UECC launches first LNG hybrid PCTC
European ro-ro operator UECC has launched its first pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) and battery power. LNG burns more cleanly than traditional heavy fuels, and the battery component drives auxiliary equipment and reduces emissions in port.
Logistics providers call for fairness in calculating shipping emissions
Clarity is needed on measuring emissions in shipping but a poorly judged methodology could disadvantage finished vehicle logistics and disrupt the supply chain
VW begins exporting Taos from Mexico to US
Volkswagen has started exporting Taos models from its plant in Puebla, Mexico to the US. The vehicles are moving through the port of Lázaro Cárdenas to different northbound destinations.
A game of two halves at Europe’s vehicle ports
Volatility at Europe’s leading finished vehicle handling ports was made worse in 2020 by the impact of restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half of the year and then by resurgent demand in the second half. Marcus Williams reports
AL FVL Spring 2021 Digital Edition – Coping strategies for a global crisis
The spring digital edition of Automotive Logistics and Finished Vehicle Logistics is out now, featuring comprehensive overviews of the main vehicle ports in continental Europe and the UK, as well as the maritime transport sector. Plus, we look at the latest packaging initiative supporting VW’s lithium-ion battery deliveries to VW Zwickau, Vijay Ratnaparkhe’s IT revolution at Bosch and talk to carmakers about supply chain lessons ten years on from the Fukushima earthquake disaster
Zeebrugge remains busiest European vehicle handling port
Despite the impact on throughput, Belgium’s port of Zeebrugge maintained its position as Europe’s busiest vehicle handling port in 2020.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen puts more vessels back into service
Wallenius Wilhelmsen will reactivate the last three of the ro-ro vessels it placed in cold layup in the second quarter of last year when the Covid-19 pandemic hit finished vehicle volumes.
ABP to install 5G network at port of Southampton
Associated British Ports (ABP) is working with Verizon Business on the installation of a private 5G telecommunications network at the port of Southampton on the UK south coast. It will make ABP the first mainland port operator in the UK to offer a private 5G network to its customers.
Signs of movement on the Suez Canal
One week after the Evergreen container vessel MV Ever Given became lodged across the Suez Canal, it appears as of March 29 that efforts to shift the 400-metre-long, 200,000-tonne vessel have been successful. The chairman and managing director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said on Monday that the Panamanian container ship had been successfully refloated and the backlog of vessels is now moving through.
Höegh begins service between Gothenburg port and Oceania
Höegh Autoliners has started a regular direct service from the port of Gothenburg in Sweden to Auckland in New Zealand, taking in South Africa and other locations in the Oceanic region on route.
Horizon Auto Logistics restructures business in the Americas
Following a realignment of operations last year, Horizon Auto Logistics (HAL), has restructured its business and will operate the following group divisions: Horizon Auto Logistics in Mexico, Fast Terminal International in Colombia, and Fast Auto Logistics in the US and Dominican Republic.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen reveals wind-powered ro-ro vessel
Wallenius Wilhelmsen has presented Orcelle Wind, a concept for a primarily wind-powered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel that the finished vehicle logistics provider is confident could be on the water in 2025. In normal operation, it is expected to bring a 90% reduction in emissions.
Decarbonising the supply chain will be a gradual effort
With the range of electric vehicles (EVs) available on the market it is possible to buy a car that does not have any tailpipe emissions. The realities of energy generation mean that true zero-emission motoring is still some way off but at least there is a clear first step. Decarbonising the supply chain, however, is a complex issue with many hurdles still to overcome.
Watch: Welcome to the future of North American automotive supply chains
Kicking off the on-demand content for Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain North America Live, our hosts set out the trends impacting the industry today and how they will reshape processes, service and partnerships.
Watch: Maintaining Mexico’s competitive edge in supply chain
OEMs in Mexico are facing logistics bottlenecks and expect more to come, which is why Nissan and providers like Jack Cooper are strengthening processes and digital tools in logistics to improve resiliency and flexibility.
Watch Think Tank: A 360 view of finished vehicle logistics in North America
Key operators from all corners of the vehicle logistics space discuss the major trends in the sector for 2021 as part of an interactive think tank, including representatives from road, rail, ports, IT and integrated services.
Watch: Toyota turns to technology to redesign US vehicle logistics network
Toyota’s Rick Wishon discusses how the carmaker is using optimisation tools from software specialist Inform to engineer its outbound logistics network to maximise capacity and reduce lead times even as complexity rises.
