results for 2023, as well as the full-year results, for a second time. The company is now projected to share the results on May 23, when it will share further details of how many cars it sold in 2023.
The company currently only markets the Polestar 2 in the U.S., but the new all-electric Polestar 3 SUV and Polestar 4 are rolling out this year and should provide a good bump to the automaker’s sales.
4th Gear: Dodge Boss Tim Kuniskis Retires
After 32 years with the company, the head of Dodge and Ram is stepping aside at Stellantis at the end of this month. From June 1 2024, Tim Kuniskis will be replaced by Matt McAlear CEO of Stellantis’ Dodge and Ram brands, reports Automotive News.
McAlear, who has been working to lead sales operations at Dodge up until now, will take control of Dodge, while the management of Ram will be handled by Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell. As Automotive News reports:
“I want to take the opportunity to warmly thank Tim for his passion, commitment and contributions to Stellantis and in defining the vision of the future electrified Ram and Dodge brands. I wish him well in his retirement,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “I am confident that Chris will continue the work of Tim in leading the iconic Ram brand. Matt will bring a fresh perspective, while continuing to draw on the heritage of our iconic Dodge brand and leading the transition of the brand toward a sustainable future.”
クニスキス氏は2021年1月からダッジを、2023年7月からラムを率いてきた。フィアットクライスラーオートモービルズでは、北米での乗用車とジープブランドの監督、マセラティとアルファロメオの世界的統括などを務めた。
クニスキス氏が指揮を執る中、ダッジとラムは近年、多くの変革を遂げてきた。最も顕著なのは、電動化による高性能化を優先し、ダッジのV8エンジンを廃止した ことである。これには、両ブランド初のEVの展開も含まれており、チャージャーEV とラム1500 REV ピックアップは今年後半に発売される予定だ。
