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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.

Executive Snapshot

  • 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.

Top Developments

  1. Dräxlmaier to close its Zrenjanin (Serbia) wire-harness plant by end-March 2027, affecting about 1,100 jobs after failing to win a replacement project

    Europe

    A management notice to staff on 4 Nov (signed by Eastern Europe operations lead Gvido Majnelt and HR VP Tobias Afsali) says current projects stop by end-January 2027 and the plant closes by end-March 2027, after almost 19 years. About 85% of the ~1,100 employees are cut by end-January; the rest stay for closure work. Contractual severance under the redundancy programme and collective agreement is promised. Peak employment was above 6,000. In July 2026 the company had paused a planned cut of 359 jobs on e-mobility project hopes that did not materialise. Separately, PPM Group announced a new ~10,000 m² plant in Zrenjanin starting April 2027; there is no confirmed link to the Dräxlmaier halls or headcount.

    Companies Dräxlmaier

    Sources

  2. Magna plans to close its Waldshut-Tiengen electronics plant (camera/radar, ADAS) by spring / end-Q1 2027, cutting 255 jobs — a third south-German site exit after Rosenberg and Dorfprozelten

    Europe

    Magna told staff on 3 Nov and confirmed to SWR/dpa that the Baden-Württemberg electronics site is not viable long term given changing industry conditions; closure is planned by spring / end of Q1 2027. The plant makes electronic components including camera and radar for ADAS. IG Metall Lörrach calls it a 'massive breach of trust' after earlier reassurances. Magna already announced Dorfprozelten (Bavaria, 216 jobs, mid-2027) and is closing Rosenberg by end-2026. Interestsausgleich / Sozialplan talks with the works council still lie ahead.

    Companies Magna

    Sources

  3. Versigent’s first stand-alone EDS quarter: Q3 sales $2.45bn (+7.2%, ~+1% adjusted), adj. EBITDA $275m (11.2% margin, +40 bps); raises FY sales and FCF midpoints; EMEA adjusted sales −8%

    Europe

    Net sales $2,450m; adjusted diluted EPS $1.91 (vs ~$1.78 consensus); adj. EBITDA $275m (+10.9%). Free cash flow $170m (vs $179m) on higher launch capex. FY guidance: net sales raised/tightened to $9.5–9.6bn, adj. EBITDA tightened to $970m–$1.01bn (midpoint still ~$990m), FCF raised to $275–325m. Q3 bookings $2.1bn; YTD bookings about $7.5bn and 115+ programme launches. Management flagged EMEA adjusted sales down about 8% on weak demand, lower production and programme roll-offs, and said Q3 margins are not the new run-rate given Q4 launch intensity and copper-recovery lag. Dividend $0.13/share. Shares closed +3.15% at $41.97 on 4 Nov.

    Companies Versigent

    Sources

  4. EP ENVI committee backs a weaker 2035 car CO₂ target of 87.5% (plus up to 7.5% EU low-carbon-steel credits to 95%); vans to 80%; plenary expected in December

    Europe

    On 4 Nov ENVI adopted the mandate 48–30–2. Cars: 2035 fleet cut lowered from 100% to 87.5%, with residual emissions up to 7.5% of the 2021 reference offset by EU-made low-carbon-steel credits (95% effective). Vans: 2030 cut 35% (vs 50% today / 40% Commission) and 2035 cut 80%. Super-credits for small and efficient EU-made EVs (1.2–1.5 multipliers). ACEA called car flexibility still 'too limited in scope and duration' and pointed to the Council. Plenary mandate vote expected December; Council position still open (FR–DE already aligned on more flexibility).

    Sources

  5. Toyota H1 FY2027: operating income ¥2.191tn (+9.2%), net income ¥2.236tn (+26%); raises full-year op. income guidance to ¥3.9tn (+¥0.5tn) and trims sales-revenue outlook to ¥53.5tn

    Asia

    H1 sales revenue ¥26.963tn (+9.5%). Op. income rose on volume/mix and improvement actions despite materials-price headwinds (about −¥465bn in the H1 bridge) and earlier production disruptions; management cites reduced tariff-related costs versus the prior forecast. FY2027 guidance: op. income ¥3.9tn (was ¥3.4tn), attributable profit ¥3.57tn (was ¥3.25tn), sales revenue ¥53.5tn (was ¥54tn). Interim dividend ¥50 (+¥5 YoY); full-year dividend forecast ¥100; share-buyback authorisation raised by ¥300bn to ¥1.3tn for the year. Electrified share of sales 55.6%. Tokyo shares jumped about 17% intraday on the release.

