All features articles – Page 8
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ArticleTrucking North America: in it for the long haul
With a changing model mix and the perennial problem of driver shortages, the US car hauling industry is battling challenges on multiple fronts. But companies are now investing in technology and capacity to future-proof their fleets
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InterviewQ&A: Mike Riggs, CEO, Jack Cooper
US finished vehicle haulier Jack Cooper reorganised its business under Chapter 11 proceedings last year and exited the court process on November 1. In an exclusive interview Victoria Johns talks to CEO Mike Riggs about the company’s ‘picture-perfect bankruptcy’ and why Jack is definitely back
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ArticleStronger connections for a competitive future
Capacity constraints have tested the resourcefulness of Haropa ports, which oversees activity at the sea port of Le Havre, and the inland ports of Rouen and Paris, but the company is responding with investment, redevelopment and the application of smart technology
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ArticleReaching for the stars: how Galileo’s satellites could help automotive logistics
Since launching its first test navigation satellite in 2005, the European Space Agency (ESA) has steadily built up the Galileo global positioning network and today operates 22 satellites. With four further launches due in 2020, the Galileo network is set to become the first fully operational high-accuracy global navigation satellite system (GNSS) – heralding a new era of precision navigation and, for the automotive industry, bringing opportunities for improved vehicle logistics.
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ArticleRussia: still supporting exports
As its domestic market stagnates, Russia is continuing to seek growth abroad and is subsidising the export of vehicles and parts – at a cost of more than $60m a year. The government is seemingly succeeding in its ambition of turning the country into a fully fledged automotive exporter, as its official target is to establish exports of at least 240,000 vehicles per year by 2025 – ideally up to 400,000 – and recent growth in this segment suggests that these figures could be within reach.
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ArticleExclusive report: Inside BMW’s new Mexican plant at San Luis Potosí
Automotive Logistics hears from Karl Friedrich Koch, vice-president, production control, BMW Mexico, about the vehicle-maker’s new plant in the country – which has a logistics operation that leads the way in terms of Internet of Things tracking technology
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ArticleUS rail: tracking in the right direction
Rail transportation offers an efficient, reliable option for the distribution of finished vehicles, and in an age of increased concern over sustainability, it is also relatively environmentally friendly. This helps to explain why it remains a popular mode for moving vehicles, despite drawbacks such as limited flexibility.
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ArticleWater woes: how European river transport projects have ground to a halt
In Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland the authorities are embarking on big projects aimed at boosting cargo flows along key rivers. Potentially, this could provide more opportunities for the European finished vehicle logistics industry, but for a number of reasons it is not clear that river transport in the region will become more popular.
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ArticleAl-air: a better battery for EVs?
A long-range, lightweight, cost-efficient, recyclable and ethically sourced battery is, arguably, the Holy Grail of the EV market. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are currently the main focus of multibillion-dollar investments by OEMs and tier suppliers, but there are other contenders that could offer a breakthrough with alternative technology. One of them is the aluminium-air (Al-air) battery.
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ArticleFighting back against fake parts
Counterfeit parts in the automotive industry will soon be worth more than the annual gross domestic product of Canada, Brazil or Italy. According to World Trademark Review, the estimated global economic cost of counterfeiting in the automotive industry could reach $2.3 trillion by 2022. In Europe, it is estimated that €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) is lost annually to counterfeit tyre sales alone, while counterfeit battery sales effectively steal €180m ($198m) from OEMs. Furthermore, the rise of e-commerce is making it ever easier for consumers to knowingly or unknowingly access counterfeit, possibly dangerous vehicle parts.
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ArticleBMW’s balance of power
BMW already has a 6% share of the market for new registered battery electric and photovoltaic electric vehicles but to meet the increase in demand in the coming years it has plans to have 1m fully electric and hybrid vehicles on the road by the end of 2021. In preparation it is moving battery production closer to its main areas of global assembly
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ArticleTaking the assault out of the battery
The traceability of raw materials used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium and cobalt, is one of the main sustainability challenges faced by carmakers who are investing to meet the consumer demand and regulatory pressures behind the electric vehicle revolution
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ArticleWeighing the cost of the EV revolution
The rise in the number of electric vehicles being transported in Europe is bringing with it some significant challenges for those carriers tasked with volume shipments. They are having to deal with heavier and higher voltage vehicles that need charging on routes that cross countries with differing regulations on load dimensions
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ArticleThe rules of the battery game
Logistics providers charged with the transport of lithium-ion batteries to the assembly lines and services centres have some very complex regulatory standards to which they have to adhere – it is a legislative jungle out there
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InterviewMena aftermarket: Playing a bigger part
Overall economic growth may be lacklustre, but automotive aftermarket sales are on the increase in the Middle East and North Africa…
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ArticlePairing up for progress: The advance of digital twins
A computer-based tool for process planning, quality checking, monitoring systems and a wide range of other uses, digital twinning is increasingly making its presence felt across the automotive industry. In essence, this is a version of something in real life, such as a piece of machinery, a production line or a supply chain operation, which is recreated on a desktop computer or a tablet. Digital twins are now used across manufacturing and warehouse operations to manage material flow, complete the order-to-delivery process and make efficiency and quality improvements in vehicle production.
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ArticleQ&A: Pascal Trummer, Magna International
The tier supplier’s vice-president of sales and marketing in Europe discusses major trends in the automotive industry, plus the state of the market in Central and Eastern Europe
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NewsShifting gears: How Skoda automated Vrchlabí
The smallest of Skoda’s production plants, the Vrchlabí site in the Czech Republic has been producing direct shift transmissions for the Volkswagen Group since 2012..
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ArticleKeeping calm: RNM Alliance’s Mark Sutcliffe on how to handle supply chain volatility
The automotive industry is undergoing a technological transformation and facing upheavals in key markets, but the OEM’s senior vice-president of industrial strategy and supply chain management believes there are ways to successfully tackle these changes
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ArticleIn the zone at Jebel Ali port
With a multi-tier parking facility holding around 27,000 car equivalent units (CEU), Jebel Ali is the biggest port in the Middle East and the 11th largest worldwide. The port has four terminals connecting to more than 150 other ports through 80 weekly services, and its activity accounts for 26.1% of Dubai’s GDP. In 2018, 82% of Dubai’s automotive trade passed through Jebel Ali, worth $31.6 billion in vehicles, tyres, parts and accessories.