Nissan plans to close seven plants and eliminate 20,000 jobs over the next two years. Get all the latest automotive news in the Executive Briefing.

Today’s Headlines: 

   John Elkann, global chairman at Stellantis, denied there was any truth to the rumours that the company is in merger talks with fellow European automaker Renault. More at Reuters. 

   Ford has named Kyle Crockett, a former General Motors finance director, as chief accounting officer to succeed Mark Kosman, who will take another role with the company. More at The Detroit News. 

   General Motors and LG Energy Solution will begin commercial production of lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells by 2028, targeting next-generation large EVs. More at CBT News. 

   Tony Kanaan, who last raced at the Speedway in 2023, successfully completed a refresher course so he can sub for NASCAR Cup star Kyle Larson if schedules conflict. More at Racer. 

 Ending a power struggle at Harley Davidson, shareholders narrowly voted to reelect all the current board members including Jochen Zeitz, who is also the chief executive. More at the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. 

 Honda missed its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings estimates as operating profit plunged 76 percent, while the Japanese automaker now braces for the full impact of U.S. import tariffs. More at CNBC. 

 Stellantis has once again delayed the rollout of the Ram 1500 REV pickup and Ramcharger extended-range pickup to summer of 2027, citing lack of consumer demand. More at The Drive. 

   Tscherning, a leading construction company in Denmark, is returning its fleet of Tesla vehicles, stating that it no longer wants to be associated with the politics of CEO Elon Musk. More at Electrek. 

   Accelerating its cost-cutting plan, Nissan plans to close seven plants and eliminate 20,000 jobs by 2027, and to reduce its platforms from 13 to seven over the next 10 years. More at Autoweek. 

 NASCAR issued severe penalties to RFK Racing and driver Chris Buescher for a front bumper cover violation, docking them 60 points each and fining the Cup team $75,000. More at NBC Sports. 

Photo courtesy of Nissan. 

Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from May 12 here.

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