    Companies Toyota

    Sources

  6. Aumovio (ex-Continental Automotive) Q3: adjusted sales €3.97bn (−12%), adj. EBIT €137m (margin 3.5%); confirms 2026 guidance; flags tougher Safety & Motion outlook after the BMW settlement

    Europe

    Q3 adj. sales €3,970m (−12.0%); adj. EBIT €137m (−10.5%) but margin up slightly to 3.5%. 9M adj. sales €12.6bn (−9.8%), adj. EBIT €294m (−29%). Q3 order intake €6.4bn (vs €3.2bn). FY2026 guidance confirmed: adj. sales €17.0–17.5bn, adj. EBIT margin 3.0–4.0%, normalised FCF €500–700m. Safety & Motion sales outlook cut to a 'significant' decline (BMW July settlement ~€100m hit plus weaker market); User Experience stays inside the group after the strategic review. Global LVP in Q3 about −1.6%, Europe flat.

    Companies Aumovio, BMW

    Sources

  1. Renault CEO François Provost: 2035 ICE ban 'unrealistic'; Europe’s car market already down ~3m units/year vs pre-Covid and could lose another ~3m by 2030; Chinese cost gap ~35%

    Europe

    In a 4 Nov interview with Il Fatto Quotidiano, Provost says Europe should not impose 2035 as a hard stop, expects a post-2030 mix closer to 50% BEV / 50% hybrid-REEV if the market decides, and urges the EU to curb unchecked Chinese imports while inviting Chinese OEMs to invest and build in Europe (as China once required of Europeans). He puts the Chinese industrial-cost advantage at about 35% and rejects cutting European wages or forcing another 20% from already-stressed suppliers as the answer. Twingo EV is cited as profitable; target is EV margins close to ICE/HEV by 2030.

    Companies Renault

    Sources

  2. Stellantis to switch 'many' European nameplates from NMC to cheaper LFP batteries from 2027, alongside the STLA One mega-platform, to cut EV costs

    Europe

    On the Q3 call (picked up in detail by Automotive Logistics on 4 Nov), CEO Antonio Filosa said from 2027 many European nameplates will move from NMC to LFP cells as one of two 'very important competitive moves', with 'substantial' battery-cost savings; specific models were not named (Fiat 500e is widely expected). The second move is STLA One in 2027, consolidating five platforms into one B–D architecture aiming at >30 models and >2m units by 2035, with a ~20% cost-efficiency target. Enlarged Europe Q3 adj. operating loss was €311m. Stellantis–CATL Zaragoza LFP plant (up to 50 GWh) is now expected to start in 2027.

    Companies Stellantis, CATL

    Sources

  3. Germany October: registrations +2% to 254,500, BEV +79% (37% share) and e-share 48.2%; domestic production −7% and exports −10%

    Europe

    VDA (3–4 Nov): October Pkw registrations 254,492 (+2% YoY); BEV 94,086 (+79%); PHEV 28,499 (−8%, first drop since Sep 2024); total e-share 48.2%. YTD registrations 2.48m (+5%). Domestic production 326,300 (−7%); exports 246,500 (−10%); foreign orders −16%. Domestic BEV orders at German makers +68% in October. Foreign brands’ registrations +18% vs German brands −5% in the month.

    Sources

  4. IG Metall: third-round Baden-Württemberg talks open today in Ludwigsburg after another warning-strike day; no result yet

    Europe

    Talks for ~900,000 BW metal/electrical workers start around midday 5 Nov in Ludwigsburg (tagesschau 06:33 CET). On 4 Nov IG Metall BW said >15,000 workers from ~70 plants joined actions by early afternoon (Porsche Zuffenhausen ~3,500). Demand remains 5% for 12 months plus job/site security; employer offer is a conditional 1% lump sum in July 2027 and 1.3% from July 2028. Küste district talks follow on 6 Nov in Bremen. No deal has been reported as of brief cut-off.

    Companies Porsche

    Sources

  5. Japanese wire & cable makers extend their sell-off: Furukawa Electric about −17% and Fujikura about −11% on 5 Nov, ahead of H1 results next week

    Asia

    On 5 Nov in Tokyo, Furukawa Electric (5801) traded around ¥2,144 (−17%), Fujikura (5803) around ¥3,260 (−11%) and Sumitomo Electric (5802) around ¥1,431 (−7%), continuing the AI/data-centre-linked derating that began earlier in the week (Nikkei weakness). No auto-harness profit warning has been issued; Furukawa reports 9 Nov and Fujikura 10 Nov. The moves are market-driven, not a new auto demand signal.

    Companies Furukawa Electric, Fujikura, Sumitomo Electric

    Sources

Earnings Calendar

DateCompanyEventWhat to watch
VersigentWire harness EMEA adj. sales −8%. ([Versigent](https://www.versigent.com/newsroom/news-detail/2026/11/04/versigent-reports-third-quarter-2026-results); Yahoo Finance)
MothersonWire harness Samvardhana Motherson Q2 FY27 results / call ~17:00–17:30 IST 17:00; 17:30
ToyotaOEM Tokyo shares ~+17% intraday. ([Toyota IR](https://global.toyota/en/ir/financial-results/); Yahoo Finance 7203.T)
Daimler TruckOEM Daimler Truck Q3
Furukawa ElectricWire harness Furukawa Electric H1
FujikuraWire harness Fujikura H1
HondaOEM Honda H1
InfineonElectronics Infineon Q4 FY2026
NissanOEM Nissan H1

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