How Russia's invasion of Ukraine is impacting automakers

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing ripple effects in the automotive supply chain. The attack also has prompted companies to stop shipping to Russia or suspend operations there.

Why Putin is pushing Germany's economy to the brink

The country's gas-hungry manufacturing industries, among them automakers, could be forced to downscale or even close production sites.

Nissan suspends Russia production for another 6 months

The Japanese automaker is extending a halt that began in March after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Lamborghini praises Leoni's 'heroic' Ukraine efforts

Challenges such as the war in Ukraine have caused the supercar maker to change its procurement approach.

VW CEO Diess warns car plants at risk from energy supply halt

The automaker will keep the ability to run its power plants with coal instead of gas because of Germany's reliance on Russian imports.

Putin orders gov't to support domestic car industry

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said Moscow would allocate $377 million this year to support demand for cars.

W. Europe sales could dip below 10 million in 2022, forecaster says

Western European new car sales could dip below the 10 million mark this year because of continuing supply chain issues, forecaster LMC Automotive said this month.

Skoda production to resume in Ukraine

Skoda will resume deliveries of semi knocked-down kits to its Ukraine production partner.

Skoda is making wire harnesses in-house amid Ukraine war shortages

Skoda is producing wire harnesses at its home plant in the Czech Republic after the Ukraine war disrupted supplies of the key component.

Lexus loses significant portion of Europe sales after Russian pullout

The war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russia will have a strong impact on Lexus, which generated about 30 percent of sales in its Europe region in those two countries, with Russia its largest European market overall.

Russians divided over plans to reboot classic soviet-era car

Despite the Moskvich's long history, enthusiasts told Reuters they are divided about plans to reboot a car many assumed had been consigned to the past.

Leoni to sell cables business to Asian rival as sales fall during Ukraine war

German wiring system manufacturer Leoni is selling its automotive standard and special cables business to Stark Corporation. The Stark Corporation is a supplier of wires and cables in Southeast Asia.

AvtoVAZ names Russia's ex-transport minister as CEO after Renault exit

AvtoVAZ appointed former transport minister Maxim Sokolov as its new president and CEO after its main shareholder Renault withdrew from the Russian market.

BMW exploring energy investments to reduce dependence on natural gas

BMW is exploring new investments in solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy to lower its dependence on natural gas from Russia.

Russia to revive Soviet-era Moskvich after Renault exit

A Soviet-era car brand the "Moskvich" could make a surprise comeback in Russia, as Moscow takes over assets belonging to Renault following the French automaker's exit from the country, with sourcess saying the car could be revived using a Chinese platform from automaker JAC in partnership with truckmaker Kamaz.

Renault sells stake in AvtoVAZ, with 6-year buyback option

Renault will sell its majority stake in AvtoVAZ to a Russian science institute, the automaker said on Monday, adding that the deal included a six-year option to buy back the stake.

German automakers could see production suffer in country's gas showdown with Russia

Europe's largest economy is bracing for the prospect that Russian natural gas may be cut off suddenly, which could leave domestic automakers such as BMW, Mercedes and VW Group struggling to build their cars.

Nissan does not expect to resume Russian operations before March 2023

Nissan has written off its Russian business in its forecast for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2023 after it took a 52.6 billion yen ($499 million) financial hit from its Russian and Ukrainian operations last year.

Russia sales plunge 79% in April as automakers leave market

New-car sales in Russia plunged the most on record last month as sanctions undermined domestic production and most foreign automakers suspended operations in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Leoni says Ukraine output of wire harnesses nearly at prewar levels.

The German supplier Leoni has resumed production of wire harnesses in western Ukraine, and volume has nearly returned to prewar levels after the company was forced to shut two factories for about a week after Russia invaded the country.

Ukraine bomb shelters help Leoni keep VW, BMW supplied

Wire harness maker Leoni has been forced to overhaul how it operates in Ukraine -- from shifts to shelters to shipping goods across the border.

Renault decision on Russian assets coming in 'weeks'

Renault CEO Luca de Meo said the automaker will decide in the coming weeks on the future of its operations in Russia, where it suspended operations in March following the invasion of Ukraine.

VW prepares Wolfsburg plant for EU embargo on Russian energy

Volkswagen Group is upgrading energy supply for its Wolfsburg factory to use alternative fuel sources to meet an EU ban on Russian energy imports.

