All News articles – Page 119
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Over 1,000 cars destroyed in Savona port blaze
More than 1,000 vehicles were destroyed or damaged at the Italian port of Savona last week as storm flooding of the port’s automotive terminal triggered a fire that swept through the storage yard. (pic Vigili del Fuoco)According to the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Savona was hit by the storm ...
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Looking for the safe side in uncertain times
Europe’s finished vehicle sector faces several big challenges in coming months, as speakers at the recent ECG conference in Germany made clear. Marcus Williams reportsThe finished vehicle sector in Europe is dealing with some major challenges at the moment, including an increasingly serious driver shortage, severe fluctuations in capacity demand ...
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BMW moves to drive battery development
German carmaker BMW has formed a technology consortium with battery developer Northvolt and Umicore, a producer of active materials for battery cells, to develop a complete and sustainable value chain for batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe.BMW said its chief objective was to make battery cells sustainable by establishing ...
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Ford starts shutdown at Bridgend engine plant
Work at a production line at Ford’s engine plant in Bridgend, south Wales, has been put hold for five days, just as the company starts work on building a new engine.The halt is on the AJ line which is making an engine for Jaguar, the BBC reported.A Ford spokeswoman told ...
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Gaz could be sold to VW to avoid US sanctions
Volkswagen may purchase a stake in Gaz Group to help the Russian carmaker avoid US sanctions, said Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak, speaking during a press conference in Moscow on October 19. Negotiations have already taken place, but the final decision has not yet been made, Kozak added.The US ...
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Santander expands area for imported vehicles
The port of Santander has opened a new Logistics Activities Zone (ZAL) that can accommodate up to 3,000 imported vehicles. The 52,258 sq.m facility is expected to handle around 30,000 units a year and is being used in conjunction with a further 27,100 sq.m area that was paved to hold ...
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Gestamp opens first plant in Japan
Spanish automotive parts manufacturer Gestamp has inaugurated a manufacturing unit in Matsusaka, central Japan, the company’s first in the country. Gestamp Hot Stamping Japan will work for Japanese OEMs, starting with Honda.The tier supplier said the new plant would improve its knowledge of the needs of Japanese car manufacturers and ...
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Ford appoints Chen to tackle sales slump in China
Ford is turning its business in China into a stand-alone business unit, Ford China, headed by Anning Chen (pictured). The move is part of a general reorganisation of the OEM's Asia-Pacific operations designed to return the company to profitable growth.The change takes place against a background of falling sales in ...
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Seat renews rail deal at Martorell
Spanish carmaker Seat has signed a new, three-year contract with Autometro to transport vehicles by rail from its Martorell plant to the port of Barcelona for export.Operating since 2008, the service run by Catalonia’s regional railway FGC transports an average of 105,000 vehicles a year.Under the renewed contract, several technical ...
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Ceva strengthens partnership with CMA CGM
Logistics provider Ceva is to take over the freight management business of its major shareholder and strategic partner, the CMA CGM shipping line.The agreement, part of a wider shake up in the relationship between the companies, comes days after Ceva rejected a takeover bid from Danish rival DSV, which has ...
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Imperial Logistics to run VW packaging centre in Wilhelmshaven
Volkswagen Group has signed a contract with Imperial Logistics International to run its packaging centre at Jade-Weser-Port in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The centre is due to open next year. In a statement, Imperial Logistics said it would take over the operation in April. “We are happy and proud ...
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Škoda tests out drone for stocktaking
Czech carmaker Škoda is trialling an autonomous drone to identify and count containers outside its factory in Mladá Boleslav. The goal is for drone-assisted stocktaking to become a regular feature of operations in the medium term.“We are continuously working on improving the efficiency of our everyday production processes and making ...
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FCA reconsiders Ram production in Mexico
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is reported to be reconsidering its plans to cease Ram Heavy Duty (HD) pickup truck production at its Saltillo plant in Mexico. The company had previously announced it would phase out Ram HD production in Mexico by 2020 and move it to the Warren truck assembly ...
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Vegard Synnes moves to Kar-Tainer
Vegard Synnes has moved from his role as global key account manager at Changjiu International Logistics to take up a new position as director of marketing in Asia for Kar-Tainer International, a global provider of containerised vehicle transport systems.Synnes, who will be based in Shanghai, has been working in China ...
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GPA expands ro-ro and rail capacity at Brunswick
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has announced it will be adding 24 hectares (60 acres) to support vehicle handling at the port of Brunswick over the next 12 months, creating 8,250 car parking spaces. It also said it would be doubling dockside rail capacity for building loads for inland distribution.GPA is ...
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Favouring freight rate recovery over fleet expansion
Following a four-year splurge in newbuilding contracting that culminated in more than 300,000 Car Equivalent Units (CEU) being ordered in 2015 alone, less than 20,000 CEU were ordered during 2016 and 2017.Maritime Strategies International (MSI) has recorded just two orders this year, a 2,200 CEU vessel designed for Chinese coastal ...
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VW starts making Seat Tarraco at Wolfsburg
Spanish carmaker Seat, part of the VW Group, has begun producing its Tarraco SUV on assembly lines at VW’s Wolfsburg factory – the first time in 20 years a non-VW vehicle has been built at the plant in northern Germany.Designed and developed in Barcelona, the Tarraco is built on the ...
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Russian carmakers appeal for a stop to state aid
Leading carmakers in Russia have appealed to the government’s Industry and Trade Ministry to stop providing state aid to companies investing in new vehicle assembly plants in the country.Domestic carmakers including Avtovaz, Gaz and Sollers have been joined by foreign rivals such as Renault-Nissan, Mitsubishi and Daimler in calling for ...
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Mitsubishi starts Chinese engine production
The GAC Mitsubishi Motors (GMMC) joint venture between Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and Mitsubishi Motors has started making engines in Changsha, Hunan province, southern China.The new plant will produce the 4J1 powertrain for Mitsubishi’s Outlander SUV, already manufactured at the adjacent assembly plant, and the new 1.5L direct-injection petrol engine ...
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FCA to sell Magneti Marelli to CK Holdings
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is selling its Italian-based automotive components business Magneti Marelli to CK Holdings, parent company of Japanese components supplier Calsonic Kansei, in a deal worth around $7 billion.With combined revenues of €15.2 billion ($17.6 billion), the newly combined Magneti Marelli and Calsonic Kansei will be the world’s ...