All features articles – Page 12
-
FeatureTaking the assault out of the battery
The traceability of raw materials used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium and cobalt, is one of the main sustainability challenges faced by carmakers who are investing to meet the consumer demand and regulatory pressures behind the electric vehicle revolution
-
FeatureWeighing the cost of the EV revolution
The rise in the number of electric vehicles being transported in Europe is bringing with it some significant challenges for those carriers tasked with volume shipments. They are having to deal with heavier and higher voltage vehicles that need charging on routes that cross countries with differing regulations on load dimensions
-
FeatureThe rules of the battery game
Logistics providers charged with the transport of lithium-ion batteries to the assembly lines and services centres have some very complex regulatory standards to which they have to adhere – it is a legislative jungle out there
-
InterviewMena aftermarket: Playing a bigger part
Overall economic growth may be lacklustre, but automotive aftermarket sales are on the increase in the Middle East and North Africa…
-
FeaturePairing up for progress: The advance of digital twins
A computer-based tool for process planning, quality checking, monitoring systems and a wide range of other uses, digital twinning is increasingly making its presence felt across the automotive industry. In essence, this is a version of something in real life, such as a piece of machinery, a production line or a supply chain operation, which is recreated on a desktop computer or a tablet. Digital twins are now used across manufacturing and warehouse operations to manage material flow, complete the order-to-delivery process and make efficiency and quality improvements in vehicle production.
-
FeatureQ&A: Pascal Trummer, Magna International
The tier supplier’s vice-president of sales and marketing in Europe discusses major trends in the automotive industry, plus the state of the market in Central and Eastern Europe
-
NewsShifting gears: How Skoda automated Vrchlabí
The smallest of Skoda’s production plants, the Vrchlabí site in the Czech Republic has been producing direct shift transmissions for the Volkswagen Group since 2012..
-
FeatureKeeping calm: RNM Alliance’s Mark Sutcliffe on how to handle supply chain volatility
The automotive industry is undergoing a technological transformation and facing upheavals in key markets, but the OEM’s senior vice-president of industrial strategy and supply chain management believes there are ways to successfully tackle these changes
-
FeatureIn the zone at Jebel Ali port
With a multi-tier parking facility holding around 27,000 car equivalent units (CEU), Jebel Ali is the biggest port in the Middle East and the 11th largest worldwide. The port has four terminals connecting to more than 150 other ports through 80 weekly services, and its activity accounts for 26.1% of Dubai’s GDP. In 2018, 82% of Dubai’s automotive trade passed through Jebel Ali, worth $31.6 billion in vehicles, tyres, parts and accessories.
-
FeatureSuppliers set CEE on firm foundations
In the decades since the end of the Cold War, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has been attracting automotive components suppliers by virtue of its cheap labour, low taxes and convenient geographical location. Now, the region is aiming to maintain or even build on its gains in the face of vehicle electrification, rising global competition and other challenges.
-
FeatureRunning short: US trucking sector battles driver deficit
Car transporters across the US are feeling the effects of a significant shortage of drivers across the finished vehicle logistics sector – and are searching for the best solutions to tackle the continuing difficulties it poses to operations…
-
FeatureDamage control: How technology can assist vehicle inspection
With approximately 80m new cars being produced globally each year, the automotive industry has a big job to do when it comes to checking the condition of finished vehicles, something that has long relied on human labour…
-
FeatureRoom for manoeuvre with Glovis at Philaport
Glovis America is now operating a new $110m vehicle terminal at the port of Philadelphia on the US east coast, providing much-needed capacity at a time when larger car-carrying vessels are loading and discharging greater volumes
-
FeatureFresh floes: What does the Northern Sea Route mean for automotive logistics?
The Northern Sea Route (NSR), a growing shipping lane linking South-East Asia with Northern Europe through Arctic waters, is set to become a competitor to the Suez Channel for cargo delivery between these two regions. Russian authorities believe that the NSR would could be used for all types of cargo – and automotive product, both parts and vehicles, would be no exception.
-
NewsMiddle East and North Africa: Leading the way in innovation
Despite a sustained period of decline over the last few years affected by a fall in oil prices and geopolitical strife, the Middle East and Africa is fast becoming a region of automotive and supply chain opportunity…
-
FeatureGalvanising the aftermarket for an electric future
The rise in EVs in Europe will have an impact on the aftermarket and the logistics supporting it, not least in the management of replacement lithium batteries
-
FeatureMap: Volkswagen’s growing network of IT expertise
Volkswagen Group IT has opened or expanded global IT and software centers, with growing significance across the company’s IT research and operations. Check out a map of their key locations and functions.
-
FeatureA program of change for Volkswagen Group IT
Over the past two years, Volkswagen’s central Group IT division, led by CIO Martin Hofmann, has been expanding staff numbers, investment and digital projects across the group’s business processes, and working more closely with brands like Audi, Porsche and Skoda. In the first of a multi-part article special on Group IT, we explain the evolving shape of the organisation.
-
FeatureAt the centre of change for Volkswagen Group
Martin Hofmann, chief information office of the Volkswagen Group (pictured, right), explains how the carmaker is transforming its IT system backbone and legacy infrastructure across manufacturing, purchasing, supply chain and engineering – and how Volkswagen is now able to attract top software talent.
-
FeatureBuilding Volkswagen’s Industrial Cloud
Volkswagen Group’s landmark project with Amazon Web Services will help to connect all its global factories, and eventually the supply chain as well. At the core of the project is a drive to establish a standard software stack that will transform the way production IT is developed and implemented across Volkswagen locations.