Los conductores chinos compran vehículos eléctricos asequibles cargados de nuevas tecnologías, una tendencia que está redefiniendo los vehículos de gama alta y perjudicando a los fabricantes de automóviles alemanes.
Chinese drivers are buying affordable electric vehicles loaded with new technology, a trend that is redefining high-end vehicles and hurting German automakers.
Changing technology, political turmoil and competition from China are cutting into profits and forcing carmakers to cut jobs and close factories.
The government is aggressively promoting electric cars. But a dramatic blaze in an underground lot has left some potential buyers worried about safety.
The union, which lost an organizing vote at two factories last week, argued to federal officials that the automaker had violated labor laws.
The election, fiercely opposed by the state’s political leaders, was seen as a test of the United Automobile Workers’ ability to unionize factories in the South.
Southern political leaders say a win for the United Automobile Workers would threaten their economies. Activists want to strike a blow against a system they say exploits the poor.
The automaker said it would delay new battery-powered models and shift its focus to hybrid cars, sales of which are rising fast.
The latest proposal comes from Luca de Meo, the C.E.O. of Renault Group, who is pushing for an Airbus-inspired alliance that would help European automakers fend off competition from cheaper Chinese-made electric vehicles.
The three U.S. automakers say they are already at a disadvantage to nonunion rivals while labor leaders hope that big gains in negotiations will inspire workers in Southern states to unionize.