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Seraph Automotive Survey - April 2026

What is your email? All answers are anonymized and will not be linked to your email. We ask this question so that we can cut off survey related outreach once an individual has completed the survey. Responses are anonymously aggregated and sanitized before inclusion in Seraph's Automotive Manufacturing Report.

What is your role?

What is your role?

Where is your company in the auto supply chain?

Where is your company in the auto supply chain?

Which region are you based in? 

Which region are you based in? 

What vehicle model type are you primarily involved with?

What vehicle model type are you primarily involved with?

What is your primary powertrain focus? 

What is your primary powertrain focus? 

What was your biggest challenge of Q1 2026?

What do you think are the top concerns for OEMs for the

next 6 months?

What do you think are the top concerns for Suppliers for

the next 6 months?

How have the cost of tariffs on your products been distributed to your customers?

How have the cost of tariffs on your products been distributed to your customers?

How have your suppliers distributed the cost of tariffs to you?

How have your suppliers distributed the cost of tariffs to you?

Has trade policy uncertainty caused your company to delay or cancel planned capital investments?

Has trade policy uncertainty caused your company to delay or cancel planned capital investments?

How has your company's overall supply chain risk changed over the following periods?

Significantly decreased
Somewhat decreased
No change
Somewhat increased
Significantly increased
Past 3 months
Past 12 months
Past 3 years

Which of the following supply chain risks are having the greatest impact on your business? (Select up to 3)

Which of the following supply chain risks are having the greatest impact on your business? (Select up to 3)

Which of the following inputs have been impacted by Middle East instability? (Select all that apply)

Which of the following inputs have been impacted by Middle East instability? (Select all that apply)

Are semiconductor and memory shortages having an impact on your production plans?

Are semiconductor and memory shortages having an impact on your production plans?

In response to supply chain pressures, for each of the following actions, where is your company in the process?

Not considering
Evaluating
Planning
Implementing
Completed
Changing Suppliers
Building Inventory Buffer
Reducing capacity / delaying launches
Reshoring or nearshoring production
Diversifying sourcing

How is your company addressing resilience?

How is your company addressing resilience?

Which outcome do you think is most likely from the USMCA review beginning July 1, 2026?

Which outcome do you think is most likely from the USMCA review beginning July 1, 2026?

What is your single biggest concern about the upcoming USMCA review?

Compared to 12 months ago, are you sourcing more, the same, or less from China-based suppliers?

Compared to 12 months ago, are you sourcing more, the same, or less from China-based suppliers?

Have you experienced supply chain disruptions due to China’s latest rare earth element export restrictions? If yes, please describe the impact.

By what date is your company targeting, if at all, to have reduced its China supply chain exposure enough to sustain production through a potential U.S.–China conflict?

By what date is your company targeting, if at all, to have reduced its China supply chain exposure enough to sustain production through a potential U.S.–China conflict?

How effective do you expect the following operational activities to be in improving profitability in Q2 2026?

Not Effective
Somewhat Effective
Very Effective
N/A

Reducing scrap and cost of poor quality

Reducing downtime

Increasing machine efficiency

Reducing logistics costs

Reducing operator turnover

Reducing inventory costs

Value engineering

Automation of manufacturing processes/reduction of labor hours per part

How effective do you expect the following commercial

activities to be in improving profitability in Q2 2026?

Not Effective
Somewhat Effective
Very Effective
N/A

Increasing prices charged to customers

Renegotiating contracts with existing suppliers

Supply chain restructuring

Plant consolidations or relocations

Organizational restructuring/headcount reduction

Product portfolio realignment (enter new market, exit existing market, etc.)

M&A activity (including divestment of business unit)

Strategic partnerships
Outsourcing
Re-sourcing suppliers

Are there any other strategies you are deploying to improve profitability?

Are you diversifying into any of the following sectors?

Are you diversifying into any of the following sectors?

In Q1 2026, did any of these factors cause unplanned production downtime at your facilities?

Never
Occasionally
Frequently
Logistics issues
Supply shortages
Quality issues
Equipment breakdown
Labor Shortages
Demand-driven

If you experienced unplanned downtime, please describe the cause and approximate number of days lost.

Compared to last year, how have your company's internal investments changed for the following vehicle types?

Significantly Increased
Somewhat Increased
No change
Somewhat decreased
Significantly decreased
N/A

Internal Combustion

Engine (ICE)

Hybrid (HEV)
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
Full Electric (BEV)

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

(FCEV)

Compared to 12 months ago, how are your EV and EV component orders trending?

Compared to 12 months ago, how are your EV and EV component orders trending?

Compared to 2025, how has hiring changed?

Easier
No Change
More Difficult
Production Workers
Skilled Trades
White Collar
Leadership

Which best describes your skilled labor situation?

Which best describes your skilled labor situation?

It is projected that up to 1.9 million US manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2033 if current skills and applicant gaps persist. How is your company planning to address workforce shortages?

How has AI/machine learning impacted your operational

efficiency?

How has AI/machine learning impacted your operationalefficiency?

If successful, what AI/machine learning strategies did you deploy to improve operational efficiency?

Do you have any further thoughts regarding the questions asked in this survey, or in general regarding the automotive sector last quarter?

Are there any must-cover topics you'd like our team to include in our next report?