All Europe articles – Page 15
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FeatureRussia's fresh focus on exports
In recent years, Russia has put considerable resources into encouraging recovery in its domestic automotive industry. Last year, the federal budget included 62.3 billion roubles ($1 billion) in state aid for carmakers. Such sums have been spent primarily on boosting demand in the domestic market, which has been under pressure ...
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FeatureVW realigns global components business
Volkswagen is reorganising its global components business into a separate corporate division in an effort, it said, to improve efficiency, become more flexible and prepare for growth in electric vehicles. Group Components will sit under the aegis of Volkswagen AG alongside VW Passenger Cars and VW Commercial Vehicles.“We are preparing ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to expand South African plant
German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Cars is to spend €600m ($697m) on the assembly of the next generation of C-Class models at its plant in East London, South Africa.Factory space for passenger vehicle production will increase by two-thirds and include new logistic warehouses, paint and body shops and an upgrade of the ...
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FeatureKuehne + Nagel expands services for BMW
Kuehne + Nagel and BMW have expanded their partnership in Europe and Asia.In a phased development, the logistics company set up a regional distribution centre in Kleinaitingen (Germany) last April and one in Słubice (Poland) a month later. It is also establishing dealer distribution centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China, ...
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FeatureTrump’s tariffs attract worldwide disapproval
Carmakers, parts manufacturers, trade bodies and the European Union have all sharply criticised the Trump administration’s proposed import tariffs on vehicles and auto parts.Hinting at potential supply chain disruption, Toyota said: “There is no vehicle [made] in the United States … that is sole-sourced from exclusively US parts and components.”The ...
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FeatureBCA signs record five-year deal with BMW
BCA Marketplace has agreed a five-year contract with BMW UK to provide a range of remarketing services.The agreement will see the used vehicle group de-fleet, refurbish, inspect and collect, inventory manage and remarket on behalf of the carmaker and its leasing business, Alphabet. The value of the deal has not ...
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FeatureA match made in heaven?
According to a study carried out by the European Commission in 2014, almost a quarter of truck journeys on Europe’s roads are carried out empty. In individual member states, the prevalence of empty running can be even higher: in the UK, for instance, Department for Transport (DfT) statistics put the ...
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FeatureGebrüder Weiss expands Romanian operations
German logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss has enlarged its base in Sibiu, Romania, to include a logistics terminal with cross-docking hub.“The extension will enable us to meet increasing customer requirements and handle the growing volume of orders,” said general manager Viorel Leca.Last year 605,442 consignments weighing a total of 1.2m tonnes ...
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FeatureKia moves Sportage through Santa Marta
The Colombian port of Santa Marta has started handling imported Kia vehicles from Slovakia. By the end of the year, it is expected to have handled around 4,000 Sportages.The vehicles are being imported into Colombia on a monthly basis by regional distributor Metrokia SA and are being delivered to the ...
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FeatureBrexit’s unaccustomed burdens
Nine months before the UK’s planned departure from the European Union, uncertainty over customs arrangements is emerging as one of the major concerns of manufacturers – perhaps just as much, if not more so, than the prospect of tariffs and taxes. The risks and impacts from delays in logistics flows ...
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FeatureSMMT calls for end to Brexit uncertainty
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has joined major manufacturers in calling for the British government to end uncertainty over the UK’s trading relationship with the European Union after Brexit, and to ensure the frictionless flow of parts and vehicles. Speaking at a press conference during the SMMT’s ...
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FeatureWorld Cup better than expected for logistics
The FIFA World Cup 2018 has caused a temporary shortage of transport capacities in certain regions of Russia, with a local rise in tariffs and some delays at customs, according to Irina Novikova, the inland transport department director of Gefco. However, fears of Russia ceasing to import automotive components including ...
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FeaturePSA to develop new engines in Germany
Following its takeover by Groupe PSA last year, Opel/Vauxhall’s engineering centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, will take on global responsibility for development of the next generation of high-efficiency petrol engines for all Groupe PSA brands.The engines will be used in the Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Vauxhall and Opel marques in China, ...
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FeatureRussian VAT hike to hit domestic car industry
Plans to increase the VAT rate in Russia from 18% to 20% next year look set to hit the automotive and construction sectors hard, Russian economists have warned.The move, designed to collect an additional $10 billion a year for the federal budget, is believed to be the sharpest rise in ...
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FeatureContinental raises sensor output at Trutnov
German technology company Continental has expanded its Trutnov plant in the north-east of the Czech Republic to meet increasing demand for nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensors. The sensors are used to measure the NOx content in exhaust emissions and provide data for its effective conversion into harmless substances.Among the features of ...
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FeatureEmissions legislation set to disrupt vehicle logistics
European legislation aimed at achieving more accurate monitoring of emissions from passenger cars could cause disruption to logistics operations involving the storage and delivery of new vehicles, the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG) has warned. As manufacturers phase out non-compliant older models, dealers are looking to sell existing stock ...
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FeatureTwinning talent with technology
The rate at which emerging digital technologies are transforming the automotive logistics supply chain is hard to keep up with. As both an enabler of everything from platform design to procurement, finance and planning, and a disruptor of traditional supply chain operations, digital technology associated with industry 4.0 is driving ...
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FeatureKoltai moves to head transport logistics at Audi
Peter Koltai (pictured) has taken up a new role at Audi this month as head of transport logistics, based in Germany. He replaces Heiko Schulz, who has resigned under a retirement arrangement.In his new position, Koltai is responsible for driving Audi Group’s entire transport logistics strategy, including inbound material and ...
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FeatureFord to close French transmission plant
Ford has announced it will sell off its automatic transmission plant in France – Ford Aquitaine Industries (FAI) – in the face of a declining requirement for small automatic transmissions in Europe.According to the company, the plant has been underutilised for a number of years, no new products are planned ...
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FeatureRadical shift to drive more cellular supply chains
Vehicle manufacturers, parts-makers and logistics service providers need to develop more adaptable systems if they are to deal with a radical shift in consumer demand for products and services driven by the exponential development of digital services, delegates at this week's Automotive Logistics Europe conference in Bonn, Germany, were told.According ...