All OEMs articles – Page 59
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FeatureWatch: The rise of Industry 4.0 in automotive packaging
Location and tracking technology can help firms manage returnable automotive packaging more effectively than ever. At this special session of Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, IT experts from Alps Alpine and Sigfox detail exciting new systems.
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NewsGriffiths becomes president of Seat; Steiner takes over as VP of production and logistics
Wayne Griffiths is taking over as CEO of Spanish carmaker Seat, while Herbert Steiner has been named the new vice-president for production and logistics. Griffiths replaces Luca de Meo, who left earlier this year to head up Renault. Griffiths has been the CEO of Seat’s performance brand Cupra since January 2019, which he will continue to lead. Steiner, meanwhile, has been the head of the motor and foundry business area at Volkswagen Group Components since 2018
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NewsCovid crisis has advanced digital connectivity in the automotive supply chain
If there is one silver lining to the Covid-19 crisis, it is that carmakers and their suppliers have been forced to adopt digital tools to communicate faster and to remotely visualise together what is necessary in managing plant shutdowns and ramp-ups. Lessons have been learned in how better to establish the digital transformation of supply chain management that will push the industry forward as a whole.
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NewsStart-up vehicle makers demand more from their logistics providers
Automotive start-ups are well-known for changing the rules when it comes to the cars they produce, as well as their sales and distribution models, but they are doing things a little differently when it comes to supply chains as well, demanding agility and flexibility from logistics providers not normally seen with traditional OEMs.
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NewsXiaopeng Motors begins electric SUV exports to Europe
Chinese start-up carmaker Xiaopeng Motors (XPeng) has started exports of its G3 electric SUV to Europe, with the first models expected on the roads in November this year. The vehicle went on sale in the country in June. The vehicles were loaded at Xinsha Port in Guangzhou on September 24.
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NewsTesla plans deep vertical integration of battery supply
Tesla has revealed a host of production innovations to make lithium-ion battery manufacturing more efficient and reduce costs, including in-house battery cell production, which could cut the miles travelled for the battery production by 80%, and the reduction of the cobalt content of the cathode, which would bring further supply chain savings
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NewsFord and Toyota talk about the benefits of returning to sender
Carmakers used last week’s ALSC Live online conference to reveal a range of sustainable packaging strategies they were employing in an effort to cut waste along with cost.
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NewsOEM cooperation has the potential to reduce empty rail miles, says Glovis
Carmakers need to collaborate on shared rail wagon loads to reduce empty rail miles where feasible and technology provides the means to make the most of existing capacity according to speakers at last week’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain conference
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NewsRivian outlines sustainable packaging initiative
Electric vehicle start-up Rivian has revealed details of a plastic recycling initiative that aims by 2024 to collect 500,000kg (1.1m lbs) of single-use plastic annually and stop it from floating out to sea. Rivian will instead turn it into the containers it uses to move parts inbound to its production line.
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NewsFully automated microfactories mean more resilient manufacturing says Arrival
Electric commercial vehicle maker Arrival could have as many as 1,000 automated microfactories operating by 2026, with the first now under construction. Localised supply is a priority and the manufacturing and logistics will be supported by industry 4.0 technology
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NewsBetter communication a key success factor for commercial vehicle sector
The strong ramp-up in commercial vehicle production following the coronavirus shutdowns has been facilitated by better transparency and communication in the supply chain according to speakers at this week’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live conference. However, there is still room for improvement as the sector deals with the fallout of the coronavirus and new pressures on the inbound supply chain.
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NewsPandemic drives companies to re-evaluate communication and travel
Automotive companies have come to the realisation that this existing and supportive communication technology has not been used to its full potential because people are used to doing things in person. The Covid-19 crisis has actually improved international team work and companies are re-evaluating the need for travel
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NewsCommon standards to alleviate uncertain demand and distribution changes
Standardising communications between OEMs and their suppliers offers novel possibilities to smooth out the volatile conditions that modern automotive logistics has to contend with according to Robert Cameron, chairman of Odette International, which is working with European OEMs, suppliers and logistics providers to create such standards – including for finished vehicle logistics.
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NewsNow is the time to get vehicle distribution out of the stone age
The number one strategic challenge for the automotive logistics sector right now is in matching vehicle distribution with demand through new channels of communication and different levels of service. According to Volvo Cars’ logistics chief Martin Corner, the future depends on better collaboration between carmakers and their LSPs on adapting the outbound supply chain to accommodate the growth of electric vehicles.
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NewsToyota uses Fujitsu quantum computing to solve complex parts distribution
Toyota Systems has been working with Fujitsu on a quantum computing tool to organise the complex distribution of automotive parts in Japan. The companies have carried out a joint trial using Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer, a digital technology capable of performing parallel, real-time optimisation calculations at a speed and scale not covered by traditional computing, to solve a delivery problem with 3m potential routes for parts deliveries
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NewsSkoda using biodegradable packaging for parts exports to India
Skoda Auto is testing biodegradable film for the packaging of vehicle components shipped from its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, in the Czech Republic, to its Indian plant in Pune. The carmaker said the packaging will save around 500kg of conventional plastic film each month.
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NewsVW to use sustainable electricity for all shipments by rail in Germany
Volkswagen Group aims to switch all of the material, parts and vehicles it moves in Germany with state-run rail provider Deutsche Bahn to ‘green electricity’ by 2021 and also wants to increase the number of vehicles it moves by rail in Germany to 60% by 2022, an 8% increase on the number currently moved
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FeatureThe medium is the message
Over the last two years leading players in the European automotive industry have been collaborating on a standard for digital messaging that covers outbound logistics processes from the factory to the dealership. The project has involved almost 30 other organisations, including carmakers, logistics providers, software companies, shortsea car carrier lines and terminal operators
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FeatureA cloud with a silver lining
Renault’s collaboration with technology giant Google extends back to 2019, when the companies announced that the French carmaker had begun using Google data services to refine its manufacturing process. Roll forward a year and the global pandemic has disrupted supply chains and distribution channels across the automotive sector, accelerating the need to accurately forecast demand and optimise supply by integrating data from multiple sources and analysing it in real time.
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FeatureMeeting increasing demand for EVs in Europe depends on better battery supply
Carmakers are investing colossal sums of money into low and zero-emission powertrain technologies. Even before the coronavirus crisis infected the finances of most manufacturers the survival of many of them hinged upon a return on investment and a successful transition to electrification over the coming years.