Factory expansion – Page 14
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ArticleVolvo goes global
Now in the hands of Geely, the Swedish OEM is expanding its manufacturing footprint in China and the USVolvo, one of the most iconic and best-known Swedish brands, is also the last Swedish car company, following the demise of Saab. Now owned by Chinese OEM Geely, Volvo is a small ...
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ArticleGreat leap forward
Thanks to its Haval SUV brand, Great Wall Motor is experiencing record production levelsThe rate of market growth might be slowing, but Great Wall Motors (GWM) is going from strength to strength in its home country. A decision taken five years ago to pour resources into the then Hover brand ...
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ArticleChina's big chill
As the world’s largest CV market cools down, OEMs are finding themselves burdened with excess capacityIn this article:Economic slowdownCollaborationsDeutz and FAWMAN and SinotruckDaimler and Beiqi FotonVolvo and DongfengIveco and SAICHyundai and Nanjun AutoAnhui Jianghuai AutomobileAnhui Hualing AutomobileShaanxi Automobile GroupOvercapacity problemsDomestic investmentsCommercial vehicle (CV) makers in China are feeling the pressure ...
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ArticleTurkish delight for vehicle-makers
As traditional production sites in Western Europe struggle with excess capacity, Turkey is enjoying higher investments and output by global OEMs – with the likelihood of further strong growthIn this article:FiatFordHyundaiRenaultToyotaTurkish assemblersAt the same time as Western Europe has been battling problems of overcapacity or underutilised capacity in traditional manufacturing ...
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ArticleAllied to success
The collaboration between Renault, Nissan and Daimler continues to progress – but what makes it tick?Renault and Nissan established their cross-shareholding and wide-ranging alliance in 1999. It is now the most enduring international partnership between two major car companies in the modern automotive industry. Renault has a 43.4% stake in ...
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ArticleMercedes marches on
The brand's global production footprint has grown substantially in recent years, including the US and ChinaIn recent years, the manufacturing geography of Mercedes-Benz has expanded in a major way outside Germany; it first moved into the US in the mid-1990s, since when it has also expanded its small operation in ...
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ArticleThe new EMC: Jaguar's genie?
The OEM's Engine Manufacturing Centre at Wolverhampton could grant its wish to make 1m cars per yearJaguar is now making its own engines for the first time since the mid-1990s, when the AJ6, AJ16 and V12 went into retirement. A new £500m facility, in what was once the heartland of ...
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ArticleEurope: In recovery
The region's vehicle market is healing, but plant closures have not prevented excess production capacityEuropean automakers will be breathing a cautious sigh of relief after 2014 showed sustained growth there following the prolonged slump triggered by the 2008/9 financial collapse. All 12 months showed growth in the region (excluding Russia ...
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ArticleAfrican adventures
Charles Cornew tracks the progress of OEMs which are exploring a lesser-known production location “Which countries produce the vehicles you drive?” is a question that prompts answers such as Germany, Japan, Italy and France – plus the UK, the US and South Korea. Most people would be surprised to find ...
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ArticleJLR Solihull: The XE factor
Against expectations, the OEM has built a brand new plant in the UK in order to produce its ‘baby’ JaguarJaguar Land Rover (JLR) has achieved at Solihull what industry observers said was unlikely ever to happen again: the construction of a new car factory in western Europe. That it is ...
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ArticleDiscovery Sport to be produced in Rio
Brazil – Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that the Discovery Sport will be one of the first models to be built at its new manufacturing facility in Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro State. The new factory, which will see a total investment of 750m reais (£240m) by the end of 2020, ...
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ArticleDPCA starts building fourth Chinese plant
China – The new facility in Chengdu will make Dongfeng Citroen, Dongfeng Peugeot and Dongfeng Fengshen vehicles, primarily for the SUV and MPV segments. Production capacity will be 360,000 vehicles per year and the first unit is due to roll off the line in late 2016.“Construction of the Chengdu plant ...
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ArticleFiat Brazil: Quest for growth
Alfredo Leggero, manufacturing director for Fiat Chrysler Latin America, discusses the continued growth of the carmaker’s largest plant worldwide, Betim in Minas Gerais – plus its new hub in Goiana, PernambucoJoanne Perry (JP): How important is South America to Fiat as a production location?Alfredo Leggero (AL): South America is very ...
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ArticleLusting after Latin America
Brazil especially is attracting big investments from global vehicle-makers despite economic uncertainties In this article:Short-term economicsLong-term prospectsBMWCheryDaimlerFiat ChryslerFordGeneral MotorsHondaJAC MotorsJaguar Land RoverRenault-NissanVolkswagenFor almost 15 years, Brazil and Argentina have operated a trade agreement which manages automotive imports and exports between the two countries. While a new deal is being negotiated, ...
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ArticleFaurecia Interiors: Staying in shape
While vehicle production volumes are on an upward trajectory in South America, interiors remain relatively simple, says Francisco Maciel, regional vice-president for Faurecia Interior Systems Joanne Perry (JP): How important is South America as a production location for Faurecia Interior Systems?Francisco Maciel (FM): South America represents 6% of our turnover. ...
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ArticleBrazil: Stimulating or stifling automotive?
A government scheme to invigorate the Brazilian automotive industry has achieved mixed results so farFor almost two years, Brazil has been operating an auto industry stimulus programme called Inovar-Auto. In the minds of its government creators, this scheme promotes innovation, investment, efficiency and environmentalism in Brazilian car manufacturing; others regard ...
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ArticleKia announces first Mexican plant
Mexico – The vehicle-maker has signed a $1 billion agreement with the government to establish a state-of-the-art plant with a capacity of 300,000 units in Monterrey, Nuevo León State. Construction will begin in September this year and is due to be completed in the first half of 2016.The new factory ...
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ArticleManmade in Modena
As Maserati volumes grow, its old plant in north Italy is still using traditional means to make modern carsMaserati’s factory at Modena, northern Italy, is one of the oldest in the country and one of the most traditional in terms of its assembly; and yet it is also home to ...
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ArticleChina: Powertrain suppliers expand
The rapid expansion of vehicle production in China has been accompanied by parallel growth in the operations of component manufacturers Engine component suppliers have received a notable boost in recent times by the establishment in China of premium-brand engine production operations alongside long-established vehicle manufacturing operations. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and ...
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ArticleHonda: Growing beyond Japan
Honda’s global production footprint is changing as the OEM establishes new plants in Mexico and AsiaIn the last couple of years, Honda has expanded its operations outside Japan, especially in NAFTA, South-East Asia and Brazil. The company reported record production volumes outside Japan for the year to March 2014, with ...