All OEMs articles – Page 73
-
FeatureFord expands Struandale engine plant
Ford is adding an assembly line at its Struandale plant in South Africa to produce engines for the Ford Ranger Raptor. The mid-size pick-up will go into production next year at the carmaker’s Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria, as well as at its plant in Rayong, Thailand, both of which ...
-
FeatureFord partners with fashion chain Next on UK car sales
Ford’s UK operation has signed a partnership with fashion retailer Next to increase the range of sales outlets for its vehicles.The carmaker will open a five-car showroom at a refurbished Next store in the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester. Test drives will be available and new cars can be handed ...
-
FeatureNavigating an uncertain future
The finished vehicle logistics sector needs to find better ways to communicate and collaborate to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, delegates at this year’s finished vehicle logistics north america conference in California were told in March. Marcus Williams reports The finished vehicle logistics industry may be facing a ...
-
FeatureTrump’s tariffs draw further fire
Further criticism has been voiced over President Donald Trump’s plans to impose import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium from other countries, except Nafta partners Canada and Mexico.Following widespread condemnation of the plans last week – which saw concerns raised by groups such as the Motor & ...
-
FeatureAMIA calls for government help with blockades
The Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA) has called for the government to intervene after a series of blockades that has left vehicle manufacturers in the country struggling for supplies and halted the movement of some finished vehicles.The blockades, which started in late January, have been carried out by ...
-
FeatureFord invests to meet surging demand for SUVs
Ford has invested a further $25m to increase line speed at its plant in Louisville, Kentucky to meet a 25% increase in output of the Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUV models as retail sales surge in the US.Its investment there includes 400 new robots and a data analytics hub ...
-
FeatureMexico conference: Uncertainty well-balanced with optimism
While a degree of uncertainty over the future of free trade between Mexico and its Nafta neighbours to the north once again hung over discussions at this year’s Automotive Logistics Mexico conference, it was more than matched by confidence in the future of the automotive sector. That confidence is being ...
-
FeatureLogistics IT: Is there an app for that?
At US finished vehicle logistics specialist Jack Cooper Logistics, recounts president Andrea Amico, as part of a contract for carrying out the collection and inspection of ex-fleet vehicles on behalf of a US carmaker, the need to supply seven images of each inspected vehicle was suddenly upped to a requirement ...
-
FeatureNafta renegotiation ‘will not hold back investment in Mexico’
Following a 30% tax imposed by the Trump Administration on solar panels imported to the US last week and another 20% tax put on imported washing machines, vehicle and parts makers are wondering if the automotive industry is next on the list for high tariffs, as Nafta is renegotiated – ...
-
FeatureFord begins importing EcoSport into UK from Romania
Imports of the Ford EcoSport compact SUV into the UK from Romania are now fully underway via the port of Constanta, the carmaker has confirmed.Ford began production of the the EcoSport at its plant in Romania in October last year and said the shift to Europe from production at its ...
-
FeatureEmergency response: Weathering the storms
A volatile 2017 hurricane season saw successive storms hit the US south-east and the Caribbean, counting at least 500,000 vehicles in the US alone among its many damages and leading to emergency planning once again gaining a greater level of prominence within the finished vehicle supply chain. While matching the ...
-
FeatureDisaster recovery: Prepared for the worst?
As the scale of the destruction wrought by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan’s north-eastern coastline in March 2011 became apparent, managers within BMW’s purchasing function were asked if it would affect the company. Their answer? No – because BMW had no suppliers in Japan.But that wasn’t quite ...
-
FeatureRising inventory: Stock lots
In any retail business, inventory management is a delicate balancing act. Hold too little and frustrated customers will be forced to shop elsewhere; but piling stock on your shelves puts a strain on working capital and if what you bought isn’t what customers want, you have little choice but to ...
-
FeatureAudi’s logistics part 2: Pursuing practical progression
There is little question that finished vehicle logistics has been among the least automated segments of the overall automotive production and supply chain process. From loading and unloading vehicles to and from trucks, ships and rail wagons to inspection and parking, as well as scanning vehicles into inventory and tracking systems, outbound logistics has remained, by and large, a manual, labour-intensive operation
-
FeatureAudi’s logistics part 1: Prepared for a new reality
The recent history of the Audi brand is written deeply into the company’s supply chain and logistics, and can be read across the carmaker’s expanding geography, plant and parts handling operations
-
FeatureAvoiding supply chain disruptions with effective legal planning
Even the greatest logisticians at the world’s most prestigious automotive companies can’t predict the future. Economic downturns occur, suppliers falter and disputes occur that endanger just-in-time manufacturing. While these disruptions in the supply chain are inevitable, they do not have to be catastrophic.Although the strategies shown here are written from ...
-
FeatureA stormy year of negotiations, electric plans and cyber-attacks
As the year draws to close, major uncertainty regarding both Nafta and Brexit remains, as well a lack of clarity on what any changes could mean for the global automotive sector and the logistics industry that supports it.During the past 12 months, OEMs have made major strides towards an electric ...
-
FeatureFord to look at new retail opportunities in first phase of Alibaba deal
Ford Motor Company has signed a letter of intent with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to explore strategic collaborations in connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, mobility services and digital marketing.Under the three-year agreement, the two companies will explore new ways to define how consumers purchase and own vehicles, as well as ...
-
FeatureFord invests in Valencia for next generation Kuga
Ford is investing €750m ($880m) in its Valencia assembly plant in Spain to build the next generation of its Kuga SUV.The carmaker has been making the Kuga there since 2013, alongside the full range of Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy models, as well as the Tourneo Connect and Transit Connect light ...
-
FeatureVolvo to supply Uber with self-driving-compatible cars from 2019
Volvo Cars and Uber have announced a framework agreement under which the ride-hailing company will receive a fleet of self-driving-compatible vehicles from the Sweden-based car company, starting in 2019.In August last year, the two companies announced a joint project to develop new base vehicles that would be able to incorporate ...