Latest News & Features – Page 184
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ArticleMercedes’ €3 billion for German plants
Germany – The sum spent this year includes €1 billion ($1.2 billion) at Sindelfingen, mostly for future projects; another billion went to Untertürkheim for the expansion of engine production. Capabilities at Bremen are being improved with €750m, while further investment was also made at the Rastatt compact car plant, where ...
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ArticleNissan Aguascalientes makes 10 millionth engine
Mexico – The powertrain plant hit the milestone today, thirty-two years after the start of operations. The 10 millionth unit, to be fitted in a Nissan Versa for the US market, was an HR16 with XTronic transmission and an output of 109hp at 6,000rpm.Aguascalientes Powertrain Plant currently makes seven types ...
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ArticleEVs: Green for life?
Mark Simms looks at current models, their global take-up and lifecycle comparisons with conventional carsWhile the debate rages about exactly how much more gas and oil are waiting to be extracted worldwide, no one argues with the fact that fossil fuel resources are inevitably finite, with implications for every technology ...
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ArticleGM Toledo recognised for pollution prevention
US – The plant in Ohio, which makes six- and eight-speed transmissions for light-duty trucks, sports utility vehicles, crossovers and cars, received the award from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.“This award is a celebration of various plant sustainability initiatives, from landfill-free to our ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry distinction,” said ...
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ArticleHonda’s wind turbines power ahead
US – Six months after their installation at the transmissions plant at Russells Point, Ohio, the OEM says the two turbines have exceeded projected output. The estimate had been upwards of 10,000MWh per year, accounting for 10% of power requirements; at their highest output, in April, the turbines were providing ...
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ArticleFirst DENZA made at Shenzen BDNT
China – Following a €300m ($374m) investment, the electric vehicle is being made on a modern production line at Shenzen BYD Daimler New Technology (BDNT) and in accordance with the German OEM’s production management system.“DENZA is the first car that Daimler has engineered from the bottom up outside Germany, and ...
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ArticleViva, Vauxhall Luton!
A £185m contract to build the new Opel/Vauxhall van has helped to save GM’s only CV plant in EuropeIn late August this year, GM’s last remaining light commercial vehicle (LCV) plant, at Luton in the UK, started series production of the new Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro after securing a £185m contract. In ...
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Article
Mahindra installs diesel-solar hybrid system at Igatpuri
India – The pioneering work at the engine factory was carried out by the Engineering Procurement and Construction arm of the Group, Mahindra EPC. According to the company, its first diesel generator and solar photovoltaic (DG-PV) hybrid system boasts India’s highest solar-to-diesel capacity ratio, at over 80%.The DG-PV hybrid comprises ...
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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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ArticleGM Joinville: LEEDing sustainability
The OEM's new Brazilian site is the first automotive plant in South America to achieve LEED certificationWhen General Motors (GM) began the construction of its Joinville engine manufacturing facility in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, in September 2010 it already had sustainability in mind – specifically the Leadership in Energy ...
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ArticleMercedes-Benz grows at Tuscaloosa
US – The expansion has been driven by demand for the C-Class model, which first rolled off the plant’s production lines in June this year. The OEM is “consistently seeing record sales” in the country, according to Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management at Daimler and head of ...
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ArticleSkoda’s new head of Purchasing
Czech Republic – Dieter Seemann will replace Karlheinz Hell, who will soon become executive director of Corporate Purchasing Electric/Electronic within the Volkswagen Group.Seemann started his career at Volkswagen in 1985 with a position in the Engine Procurement department. He occupied various roles in Purchasing and Project Management before moving to ...
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ArticleChinese challengers
Chery and JAC are opening factories in Brazil to take a larger slice of the South American market On June 22 this year, the first Chinese car to be produced in a Brazilian factory rolled out of the new Chery Automobiles plant at Jacareí, São Paulo State. Although only a ...
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ArticleVillaverde: To blossom with Cactus?
PSA’s under-used plant in Madrid may be reinvigorated by production of the Citroën C4 CactusIn 2012, PSA Villaverde was in desperate need of new product. The Madrid plant had built several generations of small cars for PSA, but Peugeot 207 hatchback manufacture was being wound down and only the Peugeot ...
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WebinarSSAB WEBINAR: High-strength steel
Are you involved in the forming or joining of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS)? Do you design car bodies and need to decrease weight and improve safety? Is your company considering an upgrade on selected steel in order to lower your costs? It could be that designers hesitate to upgrade from ...
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ArticleChery opens $400m plant at Jacareí
Brazil – The facility in São Paulo State is the first in the country from a Chinese manufacturer and is the OEM’s first full production site overseas. Capacity will reach 50,000 units in Phase One, initially focusing on the Celer and QQ, and will rise to 150,000 in Phase Two.Representing ...
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ArticleRenault's revamp in Brazil
The French OEM will plough $215m into the latest expansion of its manufacturing complex in Paraná State Earlier this year, Renault announced its latest big push to boost production and sales in Brazil with an investment of €162m ($215m) for its manufacturing complex in Curitiba, Paraná State. The funds will ...
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ArticleNissan's bold new beginning in Brazil
The Japanese OEM recently launched a $1bn manufacturing complex in Rio de Janeiro State to develop its presence in South America and continue its global sell-where-you-build policyIn April this year, Nissan launched a serious assault on the giant Brazilian vehicle market by opening its first standalone factory. The new 220,000 ...
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ArticleFrom A to Z at Ford Brazil's SBC
Car and truck production occurs in the same complex at the OEM’s Brazilian headquarters near São PauloFord has had a presence in the Brazilian market for 95 years, but it did not begin full-scale manufacturing in the country until 1957, when production of the F-600 medium-sized truck started at Ipiranga ...
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ArticleEditor's note: Going global
I can’t claim authoritative knowledge of the economic theories of globalisation, but I would think automotive manufacturing is a good example of their practical application. Vehicle platforms, production processes and technologies that are transferable on a worldwide scale have long been a major driver in the development of new models ...