Watch: How Volkswagen and Kuehne + Nagel are making supply chains greener
In this virtual event, leaders from Volkswagen and Kuehne+Nagel discussed how production and supply chains can be made greener by using renewable energy in plants, switching deep-sea shipping vessels to LNG, reducing air freight and more.
Watch: Ensuring finished vehicle logistics keeps pace with demand
Senior managers from Porsche, Glovis and ICL Systems talk about how they have been keeping dealer lots stocked as consumer demand has returned since the end of stay-at-home orders across America.
Watch: Exceptional finished vehicle logistics
If vehicle logistics providers are to keep ahead of disruption and better serve customers, they will need to improve exception management and inventory visibility across plants, yards and transport according to executives from Hyundai Glovis, Jack Cooper and Cognosos.
From doom and gloom to fast and furious
Ocean-going container vessels have been anchored off the west coast of the US in January because of congested port terminals. Dr Noel Hacegaba, deputy executive director and COO at the Port of Long Beach tells Marcus Williams about the misalignment of supply and capacity, and how the port is tackling it
Watch: Beyond Brexit – Navigating global trade and customs (EP.5)
Watch this Livestream Hour episode to get the inside track on coping with Brexit and optimising global trade processes, with exclusive insight from customs experts at Volvo Cars and GEFCO
Wallenius Wilhelmsen reactivates nine car carriers from cold lay-up
The ocean division of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s car carrying business (WW Ocean) is re-activating nine of the 16 car carrying vessels it has in cold lay-up. It will be reactivating them during the first quarter of 2021, to replace capacity currently sourced through short-term charters.
Automotive sector welcomes EU-UK trade deal
The UK car industry has welcomed the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which was finally announced on December 24. The agreement avoids a no-deal Brexit that would have added tariff charges to the import and export of parts and vehicles, but there are still hurdles to overcome in terms of new customs procedures.
France and other EU countries close border with UK putting freight flows at risk
A number of countries, including France, have closed their borders with the UK to passengers and accompanied freight following the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in the UK which is suspected to be more infectious than previous types.
ALSC Live North America event will focus on recovery and resilience
The North American automotive market has shown resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic but its recovery and future success depend on high-performing logistics and supply chains to avoid further disruption and better serve customers.
Analysis: Middle East and Africa recovery will depend on better trade relations, logistics and investment
The wider Middle East and North Africa region is set for vehicle sales and production declines of 25% year-on-year in 2020, but there are prospects for recovery in automotive markets and in trade, if OEMs and suppliers can overcome supply chain barriers. Download our latest analysis.
Watch: Middle East and North Africa supply chains – the route to recovery (EP.3)
Watch this Livestream for the latest insight on vehicle demand, production and trade across Middle East and North Africa automotive supply chains, plus insights with General Motors’ head of purchasing and supply chain for the Middle East, Sulaiman Pallak.
NYK embraces automation and increases dedicated terminals
In the face of disruption and a drop in vehicle volumes caused by Covid-19, NYK is looking into the use of automation to reduce contact in storage yards, and remote management of cargo-handling and pre-delivery inspection (PDI) operations. At the same time it is continuing to expand its automotive-dedicated terminals globally
VW switches to recycled oil to power ro-ro vessels
In an innovative response to lowering emissions in European maritime freight transport, Volkswagen Group Logistics has set up an initiative for ro-ro vessels carrying its vehicles to use vegetable oil, including oil recycled from restaurants and the food industry.
Rhenus Cuxport looks forward to more deep-sea trade after latest BMW exports
BMW has shipped exports of 3,500 vehicles bound for China through the German port of Cuxhaven to avoid delays caused by peak demand at the port of Bremerhaven
A capacity crisis in container shipping
The awakening of global manufacturing from a Covid-induced coma has coincided with the usual holiday season rush and a move away from the just-in-time delivery model to produce a nightmare peak season that’s making replenishing stock in the automotive industry a Herculean task. Illya Verpraet and Christopher Ludwig report.
Latest Grimaldi vessels to improve fleet efficiency
Grimaldi has updated its fleet of ro-ro vessels this month with the delivery of two new ships. The Eco Valencia is the first of 12 hybrid ro-ro vessels that will be used to transport vehicles in Europe. The Grande Florida is conventionally-powered, but has a number of features to reduce emissions.
VW begins shipping finished vehicles from Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico to California
Volkswagen and Audi have begun shipping Mexican-made cars headed for the US, from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas to California.
