All Feature articles – Page 39
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FeatureRZD launches China-Belarus service for Geely
Russian state-owned rail monopoly Russian Railways (RZD) has launched a block train service from China to Belarus for carmaker Geely, to serve its BelGee plant in the city of Zhodino. The plant, which is a joint venture between Geely and the Belarus government, started making cars last year.In a pilot ...
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FeatureBoard directors reshuffled at Kuehne + Nagel
Swiss logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel International has announced that directors Hans Lerch and Juergen Fitschen are to step down in May, after 14 and 11 years on the board respectively. A new face, David Kamenetzky, will be proposed for election to the board at the firm’s annual general meeting ...
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FeatureKerry ‘hackathon’ explores drone stocktaking
Kerry Logistics Network has staged its first ‘hackathon’ to devise applications for autonomous drones based around warehouse stocktaking.Eight teams participated in the two-day event combining robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. They incorporated a range of technologies including navigation and computer vision, radio frequency identification (RFID) and Lidar (light detection ...
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FeatureValencia becomes Spain’s top vehicle port
The Spanish port of Valencia (pictured) has overtaken the port of Barcelona in terms of total vehicle numbers handled, according to Spain’s National Ports Authority (Puertos del Estado).Last year, Valencia port’s vehicle terminals, which include those at nearby Sagunto and Gandia ports, handled more than 818,000 vehicles – up 3% ...
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FeatureTesla to close showrooms and move sales online
Tesla is closing all of its showrooms globally and moving to an online sales model in an effort to lower overheads and find cost efficiencies across the business. The carmaker hopes this will help it to deliver its Model 3 product at a lower price of $35,000 (£26,400) and therefore ...
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FeatureFCA to build new US plant and expand five others
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has revealed plans to spend $4.5 billion on building a new assembly plant in Detroit and adding production capacity at five existing plants in Michigan.The investment will create almost 6,500 jobs, though 1,400 posts will be lost as one shift at FCA’s Illinois plant is cut.The ...
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FeatureConstruction to start on Tilbury expansion
Construction is to start in a matter of weeks on expansion at the port of Tilbury, in the UK, after owner Forth Ports Group received consent from the government to build Tilbury2 on the 61.5-hectare site of a former power station, next to the existing 376-hectare port at Thurrock, to ...
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FeatureRussian exports rise but subsidies in doubt
Russia exported vehicles and parts worth $3.38 billion last year, an 11% increase compared with 2017, according to new research from the Russian analytical agency Auto News.Information from Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry indicates that the majority of export sales remain within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and only ...
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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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FeatureTrump delays tariff hike on Chinese imports
US president Donald Trump tweeted late on Sunday (February 24) that he would be delaying the planned increase in tariffs on imports from China, including automotive goods, which were scheduled to rise from 10% to 25% on Friday (March 1).Trump said there had been “substantial progress” in what were “very ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to boost visibility via blockchain
Mercedes-Benz Cars has announced a partnership with contract management software provider Icertis to improve transparency in its supply chain and procurement via the use of blockchain technology.Blockchain technology, which creates a distributed electronic ledger, allows parties involved in the supply chain to view, share and update critical documents such as ...
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FeatureMues new COO at Imperial Logistics
South Africa’s Imperial Logistics International has appointed Jürgen Mues from Swiss Railways as chief operating officer (COO) starting on March 15th.Imperial has strong operations with “unparalleled capabilities and track records” in their own fields, but few of them exploit their potential across all available locations, said CEO Hakan Bicil. “In ...
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FeatureJustin Newell joins Inform as COO
German software optimisation specialist Inform has appointed Justin Newell (pictured) as chief operating officer (COO) at its division in the US – Inform Software Corporation. He moves to Inform from his role as general manager at finished vehicle transport provider, Reliable Carriers.Newell has more than 20 years’ management experience including ...
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FeatureVolvo starts shipments to Europe from Ridgeville
Volvo has started shipping S60 sedans to Europe from the US, six months after beginning production at its $1.1 billion assembly plant in Ridgeville, near Charleston, South Carolina.“Export markets are critical to the long-term success of our plant and we’re on track to deliver vehicles to our customers worldwide,” said ...
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FeatureProAct names Fuss as head of new European team
Christian Fuss (pictured) will be managing director of ProAct Europe, which UK-based supply chain software provider ProAct International is setting up in Germany.Fuss has more than 25 years’ experience in supply chain management and automotive logistics, including as vice-president, head of supply chain management, Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa ...
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FeatureAutomotive industry condemns tariff ‘secrecy’
Automotive sector bodies from the US and overseas have rounded on the US Department of Commerce for not giving them access to its report for Donald Trump about possible duties on imports of automotive goods. Trump requested the report in May last year as part of a Section 232 investigation, ...
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FeatureUK's relevance to Honda in doubt after Swindon closure
The long-term impact on the UK automotive supply chain of Honda’s decision to end production at its Swindon plant will take some time to assess, but the carmaker has admitted that Honda of the UK Manufacturing’s current role as a global manufacturing hub “may no longer be viable”.Despite assurances the ...
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FeaturePSA invests in China’s used car sector
Groupe PSA has invested in Chinese company FengChe, which provides supply chain management services, designed to improve used car dealers’ business operations.The OEM's investment has not been disclosed, but is significant, according to a spokesperson for the carmaker. Nevertheless, FengChe remains the majority shareholder and its management structure is unchanged.Used ...
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FeaturePorsche builds Canadian PDC in Mississauga
Porsche is to establish its first parts distribution centre (PDC) in Canada to supply 19 Porsche service centres across the country. The 16,000 sq.m facility will be based in Mississauga, adjacent to Toronto, and will supply parts by ground and air. Operations are scheduled to begin in October.“Following an extensive ...
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FeatureŠkoda Scala production starts in Czech Republic
The all-new Scala has started rolling off the assembly line at Škoda’s Mladá Boleslav plant, in the Czech Republic – the first model from the company based on parent Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform.Production of the Scala, which was designed and developed in Mladá Boleslav, involves certain components being produced in ...