Aluminium Producers Target Carmakers as Demand Surges
Ford’s switch to aluminium for the F-150 has triggered a rush among global aluminium suppliers to secure a place in the rapidly expanding automotive market.
Coverage tagged Manufacturing.
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Ford’s switch to aluminium for the F-150 has triggered a rush among global aluminium suppliers to secure a place in the rapidly expanding automotive market.
Kia is preparing to build its first manufacturing plant in Mexico, aiming for 300,000 units a year to support North American demand as its US facility runs at full capacity.
Across Europe and North America, unsold new cars accumulate in huge storage compounds as manufacturers balance production, pricing and market demand after the 2008 financial crisis.
General Motors' 2014 sustainability report states that the automotive industry, as presently structured, cannot continue without fundamental changes to technology, manufacturing and environmental impact.
Julie and Scott Brusaw’s Solar Roadways concept proposes replacing traditional road surfaces with solar panels strong enough for trucks, offering a potential new source of electricity and on-the-go EV charging.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will expand the Chrysler brand from three to six models by 2018, repositioning it as its mainstream offering for North America.
Production of the Dodge Grand Caravan will end by late 2014 or early 2015, with Chrysler focusing on the Town & Country and a future replacement.
Volkswagen Group insiders say Lamborghini's Urus SUV will be built in Bratislava, sharing its production line with other group SUVs and benefiting from new aluminium pressing facilities.
Michelin reported a 2.4% drop in first-quarter revenue for 2014, as currency headwinds and weaker demand in Eastern Europe outweighed a modest increase in global tyre volumes.
BMW has increased daily i3 output from 70 to around 100 units to meet global demand as US orders begin and the company targets at least 10,000 sales in 2014.
Toyota is reintroducing skilled manual work in key manufacturing roles, aiming to strengthen quality and expertise by giving humans tasks once handled by robots.
BMW Group subsidiary Designworks provided the styling for Kuala Lumpur’s new Metro Inspiro trains, with local production and Siemens engineering underpinning the Malaysian capital’s MRT expansion.
Seat will introduce a compact SUV in 2016, with design and engineering handled in Spain but production likely to take place at a Volkswagen Group plant in Eastern Europe.
Honda will shed around 340 jobs at its Swindon factory after falling export sales forced the company to scale back production and consolidate operations onto a single line.
Volkswagen has confirmed it will not develop a successor to the Eos convertible, citing high costs and declining demand for open-top cars globally.
BMW will expand its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant to boost output beyond 400,000 vehicles and add a new X7 SUV to its model line-up.
BMW is expanding production at its Spartanburg and Chinese joint-venture plants as it aims to surpass two million vehicle sales worldwide in 2014.
The new-generation Vivaro, sharing its platform with the Renault Trafic, arrives for 2015 with updated styling, a revised 1.6-litre diesel engine and two body lengths.
The US government has begun the search for a new presidential limousine, with the Department of Homeland Security aiming to award the contract by August 2014.
With Honda and Mazda opening new plants and major investment from Volkswagen to Chrysler, Mexico’s car output is set to approach 4.5 million units by 2020.
Toyota management described its union’s 2014 pay and bonus request as unexpectedly large, as negotiations continued amid strong company profits and a recovering Japanese economy.
BMW and SGL Carbon are preparing to expand joint carbon fibre production to 6,000 tonnes annually, backed by over €100 million investment, to meet rising demand for lightweight materials.
General Motors will expand its Tychy plant to produce a new 1.6-litre diesel, targeting 200,000 engines a year as part of Opel’s European recovery plan.
The upcoming MG CS SUV, based on the concept first seen at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, has been spotted in cold-weather trials ahead of its Beijing debut.