All articles by aladmin – Page 2
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ArticleToyota-Mazda JV opts for Alabama site
US – Toyota and Mazda have chosen Alabama for a new $1.6bn plant they will run together, which will make 300,000 vehicles a year. The investment will be split evenly between the two OEMs.The plant in Huntsville, where Toyota already has a large engine plant, will benefit from an existing ...
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ArticleRenault Trucks takes 'mixed reality' test
France - A team of researchers at Renault Trucks is examining potential benefits from 'mixed reality' technology for the heavy-vehicle maker's engine manufacturing operations.Working in cooperation with virtual- and augmented-reality specialists Immersion, the team has set up a prototype system that uses holographic techniques in a quality control process at ...
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ArticlePSA expands Hordain LCV team
PSA LVC operations at Hordain, northern FranceFrance – Groupe PSA will introduce a fourth production team to its LVC operations at Hordain. The OEM says its decision has been prompted by strong demand for the Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy (known as Dispatch in some markets), as well as ...
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ArticleRenault & Brilliance plan LCVs for China
Carlos Ghosn, Groupe Renault Chairman CEOFrance/China – Groupe Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited have agreed a deal forming a new joint venture in light commercial vehicles tailored to the Chinese market. The JV will manufacture LCVs under the Jinbei, Renault and Huasong brands with the aim to ...
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ArticleAston production returns to Newport
UK – The OEM is to build a special run of 25 DB4 GT Continuation cars at the site where the original DB4 GTs were made almost 60 years ago. Aston Martin described the move as “another landmark” in its ‘Second Century Plan’.“For more than half a century, Newport Pagnell ...
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ArticleSkoda starts building new paintshop
Czech Republic – The facility at Mladá Boleslav is being developed at a cost of €214.5m ($253.8m) and will have capacity for 600 vehicle bodies per day, bringing the onsite total to 2,700 units including the existing paintshop. Operations are due to begin by mid-2019.In its announcement, Skoda said the ...
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ArticleAudi to build electric SUVs at Ingolstadt
Germany – The model allocation was announced by CEO Rupert Stadler alongside confirmation of job security for all Audi AG employees until 2025. In total, the ‘Audi. Future’ agreement will see the OEM produce 20 electrified models by 2025, including more than ten pure electric vehicles (EVs).“Building up manufacturing capacity ...
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ArticleGovernment doles out £120m for EV batteries
UK – The money from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), equivalent to $160.9m, marks the next phase of a £246m investment in battery technology through the Faraday Battery Challenge, which is intended to develop suitable batteries for the next generation of electric vehicles. Business and energy secretary Greg Clark ...
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ArticleVW and JAC explore new JV
China – Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (VW AG), VW Group China and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. (JAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate potential joint venture models, focusing on multif-functional vehicles (MFVs). The new cooperation follows an agreement in June to establish a JV to make battery-electric cars.Jochem Heizmann, board ...
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ArticleToyota announces executive changes
Tetsuo Ogawa - ToyotaJapan – The moves are part of a revision of the company’s organisational structure which will be implemented next year in a bid to strengthen cooperation between different business divisions and to boost innovation. Appointments at Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and the Toyota Research Institute ...
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ArticleBMW divests stake in carbon-fibre supplier
Germany – SGL Carbon SE will acquire the OEM’s 49% share in SGL ACF, comprising SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (Germany) and SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (US), according to an agreement signed in late November. BMW said the company would remain a key supplier, with procurement for the i3 and i8 ...
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ArticlePhotonic precision
Light is a fascinating manufacturing tool enabling laser technologies and applications for materials processing tasks of all scales and sizesSystems for industrial laser applications like cutting, welding and surface processing are well established, reliable and cost efficient production tools with clear technical advantages due to their wear-free highly localised material ...
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ArticleVolvo Ghent starts XC40 production
Belgium – The company’s first small premium SUV is based on the Compact Modular Architecture which will underpin all new cars in the 40 series. Volvo has already taken more than 13,000 orders and deliveries will begin early next year.“Our people have put in long days and many hours to ...
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ArticleVW pours €22.8bn into production network
Germany – The OEM said the funds will be used to implement its Transform 2025+ strategy, focusing on “the further development of modular production, the continuation of the model offensive and further orientation towards e-mobility”. The investment, equivalent to $27 billion, will be spread over five years to 2022.“The investment ...
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ArticleAl-Futtaim to assemble Renault vehicles
Pakistan – The two companies have signed definitive agreements for the exclusive assembly and distribution of Renault models in the country. The new subsidiary Al-Futtaim Automotive Pakistan will start building a factory in Karachi in Q1 2018.“Groupe Renault is delighted to extend its international footprint by entering Pakistan, a fast-growing ...
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Gordon Murray joins seats project
UK – During its participation in the Manufacturability of Advanced Passenger Seats (MAPS) programme alongside Formaplex, the company will focus on reducing structural weight by using composite panels made from recycled carbon fibre, while maintaining high volume and controlling costs. The goal is to develop a seat frame which is ...
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ArticlePolestar starts building Chengdu plant
China – The company is following a nine-month construction plan, with the aim of beginning tooling installation and pre-production testing halfway through next year. The facility will produce the brand’s first model, Polestar 1.“Following the successful launch of the new Polestar brand in October, construction of the new Polestar Production ...
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ArticleMAN to invest €2.4 billion by 2020
Germany – The funds, equivalent to $2.8 billion, will go towards modernising the company’s sites and improving efficiency across all divisions, and will include a €1.1 billion upgrade at its main plant in Munich between 2015 and 2020. In Munich, MAN is opening a new paintshop, expanded bodyshop, a combined ...
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ArticleVW invests €560m at Pacheco for new SUV
Argentina – The OEM said the plant would undergo “modernisation measures” costing the equivalent of $660m to optimise the production process, enhancing quality and sustainability while enabling it to make the new SUV by 2020. The introduction of the model, based on Volkswagen’s Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform, will create ...
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ArticleBMW opens Mexican training centre
Mexico – Located at the OEM’s San Lui Potosí plant which is due to open in 2019, the new training centre covers 6,000 sq.m and has 11 workshops for employees plus apprentices from three educational institutions. The centre was built at a cost of $9m.Hermann Bohrer, president and CEO of ...