Renault to transfer AvtoVAZ stake to Russian science institute for symbolic 1 ruble

Renault will transfer its 68 percent stake in Russia's biggest carmaker, AvtoVAZ, for 1 ruble to auto research institute NAMI, an institute founded over century ago to design and build cars and trucks, including the limousines used by President Vladimir Putin.

Europe sales slumped in March amid Ukraine-related parts shortages

New-car sales in Europe fell for the ninth month in a row in March as supply chain problems caused by the war in Ukraine continued to hit the region's sector.

Continental restarts output at Russian plant

Continental said it has resumed production at its Kaluga tire factory to protect employees who could otherwise face criminal charges.

Stellantis stops van output in Russia on parts shortage

Stellantis has halted production at its van factory in Russia because it has run out of parts.

VW Q1 profits rise but Ukraine war could still hurt

VW Group said its preliminary Q1 operating return on sales rose sharply, but the impact of the war in Ukraine was still uncertain.

Mitsubishi halts output Russian plant it co-runs with Stellantis

Mitsubishi said it has stopped production at a Russian plant it owns with Stellantis due to the logistical difficulties.

Russian car sales collapse as Ukraine war leads to supply, price shocks

Russian car sales plunged 60 percent last month as sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine battered the ruble and many global auto companies joined a boycott of the country, leaving buyers confronting sparse showrooms.

Russian auto boom town grinds to halt over sanctions

Western sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine have exacerbated component shortages and halted production in the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow at plants from companies including VW and Stellantis.

Production stopped at plant that builds Porsche, Audi and VW large SUVs

Volkswagen is pausing output at its plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, on parts shortages. The factory builds the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Q8 SUVs, as well as the VW Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo minicars.

Ukraine war costs German automakers 150,000 vehicles

German automakers lost about 150,000 vehicles from their March production plans because of supply shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine, according to an LMC Automotive estimate.

News analysis: Renault faces costs, now and later, in exit from Russia

Renault Group's decision to suspend activities in Russia – possibly leading to a permanent exit from its second-largest market – following the invasion of Ukraine carries both short- and long-term costs.

Mercedes cuts production at flagship German plant

Mercedes-Benz Group said its German factories are operating even though the automaker has been forced to make some shift adjustments at its Sindelfingen plant, which builds the S-Class and EQS flagship sedans.

Porsche reduces output at German factories

Porsche is suffering production issues again from a shortage of parts, including cable harnesses, due to the war in Ukraine. The automaker is being forced cut shifts at its factories in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig, Germany.

War may leave companies hesitant to return

Many of the companies that have moved operations outside of Ukraine or Russia might not be in a hurry to return, an analyst at AlixPartners said.

VW delays ID5 launch on lack of wire harnesses

VW will push back the launch of its ID5 battery-electric car by a month to the first week of May because of disruptions in the supply of wire harnesses from Ukraine.

Russia's threat to nationalize assets could cost auto industry billions

Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering seizing the assets of companies that have left the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine, putting billions of dollars in automotive assets at risk.

Audi will halt production for weeks on parts crunch

Parts shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are hitting Audi hard, leading potentially to weeks of production downtime.

VW will restart production at German EV plants

VW said it would resume car production at its German EV factories that build VW ID, Audi and Seat battery-electric cars sooner than it had planned.

VW's Seat is hit by impact of Ukraine war

VW Group's Spanish subsidiary Seat is facing production shortfalls from multiple sources, first from the semiconductor shortage and now from the impact of the war in Ukraine, CEO Wayne Griffiths said.

VW resumes output in Slovakia plant that builds Porsche, Audi, and VW large SUVs

VW Group has resumed production at its factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, after a two-day stoppage because of the chip shortage and supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine.

VW ramps up Wolfsburg production faster than planned

VW is ramping up production in Wolfsburg faster than originally planned as the supply situation stabilizes, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Skoda says Ukraine supplier is making wire harnesses again

Skoda said its supplier in Ukraine had decided to restart production of wire harnesses, which should allow the Czech automaker to resume production of the Enyaq electric SUV.

Ford's European output hit by Ukraine war

Ford's vehicle factories in Germany and Spain are facing production disruption due to shortages of parts from Ukraine and other locations.

