All articles by aladmin – Page 78
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ArticleMagna makes 5 millionth VW axle drive
Austria – Production for Volkswagen began in 2003, with the Magna Powertrain plants in Lannach and Ilz supplying the VW Golf and the Audi A3; other models were added in subsequent years.According to Magna, the additional business from other models led to “a rapid increase in production volume” and the ...
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ArticleTesla to open Chinese plants for Model S
China – According to the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, growth in sales in the region could match US demand potentially as soon as 2015, and therefore justify local manufacture.Musk intends to inaugurate Tesla’s presence in China at the end of March. In the US, assembly preparations for the Model S ...
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ArticleRenschler resigns from Mercedes-Benz
Germany – As Daimler’s board of management member for Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars, Andreas Renschler oversaw the ramp-up for the new S-Class and prepared the company’s plants for the start of C-Class production. Daimler said he is leaving with immediate effect “for personal reasons”. Renschler is being replaced by ...
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ArticleWilson to lead Williams Advanced Engineering
UK – As managing director, Craig Wilson will have overall operational and delivery responsibility for existing projects within the company, oversee all business development activity and take a strategic lead in the commercialisation of Williams’ Formula One technology for the automotive, motorsport, transport and energy sectors.Wilson previously served as CEO ...
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ArticleAudi teams up with TU Dresden
Germany – The two organisations entered into the strategic partnership “with the goal of making further progress with technical innovations” in areas such as lightweight construction and manufacturing technology. The research will take place at the Technical University of Dresden. As a result of prior co-operation, four doctoral students are ...
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ArticleContinental tyres to be factory-fitted on three VW models
Germany – The Golf 7 will be equipped with 15 and 16-inch ContiEcoContact 5 and ContiPremiumContact, the CC will be fitted with the 17-inch ContiEcoContact 5 and the ContiSportContact 5 and the Beetle will receive the 20-inch ContiSportContact 5. The tyres are premium summer models. Continental manufactures tyres for Volkswagen ...
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ArticleHonda hits North American production records
US – American Honda exported 108,705 Honda and Acura vehicles and imported 88,537 vehicles from Japan in 2013, becoming a net exporter for the first time. The shift was enabled by record production levels in the US and North America (1,309,917 units and 1,781,213 units respectively). Testsuo Iwamura, president and ...
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ArticleFORMAX to open automotive facility
UK – The 50,000ft2 facility will be dedicated to the manufacture of carbon multiaxial fabrics specifically for high-volume automotive applications. The installation of a new Karl Mayer Malitronic carbon line is in progress and the company anticipates that this additional line will be commissioned in March. The opening of the ...
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ArticleAudi plans €20 billion investment programme
Germany – The OEM says its extensive scheme, to run between 2014 and 2018, will be directed at new models, innovations and the expansion of its worldwide production network. German sites will benefit, with more than half of the planned investment going to the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm sites. At the ...
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ArticlePradzinski becomes sales VP for Hyundai Motor America
US – The OEM has given Bob Pradzinski responsibility for National Sales, following the recent promotion of David Zuchowski to the role of president and CEO. Pradzinski is a 25-year veteran of Hyundai. Additional moves within the sales leadership team include: Allan Harriman replacing Pradzinski as director of Sales Operations; ...
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ArticleTata Motors’ Karl Slym dies on trip to Bangkok
Thailand – The managing director apparently fell from a hotel in the capital city, where he was staying in order to attend a regional board meeting. Slym took up his role with Tata in 2012, after stints with Toyota in the UK and General Motors in India and China. He ...
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ArticleDeLuca to lead GM’s manufacturing worldwide
US – As the successor to Tim Lee, who is retiring in April, Jim DeLuca will take the role of executive vice-president of General Motors Global Manufacturing, effective from the beginning of February. DeLuca, a 35-year GM veteran who is currently vice-president of Manufacturing for GM International Operations, will report ...
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ArticleToyota hits 150m manufacturing total
Japan – The OEM has announced that it reached the milestone for Japanese production in early December. The achievement occurred 78 years and five months after the first Model G1 truck was made at the Automotive Department, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.The Corolla accounted for the majority of the total vehicles ...
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ArticleRise of 2.3% in UK engine production
UK – Statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 2,553,316 units were produced in 2013, the highest total since 2008. The growth was driven by a 9.0% increase in output for the domestic market, while exports dropped by 1.7%. ...
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ArticleContiTech buys drive belt maker in Zhejiang
China – Taizhou Fuju Rubber Belt Manufacture has previously focused on producing drive belts for the automotive aftermarket and for industry in general. From spring 2014, ContiTech will also make V-belts and V-ribbed belts for the automotive OEM market at this location.ContiTech will make use of a 33,000m2 production complex ...
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ArticleVolvo lays out its plans for 2014
Sweden – In line with its €11 billion four-year transformation plan, the OEM has said it will introduce new technologies and a series of “industry-leading” innovations, plus the XC90. The XC90 will be the first model built on the company’s new SPA vehicle architecture as well as the first to ...
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ArticleHonda expands Malacca plant
Malaysia – The opening of Line 2 will double capacity to 100,000 units per year, with daily production increasing to 400 units. Honda has invested RM382m (£69m) in the new line, which has a built-up area of 49,190m2. The investment covers equipment and facilities as well as the building itself. ...
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ArticleUK's CV production plummets by 21.7%
UK – The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that production fell to 87,671 units in 2013, owing to weak demand in Europe as well as the restructuring of manufacturing operations. Mike Hawes commented: “With early signs of recovery on the continent and better performance in the truck ...
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ArticleNakaguro to lead Nissan’s North American R&D
US – Succeeding Carla Bailo, who is retiring after 25 years at Nissan, Kunio Nakaguro will assume the role of senior vice-president, Research and Development, Nissan North America, in addition to his existing responsibilities as corporate vice-president, Research Center, Nissan Motor. Working from Nissan Technical Center North America in Michigan, ...
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ArticleCar production in UK hits six-year high
UK – Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that production rose by 3.1% in 2013 to surpass 1.5 million units, the greatest volume since 2007.Mike Hawes, CEO of the SMMT, attributed the increase to “surging home demand and robust exports outside Europe”. He added that ...