Will the trouble ever end for Volkswagen and its rivals?
From strikes to Trump tariffs, calamities abound
Car dashboards have an array of indicators that illuminate to warn of trouble. If the boardrooms of Europe’s carmakers had similar systems they would be lit up like a Christmas market. Volkswagen (VW), the largest of the lot by sales, is bracing for strikes beginning on December 1st in response to its plan to close three factories in Germany and cut wages. Northvolt, a once-promising Swedish battery startup in which VW and BMW invested, has collapsed into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump is threatening to upend supply chains by imposing a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Breaking down ”
Business November 30th 2024
- Will the trouble ever end for Volkswagen and its rivals?
- After Northvolt’s failure, who will make Europe’s EV batteries?
- Audiobooks are booming, thanks to streaming subscriptions
- TikTok wants Western consumers to shop like the Chinese
- Elon Musk’s xAI goes after OpenAI
- Could seaweed replace plastic packaging?
- On stupid rules and quick wins
- Has Sequoia Capital outgrown its business model?
From the November 30th 2024 edition
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Has Sequoia Capital outgrown its business model?
Venture capital’s hardiest perennial gets back to its roots
On stupid rules and quick wins
Why every boss can benefit from asking employees what most infuriates them
TikTok wants Western consumers to shop like the Chinese
It still has some convincing to do
After Northvolt’s failure, who will make Europe’s EV batteries?
The continent looks ever more reliant on Asian producers
Audiobooks are booming, thanks to streaming subscriptions
As Amazon opens access to Audible, expect demand to grow