Bosch suspends Russia business, says parts may have been misused

The supplier is probing the use of its products after Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine had found Bosch parts in Russian military vehicles.

BMW's German, UK plants will return to full output

BMW Group will resume full production next week at factories in Germany and the UK that were halted or slowed by supply bottlenecks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine parts shortage puts 15% of European auto output at risk, analyst says

Up to 15 percent of European auto production could be at risk because of shutdowns at wire-harness factories in Ukraine after the Russian invasion, Colin Langan, an auto analyst at Wells Fargo, said.

Audi stops production at Neckarsulm plant

Audi says supply bottlenecks caused by the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the current situation regarding the supply of semiconductors, are contributing factors in its decision to halt output at the German plant.

EU said to mull Russia export ban on cars worth over 50,000 euros

The EU is discussing a ban on exports of luxury vehicles worth more than 50,000 euros ($54,760) to Russia that would hit models from several European car brands, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Porsche.

Ukraine war upends central Europe's post-Covid revival

The Ukraine crisis has led to VW pausing production in Poland and Skoda stopping Czech output of its Enyaq electric SUV, stoking risks of sharper economic slowdowns.

Stellantis will move Russian van output to W. Europe

Stellantis will move some of its  Russian van production from a plant in Kaluga, which it shares with Mitsubishi, to the UK and France and freeze plans for more investments in the country.

Mercedes flags billions at risk

Mercedes-Benz has about 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) of assets in Russia that could be at risk if Moscow decides to expropriate the property of foreign companies that leave the country over its invasion of Ukraine.

VW's Diess warns Ukraine war risks economic damage worse than pandemic

Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess warned that a prolonged war in Ukraine risks being "very much worse" for the European economy than the coronavirus pandemic and may lead to huge price increases, scarcity of energy and inflation.

Tesla will pay conscripted Ukranian employees

Tesla will pay Ukrainian employees asked to defend their country for at least three months, U.S. broadcaster CNBC reported.

Suzuki will suspend exports to Russia from Hungary

Suzuki's Hungarian factory has suspended car exports to Russia and Ukraine as of March due to the war.

Porsche halts Taycan output on parts shortages

Porsche is temporarily halting production of its Taycan EV at its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant due to a lack of components caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Continental to shift production from Russia

Continental is trying to identify locations where it can raise production to compensate for the loss of output at its Kaluga plant in Russia, where production has been suspended.

Russia could nationalize automakers that shut operations

A senior member of Russia's ruling party proposed nationalizing foreign-owned factories that shut down operations in the country over what the Kremlin calls a special military operation in Ukraine. VW, Toyota and Ford are among automakers that have temporarily closed their Russian plants.

Chinese automakers to benefit as rivals exit Russia

Chinese automakers operating in Russia including Great Wall's Haval, Chery and Geely, have potential to gain market share, analysts say.

Automakers face soaring metal costs

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is ramping up the price of metals used in cars, from aluminum in the bodywork to palladium in catalytic converters to the high-grade nickel in electric-vehicle batteries.

Stellantis CEO Tavares calls for lower steel tariffs

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has called for U.S. and European officials to lower protective tariffs on steel as raw material and energy prices rise.

Hyundai is unsure when Russian output will resume

Hyundai said it has not decided when to resume operations at its plant in St Petersburg, Russia, citing ongoing issues with components delivery.

VW, Porsche, Bentley exports to Russia halted

Volkswagen Group has joined the exodus of companies from Russia, suspending exports to and local production in the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The move affects production of VW and Skoda models.

Europe's auto production crashes as flow of wire harnesses dries up

Volkswagen, BMW and Porsche are struggling to obtain crucial wire harnesses as suppliers in western Ukraine have been shuttered by the Russian invasion of the country, forcing production stops at car factories in Germany.

Toyota to suspend Russia production, vehicle imports

Toyota will halt production at its Russian factory, while vehicle imports into the country have also stopped indefinitely due to supply chain disruptions. Toyota is Russia's top-selling Japanese brand.

Ford suspends Russian operations

Ford Motor, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said it informed joint venture partner Sollers it is immediately suspending operations in Russia until further notice.

Stellantis sets up task forces for Ukraine crisis

Stellantis has established two task forces to deal with the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One is monitoring sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its Western allies on Russia. The other is keeping watch on the automaker's staff in Ukraine.