Long-game essential as Europe’s automakers prepare for CASE mobility

The European automotive industry—responsible for a quarter of global production, and currently employing some 13.8 million people—has proven a turbulent place in recent years, with brands changing hands between major players, and some overseas manufacturers withdrawing completely. GM was perhaps the most prominent example, following its 2017 sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA. Honda is a more recent example, following an announcement in February 2019 that its sole European plant in Swindon, UK, would shut by 2021. The Japanese automaker was adamant that the decision was not influenced by the UK’s decision to exit the EU, and that instead, unprecedented change in the automotive industry was the root cause.