Middle East and Africa News
Why all eyes are on Israel for AI
In the race to perfect autonomous driving, Israel has proven to be a hotspot of technological innovation – driven, in part, by its military expertise and surveillance tools
Ford to export Ranger from Port Elizabeth
Ford South Africa is to begin using the port in the southern city of Port Elizabeth to export its locally assembled Ranger line, following unexpectedly high demand. This will alleviate pressure on its primary export port, Durban, on the east coast of the country.
Trust in Turkey: How exports are carrying the country through its economic crisis
Turkey faces some difficult economic headwinds that have already impacted on its automotive industry. But there are still several reasons for optimism, especially the country’s strength as a vehicle export hub with easy access to the European market
Electricity crisis hits South Africa’s automotive industry
Rolling power cuts across South Africa are threatening the automotive logistics chain, as the country’s overburdened state electricity provider Eskom struggles to meet the needs of business.
LSPs eye potential cut at Opel’s Rüsselsheim plant
Logistics service providers (LSPs) catering to Opel’s Rüsselsheim plant in Germany may need to be ready to adapt to lower volumes, after the OEM was reported to be halving output there in the Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. The plant builds the Insignia Grand Sport and Sports Tourer, as well as the ...
Bridgestone to buy TomTom Telematics
Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone Europe has agreed to buy TomTom’s telematics business for €910m ($1.03 billion).
Mercedes-Benz to produce batteries in Poland
Mercedes-Benz Cars is to build a lithium-ion battery factory in Jawor, Poland, at the same site where the German OEM is building its new engine plant.
VW sets up new components division to drive efficiency
Volkswagen has established a new division – Volkswagen Group Components – tasked with reducing costs by €2 billion ($2.27 billion) while improving efficiency and taking on board the increasing importance of electric vehicles. Thomas Schmall (right), chairman of VW’s new Group Components division, with Stefan Sommer, VW Group board member ...
Gefco supplies rail wagons to PSA in Morocco
Transport and logistics provider Gefco has delivered two vehicle-carrying rail wagons to serve Groupe PSA’s new car assembly plant at Kenitra, in Morocco. A further 45 will be delivered by the end of this year.
Seat joins Alastria blockchain network
Spanish carmaker Seat has joined the Alastria consortium to work on the development of blockchain-based products.
Renault plans home delivery for online sales in Russia
Renault has announced plans to start a home delivery service in Russia for vehicles sold via its online showroom.
Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe 2019 launched
Automotive Logistics is proud to announce the return of the Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe.
BMW to raise stake in Chinese joint venture
Shareholders of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (CBA) have approved the sale of a 25% stake in BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) to joint venture (JV) partner BMW.
Turkish exports bolster falling domestic sales
Turkey’s automotive industry had a mixed year in 2018. Sales in its domestic market for passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) were down by 35%, according to the Automotive Distributors Association (ODD), at 621,000 compared to 956,000 in 2017.
Genuine Parts acquires Hennig Fahrzeugteile
US-based automotive parts distributor the Genuine Parts Company has acquired German parts supplier the Hennig Fahrzeugteile Group.
Mercedes-Benz plans production in Egypt
Mercedes-Benz Cars is planning to build a car plant in Egypt with an as-yet-unnamed local business partner. Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, production and supply chain (left) with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi“Egypt is an attractive and competitive location for production and supporting logistics,” ...
DSV makes an offer for Panalpina
DSV has confirmed it has made an indicative and private proposal to acquire fellow international transport and logistics provider, Panalpina. The Danish logistics giant is bidding just over $4 billion for Panalpina.
The long way home
For inbound automotive supply chains, returnable packaging just makes sense. No carmaker wants to spend money on wood, paper and cardboard again and again, only to have to fork out straight away for costly waste disposal. Far better to pay once for a robust, reusable container that provides better protection ...
ACEA warns of EU steel import tariffs
European Union (EU) measures to protect the steel industry “pose a real risk” to the competitiveness of the region’s car sector, according to Erik Jonnaert, secretary-general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
