Global news in brief

Nissan has launched a new energy efficient ro-ro vessel – M/V City of St. Petersburg – for the shipment of Leaf electric vehicles to Northern Europe and Russia from the UK. The ship will move vehicles produced at the Sunderland plant when production of the Leaf begins there in 2013, as well as vehicles shipped to the UK from the Nissan plant in Barcelona, Spain.

 

However, Nissan has already employed the vessel for a special shipment of 68 Leaf models from its facility in Oppama, Japan destined for customers in the UK and Ireland a spokesman confirmed.

 

Nissan started production of the Leaf at its Oppama facility in October last year for sale in December. It began exports from Japan to the US in November, followed by shipments to Europe in December, for 2011 sales.

 

The 21,000-ton vessel, which has the capacity for 2,000 of the vehicles, is operated by Euro Marine Carrier, a Dutch company 51%-owned by Nissan Motor Car Carrier, and was built by the Kyokuyo Shipyard in Japan. Its semi-spherical shaped bow was designed to cut wind resistance by 50% and reduce fuel consumption by as much as 800 tons per year.

German vehicle logistics provider, ARS Altmann Group, has invested €1m in an energy efficient logistics centre in Piadena in northern Italy for the distribution by rail of finished vehicles into the country. The centre is expected to start operations within the next few weeks and throughput of vehicles is expected to range up to 150,000 per year according to the company.

 

The facility, which will have storage capacity for 10,500 vehicles over 200,000m², will also feature a solar carport offering protective space for 6,000 vehicles while providing clean energy via a photovoltaic roof system provided by Phoenix Solar for nearly 2,000 households in the surrounding area.

 

The centre is able to provide a range of value-added services said a spokesperson, including PDI, smart repair, finishing services, fuelling, remodelling and the installation of extra equipment.

 

Vehicles will be transported from the centre in the latest rail wagons, including those provided by the Altmann Group (the Hccrrs 5.833 M) in conjunction with traction provider TX Logistik. Altmann said of its available fleet of 1,400 rail wagons, 600 are covered and that depending on customer needs it can also organise covered transport of vehicles to the compound.

 

The ARS Altmann Group currently maintains 19 logistic centres in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and Russia.

 

Subaru of America has signed a 10-year deal for a custom-built automotive parts distribution complex that will double the size of its operation in Portland, Oregon. The company said the move was prompted by strong sales and significant growth projections.

 

In 2010 the company reported record total sales of 263,820, a 22% increase over 2009, driven by demand for its new range of products including the Legacy, Outback and Forester models which all showed record growth last year.

 

Subaru is relocating its distribution operations to a 38,000m² complex at the Rivergate Corporate Center III from its existing 16,000m² facility at Commerce Park. Operations, which will include parts distribution activity as well as training and office functions, are expected to begin when the lease commences in October this year. The facility will serve the western US and Canada regions.

 

The deal is reported to be the largest build-to-suit transaction in Portland in a decade.

 

North America's largest automotive carrier, Union Pacific Railroad, has relocated its ShipCarsNow subsidiary to its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, from Auburn Hills, Michigan “to strengthen and grow [its] auto transport services in the US and international markets," said Julie Krehbiel, Union Pacific vice president and general manager – Automotive.

 

Established by Union Pacific in 2006, ShipCarsNow delivers used vehicles for businesses in the US and around the world through a multimodal auto transport network that includes truck, enclosed rail transport, drive-away shuttles, and ocean-going vessels.

 

ShipCarsNow will bring 21 jobs to Nebraska, with about half being relocations from Auburn Hills, and in addition will bring 12 information technology jobs in support of its web offering.