Good morning! It’s Wednesday, October 23, 2024, and that is The Morning Shift, your each day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from around the globe, in a single place. Listed here are the vital tales you have to know.
1st Gear: Accidents Reported At Illinois Rivian Manufacturing unit [Update With A Statement From Rivian]
Staff at Rivian are coping with some actually nasty security issues at its Regular, Illinois manufacturing facility. They’ve suffered accidents from cracked skulls and foot fractures to again lacerations that require surgical procedure and amputated fingers. One particular person even mentioned she complained to medical doctors final yr about vomiting bile with a “Rivian blue” hue after portray R1s and not using a respirator.
Even supposing Rivian has only one manufacturing facility, it has racked up extra “severe” U.S. security violations than every other automaker because the begin of 2023. That’s… not nice. Staff on the plant say there are many incidents that don’t make it onto authorities studies, too. From Bloomberg:
The electrical-vehicle maker obtained preliminary citations for 16 severe violations up to now 21 months from the US Occupational Security and Well being Administration. Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Volvo AB, Nissan Motor Co., Normal Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. every obtained not more than 10. Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Subaru Corp. noticed none.
Fellow EV maker Tesla Inc. and Chrysler maker Stellantis NV, each with a lot bigger workforces than Rivian, additionally obtained fewer preliminary severe citations. However in contrast to Rivian, Tesla additionally received three “repeat” violations, which carry heavier penalties, and Stellantis obtained two.
Rivian says that its report compares favorably with different producers. “The well being and security of everybody at Rivian is our high precedence, and we’re pleased with our robust security report — which continues to enhance yr over yr,” the corporate mentioned in a press release.
However authorities findings and interviews with present and previous staff at Rivian paint an image of a money-losing firm that struggled to place in place the procedures, gear and coaching required to maintain staff protected. The alleged security shortfalls come as the corporate ramps up manufacturing of supply vans for Amazon.com Inc. and $100,000 luxurious SUVs fashionable with celebrities together with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and appears to entry a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} of state subsidies. In addition they spotlight potential challenges for the US authorities’s objective of accelerating EV output to create good jobs in economically underdeveloped areas and assist gradual local weather change.
The quantity of complaints, citations and severe accidents on the Rivian plant “are all crimson flags,” mentioned Deborah Berkowitz, who reviewed the information at Bloomberg’s request. She served as OSHA chief of employees beneath President Barack Obama and is now a fellow on the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown College.
Rivian says it’s dedicated to employee security, saying it has committees that repeatedly assessment manufacturing facility processes and advocate modifications. It additionally says staff can carry issues to supervisors or report them anonymously. The automaker says its self-reported charge of work-related accidents and diseases this yr has really been higher than the trade common for light-duty producers in 2022 (the final full-year of information out there.)
To be truthful to Rivian, OSHA itself mentioned that because it started inspections in 2021, the automaker has “has improved their security and well being workforce and are very cooperative with the OSHA course of.”
Rivian says that as a part of settlements with the company, virtually all the violations OSHA initially labeled as severe had been in the end downgraded from that class or dismissed. “Preliminary citations shouldn’t be confused as closing citations, and to counsel in any other case is extremely deceptive,” a Rivian spokesperson mentioned.
Former OSHA leaders, nonetheless, say preliminary citations — that are issued after the company has investigated a job web site and regarded the corporate’s perspective — reveal extra about office hazards. OSHA agrees to downgrade citations as a result of its precedence is for corporations to handle hazards, whereas litigating a dispute for years might depart them unresolved, based on former OSHA head David Michaels.
“OSHA’s goal is to get the hazard abated,” mentioned Michaels, who ran the company from 2009 to 2017 and is now a George Washington College public well being professor. “And so OSHA is usually prepared to cut back each the penalties and the variety of citations in an effort to get that settlement.”
Settlements typically require the employer to make broader security enhancements along with the abatement required by the quotation, based on OSHA.
Worker interviews have shined a lightweight on the hazards they face in Regular, the place Rivian has shortly develop into one of many metropolis’s largest employers.
I actually don’t know what the deal is with these upstart automakers having such harmful working situations, however they’ve received to take higher care of their individuals. The outdated Silicon Valley adage of “transfer quick and break stuff” doesn’t work when its the employees’ our bodies which can be breaking.
Up to date Wednesday October 23, 2024 1:50 p.m. EST: Jalopnik obtained a press release from Rivian disputing a few of the claims put ahead in Bloomberg’s piece. It reads as follows:
“The protection of everybody at Rivian is our high precedence. We’re frequently bettering our processes and haven’t obtained any severe citations this yr. It’s extremely disappointing to see how Bloomberg has misrepresented the information on this story. Since January 2023, Rivian has obtained two severe OSHA citations. Preliminary citations shouldn’t be confused as closing citations, and to counsel in any other case is extremely deceptive.
