Automotive & Business Brief — 5 November 2026
Dräxlmaier closes Zrenjanin (~1,100 harness jobs by Mar 2027) and Magna closes Waldshut-Tiengen electronics (255 jobs, spring 2027) — more EMEA Tier-1 capacity coming out.
All coverage
Archive
Browse every daily brief and breaking alert.
58 items
November 2026
Dräxlmaier to close Zrenjanin (Serbia) harness plant, ~1,100 jobs
Dräxlmaier to close its Zrenjanin (Serbia) wire-harness plant by end-March 2027, about 1,100 jobs affected
Automotive & Business Brief — 4 November 2026
BMW’s second outlook cut (automotive margin −0.5% to +0.5%) and Aptiv’s $700m 2027 chip-inflation warning point to harder 2027 price talks and more volatile German premium volumes.
Schaeffler to close five European sites, cut 3,460 jobs
Schaeffler announced a new performance programme today: a net 3,460 positions cut in Europe, about 2,660 of them in Germany, across 16 European sites, mostly in 2027–2028.
Automotive & Business Brief — 3 November 2026
Stellantis warns an ECU-chip shortage for the Fiat N3 GSE engine may disrupt Pomigliano, Mirafiori and Termoli through December; Melfi is stopped 2–6 Nov.
Automotive & Business Brief — 2 November 2026
The IG Metall strike wave reaches Leoni Kabel, Schaeffler, Vitesco and ZF Wabco today; Forvia shows Electronics +7% and Europe +4% in a falling market and openly pushes inflation pass-through.
Automotive & Business Brief — 1 November 2026
IG Metall warning strikes began at midnight on Sunday and are planned in more than 2,000 plants this week.
October 2026
Automotive & Business Brief — 30 October 2026
IG Metall has called German metal-industry warning strikes from 1 November after rejecting a 1% one-off plus 1.3% in 2028.
Automotive & Business Brief — 29 October 2026
VW lost €5.9bn in Q3 after one-offs, with an underlying 3.8% margin and a €31bn cost programme; Renault and Hyundai both blame raw-material costs; but VW’s European BEV orders are up 39%.
Automotive & Business Brief — 28 October 2026
Mercedes cut its car margin target to 2–3% after a 2.5% Q3, and Stellantis posted a 0.7% margin with Europe negative and a €453m loss; both flag rising material and chip costs.
Automotive & Business Brief — 27 October 2026
VW is weighing its China-developed XPeng architecture for about three-quarters of next-generation VW, Škoda and Cupra models in Europe, and has picked NXP’s S32K5 for zonal controllers from 2027.
Automotive & Business Brief — 26 October 2026
Mercedes plans to cut several thousand temporary workers at Sindelfingen, Bremen and Rastatt. The metal and electrical pay round restarts this week, with warning strikes possible from 1 Nov and 42% of firms expecting job cuts.
Automotive & Business Brief — 25 October 2026
VW and IG Metall will start formal talks on 24 Nov in Emden. VW now targets about 12,000 more job cuts at Volkswagen AG by 2030, and strikes become possible from 1 Jan.
Automotive & Business Brief — 23 October 2026
Bosch carves German Mobility (about 62,500 staff) into its own GmbH from August 2027. Volvo Cars swings to a SEK 3.7bn loss and cuts about 2,500 jobs.
Automotive & Business Brief — 22 October 2026
The VW Puebla strike deadline is 19:00 CEST tonight, with overnight reports conflicting on an 8.24% deal and VW warning the Golf could be moved. ACEA September shows the EU market up 9.3%, BEVs at 22.7% for the year to date and ICE down about 19%.
Automotive & Business Brief — 21 October 2026
Parliament’s centre groups agreed a 2035 target of 95% that is effectively 87.5% with EU green-steel credits, plus 2029–2031 averaging for the 2030 target. Committees vote Thursday; the plenary in December.
Automotive & Business Brief — 20 October 2026
Foxconn is buying half of Mitsubishi Electric’s automotive arm to sell complete EV platforms, Mexico’s zero-duty kit scheme is limited to the 11 carmakers already there, and Leapmotor confirms the B05 for Zaragoza.
Automotive & Business Brief — 19 October 2026
VW labour cost and volume risk: the SZ reports VW guidelines for a group-wide pay freeze to 2030. VW Puebla goes to the Labour Ministry today ahead of Thursday’s strike deadline (19:00 CEST), and Taos output drops to one shift from about November.
Automotive & Business Brief — 18 October 2026
Kromberg & Schubert’s Lutsk plant stopped after a 16 Oct drone strike, its second Ukrainian site out of action. In the same week K&S added a 2,000-job Bitola project for Audi, so EMEA harness capacity is being redrawn quickly.
