Auto Industry News: Detroit Debuts, Record Strikes, Baja Three-Peat, & Tesla Innovations

The situation in America’s car-making heartland has officially reached awkward levels of tension. Just as smiling Detroit Auto Show organizers open convention center doors to spotlight the legacy and innovation of automotive manufacturing, the very workers tasked with bringing those designs into reality are heading into Day 4 of their history-making strike.

The Engine Block has details on where things are at (along with where they could go), plus the most noteworthy Detroit debuts, some exciting news about Westfalia camper conversions, and Tesla’s quiet but startling manufacturing breakthrough.

But first, the SCORE Baja 400 wrapped up yesterday in Ensenada and a familiar face took the crown – for the third time in a row.

Menzies Makes It A Habit

Bryce Menzies celebrated his third straight SCORE Baja 400 victory this past weekend, sailing his Mason-built Ford Raptor Trophy Truck over the course’s 384.66 miles of grueling terrain in just 7 hours 53 minutes and 55 seconds. The victory is particularly impressive since he lost the front-wheel drive on his Raptor a little more than halfway through the race.

“I just had to play it smart, keep my eyes on the ball, and have no flats because that was really going to make it hard for us,” Menzies recapped at the finish line, adding “I had to go back to my two-wheel-drive days, but it was unreal. What a day.”

Finishing just two minutes and 16 seconds behind Menzies was Baja 1000 champ Luke McMillin. Luke’s brother Andy McMillin rounded out the podium, two minutes after that, followed by Alan Ampudia in fourth and Cameron Steele in fifth.

Impressively, the top four finishers competed with no relief drivers, tackling the entire race solo.

UAW Officially On Strike

In a move that’s certainly been brewing for weeks, the United Auto Workers union officially launched a labor strike against the Detroit Three automakers.

Today, Sept. 18, marks the fourth day of the historic walkout, which targets all three companies by staging coordinated stoppages at critical plants. They include:

• GM’s Wentzville, Missouri pickup truck plant, which builds the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups and Express/Savana vans;
• Ford’s Michigan Assembly plant, which builds the Bronco SUV and Ranger mid-size pickup; and
• Stellantis’ Toledo, Ohio plant, which builds Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators.

While these factories do not represent the automakers’ most profitable operations (those would be the Ford Super Duty, Chevy Silverado, and RAM 1500 plants), the hit will still sting. Production from the affected facilities equated to more than 500,000 units sold in 2022. The estimated financial impact on automakers is roughly $150 million a day in lost revenue.

He Said, She Said

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of finger pointing is going around. The automakers allege UAW president Shawn Fain always intended to strike, and said the union did not make “genuine counteroffers” to what they call the most generous contract proposals ever made.

Ford CEO Jim Farley in particular had some harsh words for reporters at the Detroit Auto Show, blaming Fain for not showing up to the bargaining table with him and Bill Ford on Tuesday. “It’s sure hard to negotiate a contract when there’s no one to negotiate with.”

According to the UAW, however, it is the companies who refuse to bargain in good faith. Fain accused the automakers of purposely dragging their heels before contract deadlines, and even filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

As for Farley’s comments, Fain told reporters “I’ve been in meetings every day, every week for the last eight weeks. Jim Farley and Bill Ford have been missing in action. They came in at the opening ceremony and, until last week, that’s the first time they’ve been back. That’s shameful of them to even make that statement.”

What Happens Now?

The bargaining continues. The UAW resumed talks with GM, Ford, and Stellantis; though, on Sunday, Fain told reporters that “progress is slow,” and automakers’ most recent offers were “insufficient.”

The UAW has made several demands, but topping its list are record wage increases of 36% and an elimination of the lower-paid “tiers” of junior or temporary workers after 90 days. According to the last available proposals, all three automakers agreed to offer wage increases of 20%, but with a grow-in period of four years. Only Ford agreed to end wage tiers after grow-in.

Other issues on the table include shorter work weeks, more vacation time, restoration of COLA, the conversion of temps to full-time employees, and a return to defined-benefit pensions.

In total, 12,700 UAW workers are on strike. However, on Friday, Ford announced the indefinite layoff of 600 workers at a Michigan plant due to the walkout’s ripple effect. Similarly, GM’s Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas is expected to shut down early this week, affecting another 2,000 workers. The automakers said there will be no unemployment pay because there is no current contract requiring them to offer it.

The union’s $825 million strike fund will cover the initial strikers with $500/week pay, and may end up covering the additional 2,600 laid-off workers.

While, presumably, the automakers have more millions in the bank than the union do and can therefore sustain a strike for longer, it’s important to note that their suppliers most certainly cannot. And that fragile relationship could work in the UAW’s favor if those supplier partners need a bail-out.

Did You Know…?

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at stopping EV mandates. More specifically, the legislation would block the EPA from granting waivers to those states trying to implement their own strict emissions standards by banning or severely limiting gas-powered vehicles. The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act passed 222-190, with 214 Republicans and eight Democrats voting in favor. However, it is unlikely to become law, since both the Democrat-led Senate and White House both noted their clear opposition.

