All Policy and regulation articles – Page 27
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FeatureRussia increases component exports
Several automotive manufacturers in Russia are increasing component exports in line with plans announced at the beginning of this year.Joint venture Ford Sollers has doubled the number of different part lines it exports to the EU to 100 this year (compared to 50 in late 2017) and said it plans ...
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FeatureEconomic nationalism to force a lane-change
Typically, the world experiences waves of economic nationalism every three decades but these are often limited to one region each time. Today we’re experiencing a global wave of economic disruption across multiple regions simultaneously. In reaction, automotive manufacturers are having to increase the flexibility and agility of their supply chains ...
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FeatureChugging or changing?
Demand for rail transport is growing faster than service providers can keep up with, according to Siegfried Jung, head of planning and steering vehicle dispatch and transport at BMW Group.[related_topics align="right" border="yes"]Jung says that increased demand for rail transport, from both public and industrial sectors, currently exceeds capacity. Rail infrastructure ...
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FeatureCEE auto markets gear up for sustained growth
Sustained growth, a shift from low-cost to high-tech manufacturing, plus an ambition to lead automotive market trends such as electromobility and autonomous driving are now characterising the key economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), delegates heard at the Automotive Logistics Central & Eastern Europe summit in Budapest today (Wednesday ...
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FeatureWLTP hits tier suppliers’ bottom lines
Two more tier suppliers have attributed declining financial performance to a drop-off in vehicle sales caused by the introduction of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) for emissions standards in Europe.Michigan, US-based aluminium wheel manufacturer Superior Industries International has put a third-quarter loss down to the effects of ...
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FeatureZF trials drone deliveries at Friedrichshafen
Component manufacturer ZF has started testing the use of a drone to distribute parts at its main plant in Friedrichshafen, south-west Germany.The prototype is being used to transport spare parts such as sensors and control cards from the plant’s central warehouse to various workshops, with the aim of proving that ...
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FeatureWLTP hits sales and profits in Germany
Carmaker VW Group and parts supplier Schaeffler have both put weaker third-quarter financial performance down to the effects of the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).As manufacturers have phased out older passenger car models in advance of the more stringent emissions testing procedure coming into effect on September ...
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FeatureRewriting the rules
Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry wants OEMs to make huge investments in new production capacity in Russia over the coming decade, in order to continue qualifying for state aid. A bill laying down the basis of a new national localisation strategy was published in August that is designed to replace ...
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FeatureBigger vehicles, bigger challenges
Last year, GM sold around 3m vehicles in the US, with roughly 775,000 imported from Canada and Mexico and the rest coming from around the world, mainly from South Korea, China and Europe. Combining deep-sea and short-sea volumes, the carmaker used seaports to receive close to 200,000 vehicles into the ...
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FeatureGaz 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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FeatureFCA 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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FeatureStockpiling strategies to survive Brexit
The prospect of Brexit in just a few months, deal or no deal, has focused minds on the inevitable consequence of supply chain interruption. The British media have begun to report the likelihood of stockpiling goods and even panic buying of certain products such as pharmaceuticals and food – although ...
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FeaturePeacing together new logistics
The end of a longstanding conflict in the Horn of Africa is set to create new pathways into one of the potentially richest automotive markets in the continent; after two decades, Eritrea and Ethiopia have concluded a conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The catalyst for peace ...
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FeatureRussian 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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FeatureMaersk invests in freight-booking startup Loadsmart
Digital freight broker, Loadsmart, has received funding worth a total of $21.6m from the venture investment arm of container shipping giant, AP Møller-Maersk, and two other leading investment firms.Maersk Growth, along with Connor Capital and Chromo Invest, are investing to increase Loadsmart’s operations team and support product development and engineering. ...
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FeatureFord highlights the high cost of US-made steel
Ford has highlighted the high cost of US-made steel, in the aftermath of the 25% import duties on the metal imposed by President Donald Trump.Speaking about the cost of key input materials at a recent event to mark the start of Ranger pick-up production at the Wayne assembly plant in ...
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FeatureACEA and CLEPA highlight dangers of ‘no-deal’ Brexit
Europe’s OEMs and tier suppliers have issued a stark warning at the Brexit summit in Brussels this week about the potentially far-reaching impacts of the UK leaving Europe without a deal in place.Drawing attention to the fact that more than 1,000 EU trucks cross the Channel to deliver to car ...
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FeatureBordering on Brexit – why it pays to be prepared
The Eurotunnel has carried more than 26 million trucks and more than 340 million tonnes of freight goods since 1994. A total of 25% of trade in goods between the UK and continental Europe goes through the Channel Tunnel, representing a total value of around 115 billion euros per year. ...
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FeatureSpanish stevedoring reform runs into trouble
Reform of Spain’s port stevedoring sector has run into trouble, after disputes over the changes at the port of Barcelona and continuing question-marks over its legality at EU level.In an attempt to satisfy EU directives, Spain’s former stevedoring companies (known as Sageps) are being replaced by so-called Port Employment Centres ...
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FeatureA race against time for the UK car sector
It is still very uncertain what the UK’s exit from the European Union is going to look like at the end of March 2019 but it is going to have a big impact on the automotive industry whatever it looks like. At this year’s Automotive Logistics UK summit, major carmakers ...