Ro-ro shipping line UECC joins UN sustainability pact
Norwegian ro-ro shipping line UECC has signed up to the United Nations Global Compact, which supports and unites companies to become more sustainable in terms of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
CLdN and Rhenus add finished vehicle capacity ahead of Brexit
Shortsea ro-ro provider CLdN has been adding capacity on its cross-channel routes, with an extra vessel to be deployed. Meanwhile, LSP Rhenus has announced it is launching an FVL department in the UK.
Mosolf expands into seaport logistics with Wilhelmshaven terminal
Finished vehicle logistics provider Mosolf has officially opened its new seaport terminal at Wilhelmshaven in northwestern Germany. It will handle vehicles and other rolling cargo, with an eye to expand to other lines of business.
Watch: Building Lucid’s electric vehicle logistics network
Electric vehicle startup Lucid is launching its first production model with support from Glovis America in finished vehicle logistics. Head of logistics Greg Henninger shares details together with partners from Glovis on the unique challenge for EV outbound logistics.
Watch: Believe the hype! What Hyperloop technology means for the (near) future of logistics
Hyperloop technology sounds futuristics but Hyperloop TT is already implementing a number of projects in logistics, including infrastructure in Dubai to port operations at the port of Hamburg. Chief strategy officer Juan Quintana details the company’s plans at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live.
Watch: Rethinking supply chain resilience
The crisis has underlined how vulnerable the supply chain is to shocks and is leading some manufacturers to reconsider inventory and planning strategies to mitigate disruption and instability. In this session at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, experts debate whether this means a rethink in lean and just-in-time.
Watch: Real world supply chain dynamics with DSV
During Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, DSV’s automotive logistics experts set out a path to navigate a turbulent year ahead with an overview of supply chain stability, trends, insights, and strategies that will impact on logistics operations and pricing across transport modes.
Watch: Rethinking vehicle logistics network design and optimisation in North America
OEMs like Nissan and Volkswagen are working with logistics specialists like Jack Cooper and Inform to deliver the recovery amidst low vehicle inventory, uncertainty from Covid-19 and driver shortages, while looking at how to use technology to optimise networks over the long term. Check out this lively discussion from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live.
Watch: How to improve agility and flexibility in finished vehicle logistics
While vehicle logistics faces ongoing challenges in managing capacity utilisation and visibility, this panel from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live points to key strategies from FCA North America, Hyundai Glovis and CFR Rinkens for improving load factors and responding to customer needs.
Watch: Keeping the metal moving in Europe
As the European vehicle logistics sector faces huge challenges and changes, senior logistics leaders from Daimler, Volvo Cars and Hyundai Glovis discuss capacity requirements, digitalisation and requirements from their logistics partners during a panel at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live.
Watch: Optimising supply chain demand and capacity planning
Manufacturers are facing recovering but uncertain automotive demand, while limits in ocean and air freight capacity risk disruption and cost increeses. In this session at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, experts from Toyota North America, Adient and CNW discuss strategies for improving demand forecasting and network planning across transport modes.
Watch: How Daimler digitalised its damage claims process for vehicle logistics
In a case study presentation at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, Dr Monica Schmickler explains Mercedes-Benz’s new global quality management system, Q.DOME, and how the carmaker is gaining more visibility and data over vehicle transport damage in its global distribution network.
Watch: Setting a new standard for vehicle logistics communication
An industry-wide initiative in Europe aims to set a standard for digital communication across all outbound delivery processes from factory to dealer. In this excluive panel at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, leaders from key stakeholders explain the systems and benefits, including from Renault Nissan Mitsubishi, ECG, Odette and VDA.
Watch: Redefining sustainable automotive supply chains
Manufacturers and logistics providers are increasingly putting sustainability at the heart of their supply chain networks. In this panel at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, learn how Kuehne + Nagel and CSR Europe are driving a greener, socially, and environmentally responsible future.
Collaboration is key to achieve sustainability goals
Sharing information between companies and ensuring regulatory alignment between regions is crucial if the automotive industry wants to take real steps towards more sustainable supply chains. Panellists from logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel and CSR Europe, the European Business Network for Corporate Sustainability, came to the conclusion at this week’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live conference
K Line awaits delivery of first LNG car carrier
In line with environmental efforts being made by the world’s car carrier operators K Line will take delivery of its first vessel powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) in the fourth quarter of this year, following its launch from the Tadotsu Shipyard. The vessel has capacity to carry more than 7,000 vehicles
