All Inbound logistics articles – Page 37
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ArticlePowerful alternatives for the automotive sector
Battery manufacturer AMTE Power acquired AGM Batteries in 2013 to advance its development and provision of battery cell technology for specialist applications in the automotive sector looking for premium performance. Daniel Harrison talks to the company’s director Kevin Brundish
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VideoWatch: Kia maintains investment, launches and stability in Europe
Kia Motors Europe chief operating officer, Emilio Herrera, and director of marketing, Carlos Lahoz, outline how the Korean brand is learning from supply chain and production disruptions, digitalising sales channels and maintaining investment in electrification to chart a route towards recovery in Europe.
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NewsCoronavirus policy complicates Mexican automotive recovery
After significant declines in production and sales through March and April this year, Mexico is restarting its automotive manufacturing, but the country’s states are setting different rules regarding ramp up, which is restricting the movement of parts across borders. What could further complicate the situation in the near-term is the US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement (USMCA), which comes into effect on July 1, enforcing complex changes in trade, parts sourcing and labour rules.
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ArticleBattery consortiums and regional supply lie ahead for EV production
Fisker is working on the release of the fully electric Fisker Ocean SUV for release in 2022. The development of battery supply chain since the company was founded, including the emergence of consortiums for battery purchasing, has put the company is a strong competitive position to challenge the bigger players. Volume forecasts have been too unreliable for lithium-ion battery supply chains to develop outside China and Korea so far, and cumulative sales will have to pass 10m before they do so, something Henrik Fisker believes will happen between 2022 and 2023
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WebinarWatch: Livestream Hour Episode 4 – Tier Suppliers on the Road to Recovery
Hosted by Christopher Ludwig, Editor-in-Chief at Ultima Media, the Livestream Hour will take place each week on Wednesdays. It will also be part of other Livestream special episodes and guests, including previews and follow-ups from our series of live and digital events for Automotive Logistics, Automotive Manufacturing Solutions and Car Design News. In Episode 4, we discuss the key areas that suppliers especially need to consider as the automotive industry stirs back into action, including supply chain and logistics processes, sourcing considerations, digital tools and collaboration.
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ArticleComment: Crisis leads to change
In ordinary times, when we talk about something being viral we normally mean social media – a wildly popular video of someone falling over, or perhaps a puppy montage. In the extraordinary times that we now find ourselves, the meaning of the word has reverted back to being deadly serious. The emergence of Covid-19 (coronavirus) this year has ravaged the global population, sent entire nations into lockdown and brought business virtually to a standstill.
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ArticleKia suspends production in Slovakia on supply shortages
Kia has had to halt the assembly lines two weeks after restarting them, demonstrating the challenges that OEMs face in restarting vehicle production during the ongoing lockdown and coronavirus crisis.
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NewsMarelli and BMW light the way with blockchain
Marelli Automotive Lighting is working with the BMW Group on the introduction of blockchain technology to connect suppliers’ and carmakers’ plants to improve the management of automotive supply chains. Together, the companies have designed and developed the PartChain application, which is being used initially as a pilot focused on the traceability of headlamps, rear lamps and lighting modules supplied by Marelli Automotive Lighting to a number of BMW Group vehicles
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NewsFinding the space in a crisis with two speeds
Jochen Freese, chief commercial officer (CCO) at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, says that the automotive supply chain is not built for large numbers of huge warehouses in which to stock inbound parts, but it is a problem the industry is having to deal with in the face of a global production shutdown brought about by the coronavirus pandemic
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ArticleNext step into the unprecedented
The disruption to the global automotive supply chain caused by the coronavirus pandemic is being exacerbated by uncertainty fed by a lack of accurate information. At last week’s Automotive Supply Chain update webinar, presented by Ultima Media’s business intelligence unit, analysts tried to provide some clarity on the current situation and what lay ahead for the industry
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PodcastPresentation by Karl-Friedrich Koch, BMW Mexico
Since 2015, Karl-Friedrich Koch, vice-president, production control, BMW Mexico, has played a fundamental role in the OEM’s project to develop its first Mexican car factory. At the Automotive Logistics Mexico 2020 conference, he provided delegates with an insight into the launch and ramp-up process, which kicked off in 2019.
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NewsVW Autoeuropa to import gearboxes through port of Sines
Volkswagen is to start shipping gearboxes made at its components plant in Córdoba, Argentina, to its Autoeuropa assembly plant in Portugal. Containers are being shipped from the Argentine port of Buenos Aries to the Portuguese port of Sines for onward shipment by road to the plant in Palmela
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ArticleCalling stop on automotive supply chains: how long can companies survive the Covid-19 crisis?
With the coronavirus pandemic causing a level of automotive plant shutdowns not seen since the second world war, suppliers and logistics providers will face failures without direct support from government, and close collaboration with OEMs and industry.
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NewsRussian car industry caught between coronavirus and currency fluctuations
Automotive plants in Russia are reported to be running out of components as supply shortages caused by the coronavirus continue out of China and South Korea, and disruption spreads across Europe. At the same time the Russian ruble has hit a four-year low against the US dollar, which is taking its toll on production costs
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PodcastPresentation by Jesús Seade Kuri, Federal Government of Mexico
Jesús Seade Kuri, who serves as Undersecretary for North America at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has played a major role in negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal which is due to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). Here is the update he provided at the ...
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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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ArticleMexico’s Undersecretary for North America: USMCA is a good deal
Jesus Seade Kuri, Mexico’s Undersecretary for North America The new free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA) will be ratified this month and represents a good deal for Mexico and its automotive industry, delegates at the Automotive Logistics Mexico conference were told last ...
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VideoWatch: A royal entry to Mexico’s competitive supply base
Kevin Reed, vice-president of supply chain at tier two electronics and battery component supplier Royal Power, talks to Daniel Harrison about why the company recently built a new plant in Mexico, and the challenges facing its supply chain and logistics. In the context of declining margins among tier suppliers, Reed discusses the key advantages of moving to Mexico to better serve customers and compete, and why maximising efficiency in the supply chain is a crucial differentiator.
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PodcastInterview with Alfonso Gutierrez, Nissan Mexico
At the Automotive Logistics Mexico 2020 conference, Nissan Mexico’s recently appointed deputy director of purchasing speaks to editor Joanne Perry about his ambitions in the role, the challenges of logistics purchasing in Mexico and why it’s crucial to empower personnel to “go and conquer”