One thing is for sure, 2016 could be an interesting year
in the life of Ford’s F-150 pick-up truck that this year saw the automaker launch aluminium into the
sector as well as a new family of EcoBoost turbocharged gasoline engines.
As the world's leading provider of confidential insider information from 1979 to 2000, Auto Industry Newsletter has now re-emerged by popular request to provide chief executives with the insight necessary to meet today's challenges. Editor: John Mortimer
Friday 18 December 2015
Thursday 17 December 2015
CGI set to take off in new application
A new and exciting high-performance
diesel engine application for compacted graphite iron (CGI), together with its
British connection and offering 105 bhp/litre, pushes out the boundaries of conventional CGI use into demanding areas where safety, reliability and performance are paramount.
Wednesday 16 December 2015
Opel to publish WLTP results for 2016 Astra
From April 2016, Opel will publish fuel consumption figures according to
WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure) as part of its
next step to meet future emissions guidelines, both on CO2 and NOx.
Monday 14 December 2015
Former Volvo exec to join Ricardo board
Maline Persson joins Ricardo plc in the UK from next month as a
non-executive director.
Sunday 13 December 2015
Delphi presses to widen Skip Fire use
Diesel equipment specialist
Delphi is working with Tula Technology Inc. to widen the appeal of Dynamic Skip
Fire, a system of cylinder deactivation. A 1.8-litre gasoline engine will run in 2016.
Thursday 10 December 2015
Partial all-clear from Volkswagen
Volkswagen AG claims “it is now clear that almost all of these model variants do correspond to the CO2 figures originally determined. This means that these vehicles can be marketed and sold without any limitations.“
Wednesday 9 December 2015
SAIC poised to pounce on UK van market?
Van dealerships in the UK may be wondering if the Maxus van could make a
return to the country if SAIC is able to undercut established marques.
Sunday 6 December 2015
Porsche's Mission E gets the go-ahead
The supervisory board
of Porsche AG has given the green light for the Mission E electric car project.
Saturday 5 December 2015
Nissan rejects French state takeover
NISSAN executives have
rejected claims that a move by the French government to strengthen its grip on
the carmaker's partner Renault poses a threat to jobs in the North-East of the
UK.
Friday 4 December 2015
The long journey of GAZ's latest van
GAZ Group,
Russia’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles (CVs), has completed what
Vadim Sorokin, group president, hails as “the most complex and large-scale
project GAZ has implemented in the last 15 years.”
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Ford bolsters Kentucky for 2017 Super Duty
Pickup trucks are vital to
profits at Ford Motor Company, hence its announcement of a $1.3 billion
investment in its Kentucky Truck Plant to support the redesigned 2017 Super
Duty truck range.
Monday 30 November 2015
Wolfsburg comes out on top
This year's
Harbour Report praises the press shop at Volkswagen‘s Wolfsburg
plant, havingtaken some top positions and proved its outstanding performance.
When it
comes to the Harbour Report, issued by US management consultancy Oliver Wyman,
many automakers are more than happy to keep quiet about their rankings, often
claiming its contents are "confdential" as an excuse for revealing
fugures.
But VW wants to be seen in a good light at the
moment, so any ‘good‘ news is good news.
The Habour
Report compares and assesses a number of items including the press shops of all
the world's key automakers. It also undertakes plant-by-plant assessments. In this study a comparson of "the most productive" automotive
manufacturers is produced. The current report compares 124 press shops of 18
different automakers.
Thomas
Ulbrich, member of the board of management of the Volkswagen brand responsible
for production: "In view of its size and significance in the production of
parts for the high-volume models of the Volkswagen brand, the Wolfsburg press
shop plays a key role within the Group. The outstanding results obtained in the
Harbour Reports confirm the successful development of the Wolfsburg press
shop."
Jens
Herrmann, Wolfsburg plant manager, said: "Since it was commissioned four
years ago, our large-format press has already taken first place in the Harbour
Report three times. This result bears witness to the quality and precision of
the Wolfsburg plant."
Large-format
press line 500 in Hall 1A took first place in the category of transfer XL
presses. The Wolfsburg press shop also performed very well in the category of
progressive die. Press line 810 in Hall 2 once again took second place.
Markus
Lange, manager of the press shop, is equally pleased about the very good
performance of the press shop in fact,
he would be disappointed if it wasn’t.
"Once
again, our highly motivated team has been a key factor in winning these awards,"
he said, proudly.
