All Feature articles – Page 49
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Delphi delivers converter to Geely in China
Delphi Technologies is producing a new vehicle propulsion device in China and has commenced deliveries to OEM Geely.The Suzhou plant set up by Delphi has started fully localised production of a combined inverter and DC/DC converter (CIDD), used in electric vehicles and hybrids to manage their electric drive systems. “Combining ...
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Emissions test and product recalls hit BMW
New emission tests, product recalls and trade wars have forced BMW to warn it anticipates a poorer financial performance this year.The shift to the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) has led to significant supply distortions in several European markets and unexpectedly intense rivalry, the German luxury marque ...
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Taking the ‘E’ out of ETA
Traditionally, OEMs and vehicle-carriers have never been able to be 100% accurate about vehicle delivery times in the information they provide to dealerships, and dealers have often disregarded the information as a result. As one of the participants in a Q&A session at a recent Finished Vehicle Logistics conference observed: ...
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The future of logistics?
A manufacturing plant in Pittsburgh with an urgent requirement to send a pallet of freight to Chicago has few attractive options, as there is currently no direct highway route between the two. But if the visionaries at Virgin Hyperloop One have their way, that will soon change. By loading the ...
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Blockchain can disrupt the auto industry
Blockchain has built its reputation as a distributed ledger platform, which provides a framework for securely using and trading cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. However, its potential extends far beyond financial services.The functions of blockchain could cater to other sectors to create more transparency and deliver greater efficiency. One example is ...
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New magazine, new Nafta
Revamped at last, after months of discussion, much to-ing and fro-ing between the parties involved, and some eleventh-hour tweaks – yes, the new-look print edition of Automotive Logistics is finally here. I do hope its arrival doesn’t overshadow that other thing that was redesigned recently – the free trade agreement which has governed business between the US, Canada and Mexico over the past 24 years…
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Ports in a political storm
Any port in a storm, they say. But what if that port is being battered by problems of its own? Several speakers at our Import Export summit in a thankfully balmy Baltimore this August warned about congestion, lack of capacity in road and rail links and limited funds for infrastructure development – longstanding issues that are now being exposed to an increasingly tempestuous global trading environment…
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CAR says clock is ticking but no need for alarm
Nafta re-negotiations and the ongoing trade disputes between the US and China are creating considerable uncertainty in the automotive industry, but that does not change the need to keep the supply chain international; if anything, cross-border logistics services have become even more important. Bernard Swiecki, senior automotive analyst at the ...
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A crisis in human capital
As the automotive logistics sector continues to automate and let technology take the lead, there are some important human factors to resolve if such plans are to succeed – as delegates at this year’s Automotive Logistics Global conference in Detroit found out While the US car market may be ...
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Santander improves ro-ro connections with Zeebrugge
The twice-weekly CldN ro-ro service linking Santander in Spain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Leixões in Portugal is to be divided into two distinct services. It is hoped the move will help increase the number of semi-trailers being carried by around 10,000 units a year.In future, Santander will have two ...
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Copart expands business in Germany
US online vehicle auction company, Copart, has extended its business in Germany with the opening of a second location near Leipzig, which the company said would serve both Germany and countries in eastern Europe. The latest facility can store up to 4,500 vehicles and hosts bi-weekly auctions on Thursdays."We are ...
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Unipart signs aftersales deal with VW
Unipart Logistics has won a new five-year contract with Volkswagen Group to run its UK aftermarket supply chain.More than 450 workers at Volkswagen's Tamworth logistics hub were transferred to Unipart Logistics after it signed a deal with the carmaker.The operation will service more than 900 retailers and trade partners across ...
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VW Brazil launches logistics portal
Volkswagen Truck & Bus is to launch a digital logistics portal in Brazil in tandem with the group’s digital brand, Rio.The Rio portal, which is based on vehicle data intelligence and stored in the cloud, will offer up to 20 services, which are currently purchased individually. These range from ordering ...
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Mexico hopes for a smoother road ahead
After much uncertainty around trade talks between Mexico and the US and the former’s presidential election, Mexico’s economic and political conditions now seem clearer, leaving OEMs and LSPs in the country more optimistic about the future.Mexico, which is the world’s fourth biggest vehicle exporter, has enjoyed strong levels of exports ...
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Mazda opens new engine plant in Russia
Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe recently attended the opening ceremony of a new engine plantat Mazda Sollers Manufacturing Rus in Vladivostok, which was launched officially on September 10. The plant is designed to manufacture 50,000 Sky Activ-G engines per year in accordance with the Euro-5 emission standard. Investors plan to ...
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No-deal Brexit could cost car industry billions
While the political debate and negotiations continue, two car plants in the UK plan production changes and the SMMT has warned a no-deal Brexit could add at least £5 billion ($6.6 billion, €5.6 billion) in tariffs for the EU’s automotive industry.Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said it is making some temporary ...
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PSA trials driverless tractor for inbound at Sochaux
Groupe PSA is trialling an autonomous tow tractor at its Sochaux car plant in eastern France. The aim, of what the company describes as a world first in the manufacturing sector, is to improve operational flexibility in getting parts to the assembly line.Following successful trials conducted in May, a connected ...
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Mema slams Trump’s latest tariffs
The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (Mema) in the US has criticised the Trump administration for imposing $200 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports. The duties start at a rate of 10% on September 24 and will rise to 25% in January.“[The measure] will serve as a tax increase ...
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Smart logistics underpins Audi e-tron assembly
Audi officially premiered its e-tron electric SUV at a summit event in San Francisco this week but production has been underway for a couple of weeks already at its plant in Brussels, Belgium, which is making the e-tron for global markets. Patrick Danau (left), managing director of Audi ...
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Auto industry still assessing impact of hurricane
It is still too early to determine the full impact on the North American automotive supply chain of last week's Hurricane Florence, which hit the east coast of the US over the weekend and brought destruction to large areas of North and South Carolina. The hurricane, which caused damage to ...