Electric Vehicles – Page 48
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FeatureChinese EV battery maker forced to stop output
A reduction in Chinese government subsidies to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers has forced battery maker Shenzhen OptimumNano Energy to cease operations for six months.The majority of staff have been told to take paid leave for the rest of the year from July 1. Meanwhile, the government is reported to be ...
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FeatureVW realigns global components business
Volkswagen is reorganising its global components business into a separate corporate division in an effort, it said, to improve efficiency, become more flexible and prepare for growth in electric vehicles. Group Components will sit under the aegis of Volkswagen AG alongside VW Passenger Cars and VW Commercial Vehicles.“We are preparing ...
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FeatureTwinning talent with technology
The rate at which emerging digital technologies are transforming the automotive logistics supply chain is hard to keep up with. As both an enabler of everything from platform design to procurement, finance and planning, and a disruptor of traditional supply chain operations, digital technology associated with industry 4.0 is driving ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to build compact EV in France
Germany’s Mercedes-Benz Cars has chosen the Hambach factory in France as its base for assembly of a compact electric car under its EQ brand, part of a wider expansion of the company’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capabilities.Preparations for the new model will start shortly, with around €500m ($585m) being spent ...
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FeatureSweet home Alabama
One of the most popular songs about the US state of Alabama, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, opens with the line “Big wheels keep on turning” – and indeed the number doing so is set to grow after the January announcement that a $1.6 billion Toyota-Mazda joint-venture manufacturing plant is scheduled to ...
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FeatureMBUSI: In a state of contentment
Why has Alabama become such a mecca for automotive manufacturing?I think there are a number of reasons. You have seen the automotive industry continue to push further south into areas where there is a good workforce available. You have infrastructure that is available. The supplier network has continued to migrate ...
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FeatureRussia moves to boost domestic EV market
Russia has announced a series of support measures to boost domestic sales of electric vehicles (EVs) from fewer than 100 units in 2017 to nearly 100,000 units by 2025 – or 4-5% of overall vehicle sales.According to the federal government’s national strategy for automotive development in Russia, up to 90% ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz: Taking an end-to-end approach
It may have taken Mercedes-Benz around 120 years to reach 1m cars per year, breaching the mark around the turn of the 21stcentury. However, the recent surge in growth of the brand has seen it rise by around 1m units in sales and production in just five years, with passenger ...
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FeatureG7 announces smart truck venture with GLP and NIO Capital
A new joint venture between G7, GLP and NIO Capital has been announced that will seek to create the next generation of smart vehicles for the logistics and transport sectors.G7, one of China’s leading Internet of Things (IoT) technology developers, will have the controlling stake in the venture and work ...
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FeatureVolvo Cars: Leaning towards greater stability
Since Geely Holdings acquired it from Ford Motor Company in 2010, Volvo Cars has been reinventing itself, from product development through to its industrial base and supply chain. Today, with a refreshed model line-up and amidst several new launches, sales have grown to record levels, with further expansion still to ...
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Feature3D-printed car to go on sale in China
Italy’s electric vehicle manufacturer, X Electrical Vehicle (XEV), has said it will work with 3D printing expert Polymaker to produce a 3D-printed EV for the Chinese market as early as the second quarter of next year.Called the LSEV, the carmaker said it would be the first mass-produced printed vehicle and ...
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FeatureGM starts producing self-driving Cruise in Michigan
General Motors is beginning to manufacture production versions of its Cruise autonomous vehicle (AV) after building more than 200 test vehicles in the past 15 months to develop self-driving technology.The bulk of the assembly will take place in GM’s Orion Township factory in Michigan, which also makes the Chevrolet Bolt ...
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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 ...
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FeatureARS Altmann trials gas-powered car carrier
German finished vehicle logistics provider ARS Altmann has taken delivery of its first car carrier powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).The Iveco Stralis NP truck was handed over in February to the company’s subsidiary AFT H. Altmann Fahrzeugtransporte and is currently being used on an in-house pilot project in southern ...
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FeatureChanje charges to an electrifying lead
Commercial electric vehicle start-up Chanje has stolen a march on some of the more established players in the US, revealing the V8070 all-electric panel van, which can carry a payload of 6,000lbs (2.72 tonnes), several months before Tesla unveiled its much-anticipated electric truck.Chanje is led by Bryan Hansel, founder of ...
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FeatureVolkswagen appoints Thomas Ulbrich as head of new e-mobility division
Thomas Ulbrich (pictured), currently management board member for production and logistics at Volkswagen, is to take charge of e-mobility at the German carmaker.From February 1st , Ulbrich will head a newly created division covering the e-mobility series and production of vehicles on the group’s new modular electric drive kit (MEB) ...
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FeatureRoad transport in Mexico: no time for reflection
About three years ago, trucking capacity for the movement of finished vehicles in Mexico was a big concern. Trucks are used for the delivery of all finished vehicles for the domestic market there, as well as supporting rail in moving vehicles to and from ports, and there were simply not ...
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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 ...
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FeatureChina leads the car-sharing market, despite the challenges
The Chinese government is using car-sharing – short-term car rental, usually charged by the hour – to stimulate the new energy vehicle (NEV) market and increase individual mobility efficiency. In June 2017, the central government released draft guidance for the car-sharing industry, outlining some supporting policies. The guidance specified certain ...
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FeaturePSA joins forces with Nidec for electric motor production in France
French carmaker Groupe PSA and Japan’s Nidec Corporation have agreed to form a joint venture and invest €220m in ($261m) in electric motor production in France for domestic and global distribution.Nidec makes electric motors through its subsidiary, Nidec Leroy-Somer Holding.In a joint statement, the companies said they would design, manufacture ...