2nd Gear: Trump Is Simply Saying Shit About Automobiles Once more
Donald Trump loves getting on stage and yapping. It’s what he’s greatest at. Now, he’s yapping about making rates of interest on automobile loans for autos made within the U.S. tax deductible. Trump made the announcement in Michigan, a vital swing state. From Automotive Information:
“I don’t need it to profit different international locations. I need it to profit us,” Trump mentioned Oct. 22 at a rally in Greensboro, N.C. “Deductibility of curiosity is nice, however provided that the automobile is manufactured in the USA.”
Trump has elevated his give attention to U.S. automakers in latest weeks as he has sought to assuage voter issues about home manufacturing jobs, repeatedly pledging to revive industries which have closed factories as provide chains have shifted abroad.
Trump mentioned his plan to permit automobile patrons to write-off the mortgage curiosity on their federal taxes could be a boon to U.S. automobile gross sales.
“Why the hell would we give them taxes in the event that they manufacture the automobile in China, Japan or plenty of different locations that stole our enterprise through the years?” Trump mentioned. “I feel that’s going to be nice for Detroit,” he added referring to the U.S. auto manufacturing hub, positioned in battleground Michigan.
Since that is Trump we’re speaking about, the plan lacks any particulars. He hasn’t mentioned something about tax breaks on vehicles made by overseas automakers right here within the U.S.
Along with tax breaks for automobile patrons, Trump has pledged to impose steep tariffs on vehicles and different merchandise made in Mexico, China and different international locations. Economists have warned that might trigger family costs to spike and function a drag on financial progress.
Trump’s give attention to manufacturing jobs comes as he and his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris are in a good race within the seven battleground states, with the previous president forward by 1.1 proportion factors within the RealClearPolitics common of polls.
Trump reportedly spoke of the “glory days” of the American automotive trade. He mentioned his slum lord father, Fred, thought-about the “definition of luxurious” was to purchase a brand new Cadillac each two years.
I’m so drained, people. We’re nonetheless two weeks away from this godforsaken election.
third Gear: There Are 200,000 Locations To Cost Your EV
There are actually 200,000 public charging ports out there throughout the USA, a quantity that has just about doubled because the starting of the Biden-Harris Administration. It means there are actually EV chargers in all 50 states, and it places the nationwide charging community forward of schedule to fulfill the Adminstation’s objective of half 1,000,000 chargers by 2030. From the Joint Workplace of Power and Transportation:
Marking essentially the most important transformation to our transportation system in a century, the deployment of extra chargers is going on because of each public funding and personal sector funding. New charging stations funded by the Nationwide Electrical Automobile Infrastructure (NEVI) system program, Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program, and Electrical Automobile Charger Reliability and Accessibility (EVC-RAA) program have all come on-line inside the previous month or so, bolstering non-public funding that’s bringing multimodal charging options to communities and creating quick charging hubs alongside key journey corridors. As of September 30, 2024, drivers can journey 57.8% of essentially the most closely trafficked corridors nationwide with the peace of mind of discovering a quick charger a minimum of each 50 miles. By the tip of subsequent yr, we anticipate protection on 70% of these corridors.
The Joint Workplace has been working with states, native communities, and trade to construct a nationwide EV charging community that provides individuals entry to the comfort, efficiency, and value financial savings of electrical autos. At present, plug-in EVs make up almost 10% of the U.S. light-duty automobile market, with much more automobile choices turning into out there to fulfill rising demand.
To make sure the nationwide public charging community’s reliability, the Joint Workplace has superior key requirements, together with the J3400 connector commonplace, which was not too long ago established as a really helpful follow. This commonplace will make a higher portion of the present public charging infrastructure accessible to a wider vary of autos.
Our efforts transcend putting in new chargers. We’re upgrading damaged chargers and bringing the nationwide charging community—together with the great paying jobs it entails—to each group, rural, suburban, or city.
I’ve received a small-ish EV highway journey on the docket this weekend, so we’ll see simply how good this infrastructure actually is. Please pray that I don’t get caught on the facet of the highway in a Rivian.
4th Gear: 700,000 Hondas Recalled For Unhealthy Gas Pump
Honda is recalling 720,810 autos within the U.S. due to a problem with a gas pump. Principally, this high-pressure pump can leak, which may enhance the chance of a fireplace, crash or some form of bodily damage ought to it ignite. Not good. From Automotive Information:
The recall impacts the 2023-24 Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2023-25 CR-V Hybrid, and 2025 Civic and Civic Hybrid.
The gas pump, made by Hitachi Astemo in Japan, was improperly produced, resulting in cracking that may trigger the leaks. The issue is especially prevalent in lower-mileage autos, based on NHTSA paperwork. A telltale signal of the defect is a gas odor wafting from the automobile whereas driving or idling.
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The solenoid, or magnetic coil, element at fault within the gas pump will probably be changed with a brand new half with improved dimensions and baking situations.
American Honda mentioned in a press release that it was encouraging homeowners of affected autos “to take them to a licensed vendor for restore as quickly as they obtain notification.”
Honda says it has obtained 145 guarantee claims courting again to February of 2023. Fortunately, there have been no accidents or deaths associated to the difficulty.
