All Africa and Middle East articles – Page 4
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ArticleTravel blog: Big game in SA
There are a handful of countries in the world that remain relatively untouched when it comes to the new car market, with sales of used cars traditionally dominating. In South Africa, for example, sales of used cars outweigh those in the new car market by more than two to ...
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ArticleA positive response
Daimler is embarking on a major corporate restructuring in the hope of improving its ability to face upcoming challenges in the automotive sector The restructuring currently underway at Daimler is due to be complete by 2020 and the plan centres on creating legally independent AG companies, Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck ...
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ArticleFord Bridgend makes petrol engines
UK - The OEM has started production of its new three-cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engines at the Bridgend plant in South Wales. This follows on from an investment of £100m (US$128m) in the facility. “I’m personally very proud to see production start of this all-new engine, here in Bridgend,” commented ...
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ArticleUniti announces production plans
UK - The Swedish start-up has revealed its intension to build a "pilot production plant" at Silverstone Park in the UK. It will be used to make the Uniti One - a small pure electric car designed for city driving."The UK’s approach to vehicle production, with its focus on light-weighting ...
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ArticleNovares extends production footprint
Serbia - The supplier has increased the size of its factory in Zrenjanin by a third. It is used to make complex plastics components for the automotive industry, including exterior and interior parts, body trims and engine parts."Zrenjanin site has proven excellent performance and quality records and this extension is ...
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ArticleExpanding and restructuring
As the move to electrified and autonomous vehicles accelerates, Toyota is expanding in both technology areas and restructuring its operations. Ian Henry reports Toyota is making a number of key organisational changes to simplify and rationalise its operations in response to the fast-changing automotive market. As of the end of ...
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ArticleVW to build two new plants
Ghana - The OEM has signed memorandums of understanding with the governments of Ghana and Nigeria, revealing plans to build a plant in each country. VW thinks it could turn Nigeria into an "automotive hub," where it already operates a small facility with an output of around 5,000 vehicles a ...
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ArticleCentro de operações
O investimento em novas fábricas e a expansão das instalações existentes mostram que a Europa Central está no cerne das estratégias regionais dos fabricantes de veículosÀ primeira vista, a produção de veículos na Europa central - essencialmente os antigos países do bloco comunista a oeste da fronteira russa - parece ...
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ArticlePSA – setting a new pace with Opel
Having bought the perennial loss-making Opel-Vauxhall operations from GM last year, PSA has lost no time in starting with the turnaround required. And the early signs are that it has already had a notable impact, something which may surprise many, myself included. When the acquisition was announced in early 2017, ...
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ArticleCentre of operations
Investment in new plants and expansion of existing facilities shows central Europe to be at the heart of vehicle manufacturers’ regional strategiesAt first glance, vehicle production in central Europe – essentially the former communist bloc countries west of the Russian border – appears to centre on Volkswagen with its Skoda ...
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ArticleSEAT starts assembling Arona and Leon
Algeria - The Spanish OEM has started building the two models in the city of Relizane, Algeria, at a plant owned by the Volkswagen Group and Sovac. It already assembles the Ibiza here, but as SEAT vice president for marketing and sales Wayne Griffiths explained, localising Arona and Leon assembly ...
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ArticleO próximo gigante europeu?
Novos modelos e maior participação no mercado: Ian Henry relata a melhoria de perspectiva da PSA sob a liderança de Carlos TavaresQuando Carlos Tavares chegou na PSA a partir da Renault em 2014, ele começou a transformar a empresa que estava deficitária. Seu plano, incorporado ao slogan "De volta à ...
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Article¿El futuro gigante europeo?
Nuevos modelos y una mayor cuota de mercado: Ian Henry informa sobre la mejora de PSA bajo el mandato de Carlos TavaresCuando Carlos Tavares llegó a PSA de Renault en 2014, su objetivo era devolver a los beneficios a una empresa que perdía dinero. Su plan llevaba el lema de ...
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ArticleA future European giant?
New models and increased market share: Ian Henry reports on PSA’s improving fortunes under Carlos Tavares’ leadership When Carlos Tavares arrived at PSA from Renault in 2014, he set about turning around the loss-making company. His plan, embodied under the strapline ‘Back in the Race’, aimed to restore PSA to ...
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ArticleA future European giant?
New models and increased market share: Ian Henry reports on PSA’s improving fortunes under Carlos Tavares’ leadershipWhen Carlos Tavares arrived at PSA from Renault in 2014, he set about turning around the loss-making company. His plan, embodied under the strapline ‘Back in the Race’, aimed to restore PSA to profitability, ...
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ArticleVW starts assembly in Kigali
Rwanda - The OEM has unveiled plans to expand its activities in Africa. As well as launching an app-based car- and ride-sharing scheme, it has started assembling the latest generations of its Polo and Passat models at a facility in Kigali - Rwanda's capital city."Rwanda has great potential," noted Thomas ...
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ArticleMercedes invests in East London plant
South Africa - Mercedes-Benz Cars has announced plans to produce the next generation of its C-Class in East London - a city on the southeast coast of South Africa in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. To do so, it will spend €600m (US$528.84m) to construct ...
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ArticleCroner assembly starts in Malaysia
Malaysia - The first complete knocked-down (CKD) Croner has been assembled at the UD Trucks and Tan Chong Industrial Equipment (TCIE) plant in Segambut - a sub district of Kuala Lumpur. This follows a recent investment of M$4.5m (US$1.12m) in the facility."Croner is a versatile, reliable, safe and fuel-efficient medium-duty ...
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ArticleSEAT to steer VW in North Africa
Spain - The Spanish OEM will reportedly start coordinating the strategy of VW Group in the region as it hopes to decentralise its territorial structure and improve efficiency. The news comes soon after SEAT started making the Ibizia in Algeria."The VW Group has trusted SEAT with being the lead brand ...
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ArticleFord Sollers starts EcoSport production
Russia - Production of the new small SUV has started at the company's plant in Naberezhenye Chelny. The news comes seven months after the EcoSport started rolling off lines in Craiova, Romania."Ford has a long heritage and global reputation for building high quality, technologically-advanced SUVs that our customers want to ...