Plant Risk Assessment

Full Description:

In 2025, CAR conducted a comprehensive plant risk analysis covering vehicle assembly plants, propulsion facilities (engines and transmissions), and light-vehicle battery cell plants (existing and planned). Building on more than a decade of risk-scoring and benchmarking automaker plants across North America, the analysis provided actionable, data-driven insights to support state policymakers and economic developers in anticipating risk, prioritizing engagement, and strengthening long-term competitiveness.

Comparative benchmarking reveals emerging vulnerabilities: Consistent risk-scoring and benchmarking across North American plants highlighted relative risk shifts that are not always visible through production volumes alone, enabling earlier identification of emerging plant-level exposure.

Risk exposure varies significantly by plant type: The analysis found that vehicle assembly plants, propulsion facilities, and battery cell plants face materially different risk drivers, timelines, and sensitivities to market conditions.

Battery cell plants exhibit unique and differentiated risk trajectories: The analysis found that battery cell plants follow different risk paths over time, shaped by program timing, customer structure, ownership arrangements, and technology direction.