Detroit Auto Show Debuts

Despite the turmoil surrounding Detroit labor relations, the show must go on. The 2023 North American International Auto Show – more commonly known as the Detroit Auto Show, officially opened to the public this past weekend.

As predicted, the mood has been a bit… quiet. While attendees are enjoying the ability to eye up new models without the looming presence of a salesperson, the truncated media day and overall lack of debuts is palpable. In fact, there were a few new vehicles noticeably missing in action, including the Cadillac Celestiq and Escalade IQ, as well as the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Regardless, a few new faces graced the convention center’s floor. They included:

2024 Ford F-150

With a few styling tweaks and new standard equipment (2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, along with 12-inch infotainment center and LED lighting across the lineup), the F-150’s debut didn’t exactly “wow” so much as it “oh”-ed.

Most notable was the newly available Pro Access Tailgate. Capable of swinging down normally or partially opening outward like a gate, it provides a little more ergonomic access for owners. (They pay for it, though. Base pricing jumps nearly $3,000.)

2024 Jeep Gladiator

Also sporting a mild facelift, the freshened Gladiator shows off a reshaped grille, new stealth antenna integrated into the front windshield, and a much more inviting interior with nicer seats and a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen interface.

Two new trim levels join the lineup (Mojave X and Rubicon X variants), but interestingly the Jeep truck doesn’t copy its Wrangler sibling’s new rear axle, turbo-four engine or plug-in hybrid 4xe/V-8 powered 392 options.

2024 GMC Acadia

Looking large and in-charge, the redesigned Acadia is truly all-new for the 2024 model year. In addition to growing 10.6 inches longer than its predecessor, it sports a new 11-inch instrument display and 15-inch infotainment screen, as well as a 2.5L turbo-four engine making 328-hp, 326 lb.-ft. torque, bringing max towing up to 5k pounds.

2025 Cadillac CT-5

Another facelift, the revised CT-5 arrived in Detroit wearing an all-new and slightly more aggressive front end.

Flanking the wider grille is lengthened, vertical LED lighting, and inside the cabin is a revised, more driver-centric dashboard. It includes a 33-inch curved display with customizable user interface and 9K resolution.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

Arriving in Detroit for its first live look, the Mustang Mach-E Rally is a cool-looking word salad of vehicular adjectives. The $65,000, rally-inspired, street-legal, off-road electric Mustang SUV special edition model (jeez) features plenty of clever suspension engineering so it can zoom down both well-worn roads and paths-yet-taken. Performance-wise, Ford says the dual electric motors will make “at least” 480 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque.

What Else You Need To Know This Week

The clock is ticking on Canadian autoworker contracts.

While Detroit’s UAW enters its fourth day of striking, fellow autoworkers up north await news from their own bargaining teams. Unifor’s contract expires tonight, Sept. 18, at 11:59 p.m. ET — and still, “the union and the company remain far apart,” Unifor President Lana Payne and other chief union negotiators told members in a joint letter late last night.

There are roughly 18,000 Detroit Three autoworkers employed in Canada, but should the union decide to strike, it said only Ford would be targeted. That translates to about 5,700 Unifor workers.

However, it’s important to remember the entire automotive industry is highly integrated. Roughly 48% of the parts made at volume in Canadian factories make their way to the U.S., with many going straight to the Detroit Three. So, even if Canadian autoworkers reach an agreement by this evening, their plants will still feel the effects of the UAW’s strike.

Hey #vanlife lovers, Westfalia is coming back to the U.S. in 2024.

After an almost-20-year hiatus, the beloved German camper van conversions will be hitting North American roads again. However, the brand’s builds won’t be the traditional Volkswagens you’re used to seeing. Westfalia’s parent company, Groupe Rapido, offers nearly a dozen Ram ProMaster models through its Roadtrek brand, and the vehicle featured in Westfalia’s recent announcement is similarly Ram-based.

No specific details are available yet regarding the model lineup, but a reveal is on the calendar: the RV Dealer Open House in Elkhart, Indiana, later this month.

Did Tesla just reinvent car-making??

Tesla quietly celebrated a momentous technological breakthrough recently that stands to completely transform how vehicles – specifically EVs – are made.

In a process dubbed “gigacasting,” the company uses giant die-casting machines to produce a vehicle’s underbody in one single piece. According to Reuters, the innovation not only simplifies manufacturing, but also cuts costs by up to 40% in some areas and could eliminate nearly 400 individual pieces of a car.

Tesla’s “unboxed” manufacturing strategy is key to CEO Elon Musk’s plan to pump out millions of cheap EVs, like the $25,000 model he has been promising for years. And while the castings come with some big quality, safety, and financial risks, if the process can be perfected, that promise could become reality.

The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Check back Wednesday for a spotlight on Aeromotive’s new water pump design, and then come back around on Friday for a list of places that are indisputably better in the off-season.