Latest Analysis – Page 20
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Ford to make second model in Craiova
Ford is investing up to €200m ($235m) to manufacture a second vehicle at its Craiova assembly plant in Romania, saying the planned expenditure is a sign of the company’s trust in government promises to deliver key upgrades infrastructure and logistics improvements.“Ford has discussed with the government the key infrastructure projects ...
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FCA vehicles damaged by fire in Ohio
At least 20 new Jeep Wranglers have been damaged or destroyed in a fire at a storage lot in Toledo, Ohio. So far, the cause of the fire, which took place on Monday (May 21), remains unclear, though a report by local news source WTOL11 said fire investigators were treating ...
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Gefco: Full of get up and go
French transport and logistics provider Gefco started 2018 with an announcement in Paris that it was looking to cooperate more closely with its partners and customers. At the same time, the company said it was looking for international growth and new business as it continued to move beyond the traditional ...
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Russia: Recovery still down the road
Sales of finished vehicles in Russia rose 11.9% in 2017 over the previous year to reach 1.59m units, according to estimates in early January by the Association of European Businesses (AEB). Russia’s long-awaited recovery began in March and gained momentum throughout the year, peaking in December with monthly sales of ...
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Audi México: Risk and reward
When Audi opened its assembly plant in Mexico in September 2016, it was a milestone achievement on a number of levels. It was the first factory the German carmaker had set up outside Europe and the first that it was exclusively managing overseas (the two factories in China are joint ...
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Waking up to a new dawn
Brazilian vehicle manufacturers are increasingly optimistic that the country can claw its way out of a deep recession. The country is experiencing a period of low inflation, low interest rates, light GDP growth and a tentative recovery in employment, reflected in improving purchasing power and consumer confidence. Moreover, consumers with ...
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Trusting the market will stay afloat
European vehicle-handling ports saw growth in vehicle vehicle volumes in 2017, however geo-political worries – not least Brexit – is causing concerns. Ports continue to invest but there are worries over future volumes and capacity levels.
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DB Cargo UK announces top appointments
Rail freight operator DB Cargo UK has appointed Dirk Nolte (pictured) as chief operating officer (COO). Nolte, who has substantial experience in business process re-engineering and improvement, has spent 24 years in various industries managing large-scale international projects from scoping to implementation.The company has also announced the appointment of Roger ...
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Finalists for Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe 2018 revealed
The shortlist of finalists for the inaugural Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe has been revealed, with 73 entries competing in 14 different categories. The shortlist forms a cross-section of the industry’s leading carmakers, suppliers and logistics providers (see the full list of finalists here).The finalists were chosen from a large ...
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BMW Brilliance opens VDC at Ningbo
BMW’s joint venture with Brilliance Automobile in China, BMW Brilliance Automobile (BBA), has opened a vehicle distribution centre (VDC) at the Meishin (Meixi) ro-ro terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the world’s busiest port in terms of cargo tonnage.The facility, which BBA refers to as a decentralised distribution area (DDA), is being ...
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Volvo Cars: Outbound evolutions
The vehicle yard at Torslanda, at Volvo Cars’ global headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, is just one part of the OEM’s growing global logistics operations, but it is a good place to glimpse some important changes and innovations. For example, the global shape of the Geely-owned carmaker’s expanding production footprint ...
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Volvo Cars: Leaning towards greater stability
Since Geely Holdings acquired it from Ford Motor Company in 2010, Volvo Cars has been reinventing itself, from product development through to its industrial base and supply chain. Today, with a refreshed model line-up and amidst several new launches, sales have grown to record levels, with further expansion still to ...
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PSA Group to sell remaining stake in Gefco
French carmaker PSA Group, which owns Peugeot, Citroën and Opel/Vauxhall, has said it will sell its remaining 25% stake in Gefco, its former logistics subsidiary.The carmaker said in a statement that “Gefco’s operational performance and the diversification of its client portfolio no longer [make] it necessary for [PSA Group] to ...
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DB Cargo sets up rail service for German deliveries to Barcelona port
DB Cargo is running a rail service for finished vehicle transport between Germany and the Spanish port of Barcelona. The weekly service, for a prominent German carmaker (unconfirmed but thought to be Mercedes-Benz), is the only such link between the two countries and is organised in conjunction with the Spanish ...
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Navigating an uncertain future
The finished vehicle logistics sector needs to find better ways to communicate and collaborate to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, delegates at this year’s finished vehicle logistics north america conference in California were told in March. Marcus Williams reports The finished vehicle logistics industry may be facing a ...
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BMW Spartanburg remains top US car exporter
BMW’s Spartanburg vehicle assembly plant in South Carolina remained the largest US automotive exporter by value last year, even though production there decreased.The factory turned out more than 371,280 cars during the year, 9.7% fewer than in 2016 because the X5/X6 assembly hall was shut down for four weeks during ...
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AMIA calls for government help with blockades
The Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA) has called for the government to intervene after a series of blockades that has left vehicle manufacturers in the country struggling for supplies and halted the movement of some finished vehicles.The blockades, which started in late January, have been carried out by ...
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Gefco reveals latest developments in regional strategy
Gefco has revealed a number of recent business developments at a meeting held in Paris this week to launch its new corporate direction, brand identity and the further development of its commercial activity. They include the purchase of rail and compound assets in Russia to support exports to neighbouring countries; ...
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Mexico conference: Uncertainty well-balanced with optimism
While a degree of uncertainty over the future of free trade between Mexico and its Nafta neighbours to the north once again hung over discussions at this year’s Automotive Logistics Mexico conference, it was more than matched by confidence in the future of the automotive sector. That confidence is being ...
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Port users bemoan slow progress at Veracruz
Carmakers and logistics providers have expressed frustration over the slow pace of expansion at the congested Mexican port of Veracruz.The port is working to install new infrastructure to support growing automotive volumes, which reached 1.03m units last year (up 13.5% on 2016).The project includes a completely new landside and berth ...