Franco-German auto package deal locked
France–Germany lock auto package deal after SPD clears — ~80% CO₂ path + Made-in-Europe
Automotive & Business Brief — 16 October 2026
Franco-German draft points to ~80% CO₂ path and EU27+UK Made-in-Europe — SPD still blocking; Council wants deal by year-end.
Automotive & Business Brief — 15 October 2026
Aptiv brings modular auto-plug connectors to IZB (27–29 Oct); Rosenberger adds >50 Gbps fiber for zonal backbones.
Automotive & Business Brief — 14 October 2026
Escondida’s supervisors strike from today’s first shift after mediation failed, with Centinela already in its second week; LME copper sits near $14,600/t. Renault says it would propose cutting 300,000 cars of European output in a year without 2030 CO₂ flexibility, and Brussels says the Franco-German deal is ‘hours or days’ away before the 15–16 Oct summit.
Automotive & Business Brief — 13 October 2026
Brussels puts the Chinese hybrid quota at 350,000 a year from as early as 1 December, against about 800,000 this year, with EU-built cars exempt. Ford wants UK and Turkish assembly to count as ‘Made in Europe’, and Macron calls a Franco-German deal ‘imminent’ before the 15–16 Oct summit.
Automotive & Business Brief — 12 October 2026
China says the hybrid deal lets its exports grow from 2025’s 302,000 cars, which undercuts the ‘halving’ headline. Macron opens Paris pushing EU preference and no ‘screwdriver’ plants, while the Élysée denies a CO₂-for-content deal with Berlin.
Automotive & Business Brief — 11 October 2026
The EU and China agreed to cut projected Chinese hybrid exports by more than half and lower Chinese tariffs on EU car parts; EU leaders meet 15–16 Oct. China’s home market fell 24% in September while exports hit records, and Paris opens Monday with a record 20 Chinese brands.
Automotive & Business Brief — 9 October 2026
Audi wants to reopen Neckarsulm’s job pact ahead of a mid-2027 cost deadline. Mercedes sells out its new electric models in Europe and runs three shifts at Bremen, Rastatt and Kecskemét, and BMW adds the iX4 to a Debrecen plant already running around the clock.
Automotive & Business Brief — 8 October 2026
EU–China talks open in Beijing today, and Brussels is preparing a hybrid import quota in case they fail. Merz and Macron agree to soften the 2035 CO₂ target further in exchange for stricter ‘Made in Europe’ rules, and the EU and UK are trying to avoid 10% EV tariffs between them from 1 January.
Automotive & Business Brief — 7 October 2026
A Q5D-led UK consortium (with Tata AutoComp’s Artifex and a UK carmaker) will build an automated harness line from 2028. Escondida supervisors voted to strike, and only mediation is holding it off for about a week, with copper near $14.5k/t.
Automotive & Business Brief — 6 October 2026
Kromberg & Schubert opens a 7,500-job EV harness plant in Tunisia. An ACEA/EY study ranks wiring harnesses with chips and magnets as the most critical inputs.
Automotive & Business Brief — 5 October 2026
Europe capex vs cost-out: Renault signals >€10bn for France (conditional). Mercedes reopens buyouts. Bosch Nürnberg −900 and two more German sub-tier closures/cuts. Policy calendar: EU Auto Package (2035 at 90%) committee vote slips ~2 weeks.
Automotive & Business Brief — 4 October 2026
Puebla: tentative 13.16%/24-mo deal 2 Oct — strike averted; vote pending; Taos paro 5–9 Oct.
Automotive & Business Brief — 1 October 2026
VW terminated ten Haustarifverträge effective 31 Dec 2026; Beschäftigungssicherung to 2030 untouched; talks 2nd half Oct; strike-capable from 1 Jan 2027 — no closure/strike.
September 2026
Automotive & Business Brief — 30 September 2026
IG Metall / VW / works council §7 review on investment/product commitments (Emden, Hanover, Zwickau). No public outcome yet; IG Metall warned of a “knallharter Winter” if promises slip.
Automotive & Business Brief — 29 September 2026
VW Future Plan 2030 (~50k; >500k EU overcapacity; 4 DE plants insecure 2031–34). Renault €600m Spain EV.
Automotive & Business Brief — 28 September 2026
Stellantis Melfi is offline today through 2 Oct on a component shortage; Mirafiori Fiat 500 body shop also stopped Monday. German labour clocks tick: Hanover VW/IG Metall review Wed 30 Sep; Metall bargaining from 7 Oct.
