All Europe articles – Page 49
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FeatureFCA: Making hay while the sun shines
After six years basking in the glow of rising US sales, and now enjoying low fuel prices, Fiat Chrysler needs to improve productivity today before things change again, says Marc Brazeau, head of outbound and Mexico logistics in North AmericaA team on a long winning streak can build momentum that ...
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FeatureBinding ambition at Toyota Manufacturing UK
TMUK is developing its logistics efficiency even more closely in line with the Toyota Production System and proving it can manage complex supply chain changes, writes Ian HenryThe UK is an important manufacturing hub for Toyota within its European operations, and a prime example of how carmakers have tightly integrated ...
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FeatureBMW tests autonomous vehicles in factories to move parts
BMW Group is testing a number of autonomous vehicles on its factory floors as part of an automation drive that is expected to help cut costs by 5% per vehicle annually.The project began this month at BMW’s logistics centre in Wackersdorf, Germany, where the suitcase-sized trolleys are being used to ...
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FeatureGefco supports BMW with Silk Road rail shipments
BMW is working with transport and logistics provider Gefco on trial shipments of vehicles in containers between Europe and China.Gefco has recently completed a second trail shipment involving 40 BMW 1-series cars that were transported between Regensburg in Germany and Chengdu in China. It followed a pilot trial carried out ...
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Brussels attacks raise further questions over Schengen zone
Cargo transport and freight operations started to resume today (March 23rd) following the terrorist attacks at Brussels Zaventem airport and on the city’s metro line on Tuesday – including the restart of production at Audi’s factory near the city (pictured).With heightened security across European airports, rail stations and a number ...
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FeatureDeutsche Bahn poised to sell off stake in Schenker logistics unit
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is considering selling off a stake in Schenker, its logistics division, in 2018, alongside the part privatisation of Arriva, the UK public transport provider, which DB took over in 2010.A spokesperson for DB Schenker would only confirm that the company’s executive board was in “close and constructive ...
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FeatureFord confirms plans for EcoSport assembly in Romania
Following speculation last month that Ford could bring production of its EcoSport SUV to the Craiova plant in Romania, the carmaker has now confirmed that it is investing up to €200m ($223m) to do just that, along with its component tooling suppliers.It plans to begin assembly at the plant (pictured) ...
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FeatureEurope conference panel discussion: A time for optimism
Finally, the outlook in Europe is positive once again. Of course, the market is fragile and subject to risk, but on the path to recovery. Last year, most European countries saw strong growth, with many in the double digits, and the European Union had stronger growth than almost all other ...
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FeatureEurope conference: how to manage more with less in plants
Axel Van Het Kaar, FordComplex, varied and flexible inbound supply chains increasingly require sophisticated handling and line-feeding processes in plants. In Europe, where carmakers often face space constraints, particularly at older plants in western Europe, there has been more of a focus on developing in-plant strategies that can help ...
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FeatureBMW hits 2m export milestone at port of Charleston
BMW exported its two millionth vehicle through the US port of Charleston last week. The BMW X5 was loaded at the port’s Columbus Street Terminal for export to Germany on board the WWL-operated vessel, Elektra.The carmaker has been exporting vehicles from the port in cooperation with South Carolina Ports Authority ...
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FeatureEkol Logistics expansion gathers pace in Bulgaria
Turkey’s Ekol Logistics has opened a facility in Bulgaria as it expands activity across Europe. It is the 12th country the transport and logistics provider now provides services in – services a spokesperson has confirmed will extend to the automotive industry.The company said a 1,000 sq.m cross-dock warehouse, located close ...
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FeatureGlovis Europe goes short-sea for Hyundai and Kia exports to Spain
Hyundai Glovis’s division in Europe has begun using a short-sea route from Slovenia to Spain for the export of vehicles made at Hyundai-Kia’s production plants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.Previously the logistics provider moved the volumes, which add up to 50,000 vehicles a year, over land. Following a trial ...
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FeatureThe progress and possibilities of ePOD
Though it has been around for a while, the vehicle logistics world is only just beginning to catch on to the potential of ePOD, especially in North America, where mandates and standards are setting the coursePaperless transactions have been ubiquitous in the transfer of goods and services for more than ...
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FeatureEurope Conference: Planning for more than the Zeitgeist in the supply chain
The Automotive Logistics Europe conference set out to capture the Zeitgeist of logistics in terms of technology and skills – and it found that now may be a perfect time to invest in equipment, transport engineering and smart systems. Christopher Ludwig reports from in Bonn, Germany Additional contributions by Marcus ...
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FeatureMAIB: stability issues to blame for Höegh Osaka grounding
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has said stability issues were the root cause of the Höegh Osaka listing and grounding off the port of Southampton in January last year.In the incident – which left a number of high-value vehicles badly damaged – the car carrier developed a significant ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Leading the fourth industrial revolution
Christian Schwede, head of department at Fraunhofer IMLAs Sam Cooke sang, “a change is gonna come.” While he may not have been singing about the possible fourth industrial revolution – or Industry 4.0 – everyone at this year’s Automotive Logistics Europe conference in Bonn was in agreement that digital ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Can outbound tackle familiar problems with new technology?
Speakers at this year’s Automotive Logistics Europe conference suggested that the vehicle logistics industry is in sore need of investment as vehicle production grows and capacity across modes gets tighter, especially on roads and at ports. That investment needs to cover equipment, infrastructure and technology, while also addressing the demand ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Risk management is a very necessary nuisance
The automotive business is changing and in doing so it is facing new risks that threaten the supply chain. This potential threat is exacerbated by a lack of attention to those risks until things go wrong. However, risk is mitigated by better visibility and that depends on getting the right ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Change at the heart of the supply chain
New technology and consumer trends are changing what a car does and how it is used but they are also changing the commercial transport and logistics providers supporting the delivery of those cars. Electric and autonomous vehicles, digital connectivity, and smart mobility are all accelerating change in the supply chain.Taking ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Logistics need not be hampered by working towards a better planet
The automotive logistics industry needs to acknowledge its environmental record if it is to make amends and build more sustainable practices into the way it does business. Kai Kraass, chief operations officer at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL, pictured), was looking for some honesty from the delegates at this year’s Automotive ...