North America
Recoding 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.
Watch: The (r)evolution at Volkswagen Group’s logistics
Electrification, digital tools and sustainability goals are transforming Volkswagen Group Logistics processes across the carmaker’s global footprint. Matthias Braun outlines how the group is adapting its systems and relationships.
Watch: A permanent change in container shipping for automotive
Capacity, lead time and cost issues in container shipping have disrupted automotive shippers, and long-term structural changes in the sector will lead to new supplier relationships, according to Drewry.
Watch: How today’s chip shortage could help the automotive supply chain flourish in the long run
The semiconductor crisis has caused millions of units in lost production but is also pointing the way towards a more fruitful relationship between OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, foundries and chip producers globally, especially as more electronics are added to future vehicles.
VW begins exporting Taos from Mexico to US
Volkswagen has started exporting Taos models from its plant in Puebla, Mexico to the US. The vehicles are moving through the port of Lázaro Cárdenas to different northbound destinations.
AL FVL Spring 2021 Digital Edition – Coping strategies for a global crisis
The spring digital edition of Automotive Logistics and Finished Vehicle Logistics is out now, featuring comprehensive overviews of the main vehicle ports in continental Europe and the UK, as well as the maritime transport sector. Plus, we look at the latest packaging initiative supporting VW’s lithium-ion battery deliveries to VW Zwickau, Vijay Ratnaparkhe’s IT revolution at Bosch and talk to carmakers about supply chain lessons ten years on from the Fukushima earthquake disaster
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railways merge to create continent-wide network
Canadian Pacific Railway has bought Kansas City Southern (KCS) railway for $29 billion in a move that will create the first rail freight network connecting Canada, the US and Mexico.
Carmakers forced to extend shutdowns because of microchip shortage
Ford and GM have been forced to extend assembly plant closures because of a shortage in the supply of semiconductors, a problem that continues to disrupt vehicle production globally.
Horizon Auto Logistics restructures business in the Americas
Following a realignment of operations last year, Horizon Auto Logistics (HAL), has restructured its business and will operate the following group divisions: Horizon Auto Logistics in Mexico, Fast Terminal International in Colombia, and Fast Auto Logistics in the US and Dominican Republic.
Tom Donnelly expands role at Mazda North America Operations
As part of wider organisational changes at Mazda North America Operations (MNAO), Tom Donnelly is taking on additional responsibilities to his role as senior vice-president of retail operations. Yoji Nukina will lead vehicle distribution.
Biden signs order to secure US supply chain network
President Biden has signed an executive order designed to fortify US supply chains, including those supporting the production of EV batteries and semiconductors.
Sustainable as standard: Transforming automotive supply chains with BSI
In this podcast, BSI’s Robert Brown and Martin Townsend discuss how Covid, digitalisation and the circular economy are reshaping processes and business models across automotive supply chains with Automotive Logistics editor-in-chief Christopher Ludwig
Texas winter storm blackouts hit automotive sector
Severe weather conditions in the US state of Texas over the last ten days have closed down manufacturing locations, including vehicle and parts supplier plants, as well as disrupting delivery routes.
Outsourcing is a cost-effective means to cope with change
Picking the right supplier or logistics partner to troubleshoot supply problems previously managed in-house is proving to be very valuable, according to speakers at the recent Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain North America Live conference.
German carmakers race to secure European battery cell production
The millions of electric vehicles being produced also need millions of batteries. But where do the German manufacturers source their cells from?
SK Innovation banned from the US for 10 years following LG lawsuit
The US International Trade Commission has imposed a 10-year ban on SK Innovation for the importation, domestic production and sale of electric vehicle batteries within the US because of intellectual property theft from rival LG Chem. It is a tough sentence, but perhaps unsurprising given the context of the global push to electrification.
Pandemic gives finished vehicle logistics a fresh perspective
According to speakers at the Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain North America Live conference there was a silver lining to the disruption inflicted on the automotive industry by the coronavirus pandemic: it allowed companies to look at things afresh and identify where existing problems in the outbound supply chain lay hidden by day-to-day activity.
Porsche turns to ICL for better visibility on vehicle deliveries
The continuing need for accurate tracking of vehicles in the outbound supply chain became more of a critical issue last year as assembly plants ramped up production after the Covid shutdowns. Demand for new cars remained strong throughout the crisis, which shrank available inventory 32%, from 3.8m to 2.6m when plants were shut or operating on restricted schedules and according to new safety protocols.
North American vehicle makers steer a course through Covid
This year’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain North America Live conference revealed how a strong rebound in North American vehicle sales has taken the supply chain by surprise and exacerbated the misalignment in inbound supply and capacity caused by the Covid-19 shutdowns.
USMCA: The milk in the coconut of North American trade
The renegotiated rules on free trade in North America, known as USMCA, have been in effect six months but are coming under stricter enforcement. Trade experts from Toyota and Canada’s automotive supplier association point to risks around compliance and a lack of clarity in some rules, especially around ’alternative staging regimes’ on localisation – with the risk that some suppliers could lose significant business.
