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Emerging legal and business developments for the automotive industry

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By: Foley & Lardner LLP

Latest from Dashboard Insights - Page 2

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Over the last half century, urban centers have been combating the blessing and curse that is the automobile and freeway system. While historically providing means and opportunity for people to move themselves at high rates of speed over long distances, this also meant people no longer had to live close to their area of work. As a result, suburban sprawl gripped many American cities as residents sought more and more land and freedom from the…
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On March 19, 2019, NHTSA published General Motors’ petition seeking a temporary exemption in order to field a fleet of its fourth generation Cruise AV vehicles without traditional vehicle controls.  When the vehicle was first announced by GM in early 2018, images depicted a Chevy Bolt interior, absent a steering wheel, pedals and mirrors, which are required under current U.S. vehicle regulations.  Dan Amman, former president of GM and now-CEO of GM subsidiary, Cruise Automation,…
Welding huge steel structure
Three welders working on large metal structures, view from above
While the economy overall is strong and vehicle sales are still robust, there are risks in the industry that may affect the supply chain and cause disruptions throughout the year. Chief among these are the ongoing concerns regarding tariffs on products such as steel and aluminum, along with the on-again, off-again trade disputes with China. In addition to the upheaval in global markets, the shift away from passenger cars and toward trucks and sport utility…
robot assembly line in car factory
3d rendering robot assembly line in car factory
The rapid adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies leaves manufacturers with a choice: accelerate with the market or be left behind.  According to a 2019 Global Market Insights, Inc. report, the market for artificial intelligence in manufacturing will grow to $16 billion by 2025.  Factors driving the adoption of Industry 4.0, the general name given to the deployment of cyber-physical systems, Internet-of-Things technologies and cognitive computing in the manufacturing environment, include: Reducing the cost of operations…
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Many automotive suppliers and OEMs have announced plans to bring autonomous vehicles (AVs) – and related components, software and services – to market, often collaborating with technology startup companies to develop the underlying hardware or software. As these parties work together to develop technical solutions, the resulting intellectual property (IP) can become a key asset of the automotive supplier, the technology startup company or both. Failure to properly protect and capture IP around technical solutions…
robot assembly line in car factory
3d rendering robot assembly line in car factory
Experts warned in late 2018, that they expected to see new light vehicle sales in the U.S. dip for 2019.  A year earlier, many predicted the same sort of decline for 2018 but last year’s numbers proved them wrong.  U.S. sales in 2018 reached 17.3 million, a gain of 0.6% and the fourth biggest year on record.  The 2018 numbers did include some warnings for the year ahead.  In the last three months of 2018…
Ensuring all legal customs rules are met
A customs inspector standing and reviewing a tack of containers
NAFTA/Mexico Update The global automotive industry is experiencing one of the most significant trade shifts in over two decades, specifically the new developments in conducting business in Mexico, including international trade and product safety. In fall 2018, the United States, Canada, and Mexico reached an agreement to revise the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement, now named the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), is not expected to take effect until 2020 (at…
Friday Traffic on the 405 freeway North Los Angeles California
Los Angeles, CA, USA - January 22th, 2016: A northbound view of the 405 freeway during Friday afternoon traffic with Getty Museum, Westwood and Santa Monica mountains in the background.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to be active in investigating potential safety-related defects and noncompliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). As the deployment of advanced vehicle technologies continues to accelerate, NHTSA has also been increasing its enforcement capacity, while looking for ways to encourage innovation in this area. NHTSA has taken—and likely will continue to take—a wait-and-see approach to autonomous vehicles, leveraging its research capacities and conducting industry outreach to…
Woman at office desk signing a contract
Businesswoman female fingers hands paper pen
According to Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014), indemnity is a “duty to make good any loss, damage, or liability incurred by another.”  At its core, an indemnification is a promise to reimburse a person for a loss incurred by that person.  Often, the obligation to indemnify is limited to third party claims.  Further, there is typically a “defend” component to the indemnity that requires the indemnifying party to take over the defense of the…