Farewell to the sedan? Detroit doubles down on megatrends

GM’s November 2018 announcements were among the most dramatic of the year for the automotive industry, with the Detroit giant detailing plans to all but cease sedan production in North America. Five plants will halt production, along with a further three outside of the region, putting over 14,000 jobs at risk. Like Ford, GM will now focus on its SUV and truck offerings. The restructuring plans have been met with anger by President Trump and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, but received well by shareholders – shares in the company jumped 5% following the announcement. By the end of 2020, the company believes the restructure will have saved it US$6bn.