All Opinion articles – Page 2
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FeatureClubbing together in challenging times
We at Automotive Logistics like to think that we manage to stay ‘on trend’ and I reckon our latest print issue could finally prove it: not only topical and timely content, but two different brands packaged into one product. We felt that – as with any synergy – we could provide a stronger offering, increase customer satisfaction and improve productivity, among other things. By ‘on trend’, I mean that consolidation is a major theme of today’s automotive industry…
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FeatureUber Freight: will it get the gig?
Novel freight-on-demand services such as Uber Freight are helping to connect shippers and hauliers, promising to help transport operators to optimise the capacity of their vehicles and increase profit margins…
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NewsA new dawn of maintenance for the EV aftermarket
The EV revolution is great for the planet but problematic for many dealerships that must now reconcile the unique technical complexities of a variety of engines all at the same time
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FeatureWhat took the air out of Dyson’s electric car project?
The iconic manufacturer of vacuum cleaners has cancelled plans to develop and build an EV. That was probably a smart decision, considering the huge costs, competition and struggling market that Dyson would have been entering.
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FeatureHunkering in a bunker for Brexit
I type this surrounded by tins of baked beans, a stack of chocolate bars and a few bottles of merlot – not my usual ‘writing supplies’ (although, close), but the contents of my Brexit bunker in which I am waiting for the end of life as we know it. For it’s slightly over a month to go before the UK is due to leave the EU and what will happen next is still unclear. Deal? No deal? Riots in the streets? Right now, it is anyone’s guess…
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FeatureTeenage dreams and EVs – why it's not as simple as Thunberg thinks
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words… How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you’re doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight?” With such powerful language did 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg reproach world leaders at the UN’s Climate Action Summit last month. The ferocity of the pink-cheeked teenager provoked a tidal wave of reactions. I have a few observations myself….
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FeatureComment: It’s carmaking, Jim, but not as we know it – Grenadier turns industry logic on its head
Led by Jim Ratcliffe, chemicals company Ineos – which also has interests in cycling and football – is now diversifying into the automotive industry. But the economics of its project to build a successor to the Land Rover Defender are questionable in terms of the logistics and also the current trading environment faced by Brexit Britain…
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FeatureIn an age of disruptive change for the automotive industry, digital manufacturing technology is coming to the rescue
Demands from buyers for the latest vehicle technology and custom options are having a significant impact on automotive manufacturers and their partners.
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FeatureWhy the UK’s aim to be a world leader in EVs is nothing but a dream
We haven’t yet heard from members of the UK’s new, Boris Johnson government on its vision for EVs, but every time a member of Theresa May’s government spoke about the car industry, you were almost guaranteed to hear them say that the UK was going to be a world leader in electric vehicles (EVs). The idea is, in fact, laughable…
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NewsNon-EU markets will not save UK automotive in a no-deal Brexit
One of the regular mantras repeated by proponents of Brexit is that ‘global Britain’ will be able to exploit the many opportunities of free trade open to it when the country leaves the EU, whether on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms or not. As far as the ...
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FeatureA letter to the UK’s new prime minister, Boris Johnson, from the SMMT
Mike Hawes, CEO of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explains to the country’s new leader why the automotive industry should be one of his top priorities, especially in the drive to deliver Brexit.
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AnalysisHeading for the EV tipping point
It would be nonsense to envisage a time when pure electric cars cost the same as traditional ones but life continues as normal. Around 2025, the up-front price of pure electric (PE) cars will drop below that of internal combustion engine (ICE) ones, and the fundamentals of ...
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FeatureFive ways vehicle subscriptions will impact dealerships by 2020
When is the last time you bought a CD or DVD instead of streaming directly from Spotify or Netflix? Today’s consumer is becoming increasingly interested in subscription-based services and the concept is quickly making its way into the automotive space. Gary Brooks, chief marketing officer, Syncron Vehicle ...
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FeatureThe miracle of packaging
At first glance, the arrival of Easter eggs in spring seems like a miracle, but on reflection it clearly has less to do with an oversized rabbit than it does with packaging. What a product to have to deliver! A thin, curved, meltable confection that must survive the journey from manufacturer to retailer in one piece (literally), in order to join the serried ranks on our supermarket shelves. Hats off to the unsung packaging experts who make that possible…
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FeatureThinking inside the box
Thinking outside the box is generally applauded, but thinking inside the box is becoming increasingly common. And no, I’m not only talking about the UK government’s unimaginative strategising as the nation stumbles towards Brexit. Where once ro-ro transport was the undoubted method for moving finished vehicles, containerisation is increasingly becoming a viable option as the industry decentralises its production and also shifts towards different types of vehicles…
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FeatureHow IoT is the next step in tracking components
As vehicles incorporate more new technologies and highly sophisticated components, it has become increasingly complicated and expensive to ship these parts. Consequently, the risks for OEM shipments have increased proportionately. A sea container packed with $20,000 worth of car engines may take six weeks, or even longer, to travel from ...
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FeatureCalling on OEMs, LSPs and carriers to help fight people trafficking
Every day, victims of human trafficking are forced to sell sex at truck stops, rest areas, hotels/motels and other locations within the transportation network. Every day, members of the trucking industry are in these same places – and in a position to make a difference. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is ...
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FeatureThe importance of connecting
“Only connect,” said EM Forster. Actually, the automotive industry has been trying to do just that. Every major OEM has been developing connected models that enable access to the internet, superior navigation and better safety systems onboard, plus communication between cars and infrastructure too. This is great for tech lovers – and a nightmare for anyone who hates the idea of inanimate objects ‘talking’ to each other…
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FeatureValue of stability in the push for progress
I first visited Brazil in 2014, touring a variety of vehicle and component factories on behalf of our sister magazine, Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (and to think, some people go to Rio). I came back home, made a magazine about my trip – and then the market dropped and Brazil entered the worst recession in its history. But now the signs are that Brazil is on its way back up…
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FeatureHow industry 4.0 will disrupt automotive supply chains
From Henry Ford’s assembly line to the emergence of electric cars decades later, the automotive industry has always been defined by change and industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – is poised to bring the next big wave.Having already taken over the manufacturing space, this surge of automation and ...