Automotive & Business Brief — 27 September 2026
Mercedes still holds a conditional two-plant threat (no plant named; Bremen vs Rastatt remains Drohkulisse). VW meets IG Metall/works council in Hanover on 30 Sep; Metall/Elektro bargaining opens 7 Oct; sector peace ends 31 Oct.
Automotive & Business Brief — 25 September 2026
IG Metall 5% from 7 Oct; peace ends 31 Oct (strikes from 1 Nov). VW truce to 1 Jan 2027; review 30 Sep.
Automotive & Business Brief — 24 September 2026
Mercedes floats conditional two-plant closures; IG Metall tables 5% at VW; Future Plan pressure into 30 Sep labour meeting.
Automotive & Business Brief — 23 September 2026
VW ~€16bn Future Plan modelling (50k extra jobs; four plants without firm follow-ons); Mercedes Schiebe conditional one-assembly + one-powertrain threat; IG Metall Aktionstag (~175k) was protest, not strike.
Automotive & Business Brief — 22 September 2026
DE labour: Aktionstag ~175k — protest, not legal strike; Metall demand Wed 23 Sep. Volumes: Navarra ID. Cross SOP + Debrecen 24h vs Mirafiori stop + Unifor conciliation.
Automotive & Business Brief — 21 September 2026
IG Metall nationwide auto action day today — ~280 actions across ~100 DE OEM/supplier sites; local-content push.
Automotive & Business Brief — 20 September 2026
VW FY2026 ORS cut to up to 1% (from 4.0–5.5%) on ~€10bn specials incl. ~€6bn Porsche goodwill impairment.
VW cuts FY2026 operating return on sales to up to 1% (from 4.0–5.5%)
Volkswagen AG has cut its FY2026 operating return on sales outlook to up to 1% (previously 4.0–5.5%).
Automotive & Business Brief — 18 September 2026
Unifor–Stellantis CA expires Sat 20 Sep; still no strike deadline (conciliation + votes first).
Automotive & Business Brief — 17 September 2026
VW: Future Plan 2030 (~50k cuts; 4 DE plants at risk post-2031); ~€16bn cost estimates. Peers: Aptiv brand unify; TE HENN Fluid Line + 4–6 pts content (data/zonal).
Automotive & Business Brief — 16 September 2026
Maghreb cable/controls: Suprajit Tangier; Time/LCS Kenitra. HV: GG Al Luce; Rosenberger HVR210; Aptiv interconnect rebrand.
Automotive & Business Brief — 15 September 2026
VW Future Plan locks EMEA volume reset (plant concept mid-2027; ~€16bn floated). Peers sharpen HV/interconnect (Aptiv brand unify; TE+HENN fluid); Versigent growing.
Automotive & Business Brief — 14 September 2026
VW Osnabrück exit-to-defense is the live German plant-reuse template; Future Plan still flags >500k excess EU units.
Automotive & Business Brief — 13 September 2026
Volkswagen’s Future Plan 2030 locks in >500k units of European excess capacity, ~50k further headcount cuts, and plant-allocation risk at Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm through 2031–34.
Automotive & Business Brief — 11 September 2026
VW puts ~€16bn on Future Plan job cuts / plant exits; successor models for four German plants move east inside the Group.
Automotive & Business Brief — 10 September 2026
VW turns Osnabrück toward defence while Future Plan 2030 leaves four German plants without secure auto allocation.
Automotive & Business Brief — 9 September 2026
Europe-built cheap EVs land: Dacia Spring gen-2 shifts from China to Novo Mesto (Slovenia), from €17,900. Electrification industrialises in CEE: Hyundai Mobis PE plant live in Slovakia (280k units); BMW Regensburg adds Neue Klasse battery-marriage process.
Automotive & Business Brief — 8 September 2026
Aurelius + Lower Saxony (+ Rafael air-defense anchor) take the plant after vehicle SOP ends summer 2027 — first concrete “alternative use” under Future Plan 2030, while Emden/Zwickau/Hanover/Neckarsulm stay under review.
paragon (DE) insolvency
paragon (DE) files for insolvency — 552 jobs, six German sites
Automotive & Business Brief — 7 September 2026
Mercedes threatens a German plant closure unless labour cost-cuts land; VW Future Plan 2030 is already board-approved with >500k units of EU overcapacity on the table.
Automotive & Business Brief — 6 September 2026
VW Future Plan 2030 is now supervisory-board approved: >500k units of European overcapacity acknowledged; Emden / Zwickau / Hanover / Neckarsulm under structural review through mid-2027.
Automotive & Business Brief — 4 September 2026
VW Supervisory Board approves Future Plan 2030 — ~50k workforce cuts, EU capacity >demand by >500k units, German plant follow-on uncertainty 2031–34.