News – Page 64
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NewsDaimler Buses launches mobile 3D parts printing for aftersales
Daimler Buses and its aftersales service brand Omniplus have set up a mobile 3D printing centre that fits in a container for the local production of spare parts. The 36 sq.m facility will speed the delivery of spare parts to bus customers and cut down on the transport of those parts from fixed production and storage centres.
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NewsTom Pippingsköld widens remit at Finnlines
Tom Pippingsköld (pictured) has taken up the newly created position of vice-president and deputy CEO at Finnlines, which provides short-sea ro-ro services in Europe. Pippingsköld retains his role as chief financial officer (CFO) at the company, a role he has held since 2013.
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NewsVW Group reports strong Q1 but chip shortage will damage Q2
In its first quarter results for 2021 VW Group has reported a 21.2% increase in global vehicle deliveries on the same period last year, reaching 2.4m passenger and commercial units.
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NewsPolestar looks deeper into supply chain with Circulor
Polestar has signed a deal blockchain technology provider Circulor that aims to extend its visibility of ethical raw materials sourcing.
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NewsSeat adds logistics cobots at Martorell
Spanish carmaker Seat has started using two autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at its plant in Martorell for the picking of parts from its onsite storage warehouses.
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NewsNio targets Norway for first vehicle exports
Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio will start exporting vehicles to Norway in September this year, beginning with the ES8 SUV. The carmaker will also introduce the ET7 luxury sedan in 2022.
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NewsVW cuts transport emissions by expanding Zwickau press shop
Volkswagen’s electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in Zwickau, Germany, has taken another step into sustainable manufacturing by investing €74m ($95m) to expand its press shop.
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NewsBMW i Ventures invests in Plus One Robotics
BMW’s venture capital fund – BMW i Ventures – has invested an undisclosed sum in Plus One Robotics, which provides vision software for logistics robots. The investment is aimed at driving automation across the supply chain and logistics industry, said BMW i Ventures.
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NewsStronger partnerships will drive a more sustainable car sector
Overcoming the disruptions caused to the automotive industry over the last 12 months by the Covid pandemic has revealed the importance of long-term partnerships between OEMs, and their parts and logistics suppliers. What is more, at this year’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Europe conference, carmakers talked about how important those long-term partnerships are going to be if the industry is to clean up its act and become more sustainable.
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AnalysisHow the European automotive industry aims to build back semiconductor and chip supply
OEMs, suppliers and EU officials are considering how best to develop Europe’s semiconductor supply bases to mitigate current and future shortages, but the broad gaps at many levels – including for older, larger chips – mean there will be no magic bullet
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NewsReturning vehicle sales test Russian ro-ro capacity
Returning vehicle sales in Russia are prompting ocean transport providers to return laid up vessels into operation as capacity on international routes becomes tighter. Higher tariffs on containerised vehicle shipments from China is also leading to a switch in mode to ocean, adding to the demand for more services. That is expected to create an imbalance in supply and demand in the ro-ro transport sector in the short and medium-term.
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NewsRecoding the outbound at FVL North America Live
Carmakers and their outbound logistics providers are dealing with a strong rebound in North American vehicle sales post-Covid, which has taken the supply chain by surprise.
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FeatureBuilding a future for vehicle trade after Covid
Last year was one of unprecedented challenge for the UK’s vehicle handling ports but, as Marcus Williams reports, they maintained operations, invested in infrastructure and are taking lessons forward for future trade
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NewsDianna du Preez takes over as head of customer services at MBUSA
Dianna du Preez (pictured) moves to a new role at Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) as vice-president of customer services at the beginning of May, succeeding Christian Treiber who is leaving the company.
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NewsWhy just-in-time will remain the way forward for Toyota
Leon van der Merwe is leading inbound, outbound and service parts logistics for Toyota Motor Europe. At this year’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Europe Live conference he told Christopher Ludwig about the carmaker’s strategy to modernise just-in-time and make Toyota’s logistics more sustainable
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NewsGreater cross-sector dialogue needed to solve chip crisis
The current global shortage in the supply of computer chips to the automotive industry is causing significant disruption to production and looks likely to continue into next year. There are signs though that the current crisis could lead to new forms of partnership between the automotive and semiconductor industries, and a move away from the rigid hierarchy of the traditional automotive supply chain. That promises to lead to a more secure relationship for the future.
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NewsMastering complexity and getting sustainable at VW
Logistics at the Volkswagen Group is a complex business. There are currently 12 brands in the VW Group and every day 8,500 suppliers send parts into 70 assembly plants worldwide, from where finished vehicles are delivered to 150 markets. According to Matthias Braun, head of digitalization and concept development at VW Group Logistics, the company is looking at the latest technology to manage that complexity and do it sustainably.
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NewsSustainability means seeing beyond the surface
Supply chains need to become more sustainable but you can’t change what you can’t see. Logistics experts at the recent Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Europe Live conference agreed that better tools and partnerships are needed to identify emissions in complex supply chains as a means to start reducing them.
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NewsEuropean carmakers need a circular approach to EV production
To meet ambitious goals to cut vehicle emissions in Europe, carmakers are focusing all their efforts on increasing the number of battery electric vehicles (EVs) they make and sell. There were more than 1m EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) sold in Europe last year but by 2030 that number is expected to hit 5m in annual sales. That will put a big demand on lithium-ion battery production as carmakers seek to localise supply.
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NewsAutomotive needs a better skill strategy to successfully transform
Production and logistics technology is changing dramatically as the automotive industry adopts electrification and new forms of mobility, but the skills of the workforce need to keep pace because without them no transition is possible.