Iran war continues to impact automotive supply chain: Strait of Hormuz access and energy price volatility remain key concerns As the conflict in the Middle East continues, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked and energy prices in flux, the automotive supply chain impact could be severe. James McLoughlin Ilkhan Ozsevim
VW Group offers US localisation in tariff negotiations VW Group is in advanced talks with the US government about making substantial investments in the US, as part of its ongoing negotiations for favourable tariffs. Megan Kelly
Seismic shifts in the global trade of electric vehicles: 2024 in review The car industry is going through a volatile adaptation as it seeks to decarbonise mobility and clean up the logistics supporting production. This year it has also been dealing with trade and labour disruption but the focus is adamantly on a more resilient supply chain and the adoption of digital technology. Marcus Williams
Dräxlmaier to use first MAN electric truck for Porsche battery deliveries MAN Truck & Bus has delivered its first fully electric 40-tonne truck for use by tier one supplier Dräxlmaier to deliver batteries to the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany which makes the Macan Electric model. Marcus Williams
Porsche forecast dented by aluminium supply shortage Porsche’s supply chain has been hit by a shortage of aluminium alloys as the result of flooding at an unnamed European supplier. Heavy rains in France, Switzerland and Italy at the very end of June caused flooding and fatal landslides as well as disrupting manufacturing. Porsche said the supplier had notified customers of the occurrence of a force majeure event. Marcus Williams
Porsche using electric and biogas trucks for parts moves Porsche is using six new electric trucks to transport production materials between its German plants in Zuffenhausen, Weissach and Leipzig. Porsche’s logistics partners Keller Group, Müller – Die lila Logistik and Elflein have also committed to operating the electric trucks using renewable electricity. Marcus Williams
Porsche boosts logistics efficiency at Zuffenhausen with MHP software Porsche’s IT and process consulting subsidiary, MHP, is supplying the carmaker with a centralised fleet management system to control automated logistics at its Zuffenhausen assembly plant in Germany. Porsche said MHP FleetExecuter will help increase efficiency and flexibility in production at the plant. Marcus Williams
How Group Logistics is overcoming crises and shaping Volkswagen's future supply chain Volkswagen Group Logistics can increasingly master disruptions thanks to greater resiliency, but its managing director Simon Motter is making sure the group is ready to deliver on long-term goals for electrification, sustainability and cost. Christopher Ludwig
ICL CEO steps down, firm acquired by Valsoft FVL visibility platform ICL, Inc. has been acquired by Canadian software acquisition firm Valsoft. Megan Kelly
Porsche retrofitting headlights after supply shortage Porsche has resolved a supply chain bottleneck that forced it to delay deliveries this month of Macan and Panamera models made at its Leipzig plant in Germany. Marcus Williams
Charting a course to bypass Russia Carmakers have been looking for alternative routes to deliver finished vehicles and automotive parts between Europe and China since the latter invaded Ukraine. Prior to that, Russia was the preferred route for shipping cargo between the two regions because of the lower costs and lower number of customs checkpoints. Automotive Logistics
Oliver Blume to replace Diess as CEO of Volkswagen Group Oliver Blume will take over as chief executive of the Volkswagen Group in September this year, replacing Herbert Diess. Blume, currently Porsche CEO and a former head of production and logistics for the premium OEM, will take over as the VW Group transforms its manufacturing and supply chain to meet electrification targets. Marcus Williams
Ukraine’s vital link in the European supply chain The shutdown of much industry, trade and logistics out of Ukraine is hurting automotive production and driving up logistics and bunker costs for European logistics providers. Namrita Chow
Felicity Ace car carrier sinks in Atlantic Two weeks after fire took hold of the car carrier vessel Felicity Ace, the vessel has sunk in the Atlantic, around 220 nautical miles south of the Azores. Marcus Williams
VW Group vehicles burn aboard abandoned MOL vessel in Atlantic The Mitsui OSK Line (MOL) vessel Felicity Ace is on fire in the mid-Atlantic with large consignment of VW Group vehicles aboard. The 22-person crew has been forced to abandon the vessel. All have been rescued safely. Marcus Williams
Material shortages are forcing a supply chain rethink in automotive Widespread shortages in range of materials used to make cars are impacting production but OEMs and suppliers are responding by accelerating the development of alternative closed-loop supply chains Namrita Chow
Tramosa using robots for vehicle yard management Stanley Robotics is supplying Tramosa with mobile robots for the movement of vehicles at its outbound logistics compound in Creutzwald, France. Tramosa, which is the French subsidiary of Spanish logistics provider Tradisa, is aiming to deploy the robots at its other compounds in Europe following this first trial. Marcus Williams
Audi using AI to assess supply chain sustainability Audi has been piloting an AI tool that analyses information about suppliers to assess their sustainability in terms of environmental pollution, human rights and corruption. It also monitors information about potential cyber-crimes. Marcus Williams
Electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle plant database Track factory locations for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles by manufacturer, model and location, in a comprehensive listing of the changing geography of electric vehicle manufacturing Automotive from Ultima Media
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. Marcus Williams
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. Marcus Williams
Watch: Ensuring finished vehicle logistics keeps pace with demand Senior managers from Porsche, Glovis and ICL Systems talk about how they have been keeping dealer lots stocked as consumer demand has returned since the end of stay-at-home orders across America.
The medium is the message An industry-wide initiative in Europe aims to set a standard for digital communication across all outbound delivery processes from factory to dealer. Joanne Perry talks to some of those involved Joanne Perry
Steering the future using AI German start-up Kopernikus has developed self-driving technology that can be used to move vehicles inside production facilities and workshops, and potentially even at ports Victoria Johns
Volkswagen Group part 2: Talking ‘then and now’ with head of group logistics, Thomas Zernechel The group’s head of group logistics talks about the major changes seen over the past two decades – and why he is optimistic about the future of logistics Christopher Ludwig