Every day,
the Wolfsburg press shop processes some 2,600 metric tons of steel sheet and
produces almost half a million body parts. These parts are used for the models
Golf, Golf Sportsvan, Touran and Tiguan as well as for the modular transverse
toolkit (MQB) platform at 20 other plants. 2,000 people are employed in the
Volkswagen Group's largest and oldest press shop
Wednesday 25 November 2015
VW unveils "fix" for 1.6- and 2-litre diesels
Volkswagen Group claims that
"correction measures" for 1.6-litre and 2-litre diesel engines affected by the 'defeat device' have been “fixed
for the majority of vehicles affected”.
Daimler builds DD5, DD8 in US from 2018
Daimler Trucks North America is to start manufacture of its DD5 and DD8
medium duty diesel engines In Detroit, Michigan for sale in 2018.
Tuesday 24 November 2015
JLR to "double" Ingenium engine plant
It is exactly three years since we revealed JaguarLandRover’s (JLR) secret ‘cut and paste’ Hotfire engine manufacturing centre (EMC) in Wolverhampton.
Friday 20 November 2015
VW slashes its capex by €1 billion
Volkswagen Group, in “aligning its investment
activity” in its Automotive Division, is capping investments in property, plant
and equipment, investment property at €12 billion for 2016 against €13 billion
normally.
Thursday 19 November 2015
Daimler shifts V12 engine production
Production will start early next year at Daimler’s Mannheim, Germany,
facility of Mercedes-AMG V12 engines.
Wednesday 18 November 2015
More work for Ford's EcoBoost CGI engine
Ford’s 2017 Lincoln MKZ,
due to go on sale next summer, will provide further sales scope the V6 gasoline
EcoBoost engine.
Tuesday 17 November 2015
Ricardo delivers AWD transmission for rallying
Ricardo claims it has made a return to “very top
level of rally-based motorsport” with an ultra- lightweight and
highly compact AWD transmission and driveline
Saturday 14 November 2015
Battle tank application surfaces for CGI
For the first time, a diesel
engine in a main battle tank (MBT) is using a compacted graphite iron (CGI) vee
cylinder block.
Friday 13 November 2015
Ricardo says adapt to protect aftermarket profits
Ricardo suggests automakers
pay more attention to servicing the aftermarket, which generates one-third of
revenue and one-half of profits.
Wednesday 11 November 2015
F-150 take-rate bolsters SinterCast results
The take-rate of the 2.7
litre V6 gasoline turbocharged engine in America's best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150, has
continued to increase and, for the first half of the 2015, finished at
25 per cent.
Tuesday 10 November 2015
TRW wins US electric power steering job for UK
Car parts maker TRW plans to create 130 jobs in the
North-East of the UK as part of a major investment in the region.
Next 10 days decides VW's future
The next 10 days will decide the future direction
of Volkswagen AG as the company’s boss and head of the works council meet to
thrash out the way forward for the troubled company.
Teksid to supply Volvo with engine blocks
Italy-based foundry
group Teksid has won a contract to supply Volvo Trucks North America with 4,000
engine blocks a month.
Monday 9 November 2015
Convertible extends Ingenium applications
Land
Rover has unveiled the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible.
Fire risk prompts Cummins NG engine recall
Up to 3,020
Cummins-Westport natural gas engines powering Navistar and Mack trucks in
service across North America are being recalled because of a fire risk.
Sunday 8 November 2015
Mazda hints at a new rotary sports car
Is Mazda Motor
Corporation about to push its rotary engine back into showrooms? Judging by the
RX-Vision sports car concept it unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, it looks like
it is. But when?
Friday 6 November 2015
Teksid set for high volume output of CGI?
Could the Teksid group be on the point of starting high volume
production of compacted graphite iron (CGI) components?
Thursday 5 November 2015
Peterbilt to offer CGI truck diesel
According to US
sources, Paccar’s Peterbilt brand will soon offer the MX-11 diesel engine,
which debuted in Europe in 2013.
Monday 2 November 2015
Cummins falters as overseas markets slide
Pressure is growing on
sales executives at Cummins Inc. to find new customers for the ISV5.0 V8 diesel
engine in the wake of the company’s latest sales dip.
Saturday 31 October 2015
VW reassures the US and China
In the wake of its diesel
emissions scandal, Volkswagen has reaffirmed its planned investments at the
Chattanooga location and production of an all-new SUV for the US market.
Thursday 29 October 2015
Honda launches ‘front-engine’ fuel cell
Honda
claims its new Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is the world’s first production
hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sedan to house the fuel cell stack and drivetrain
system under the bonnet.
New presses take shape at Lansing
The first consignment of components for new
stamping presses has arrived General Motors’ for its new $174-million Lansing
Grand River (LGR) stamping facility.
The 'first' fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car
The first production Detroit Electric SP:01, the
lightest and fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car in the world, has rolled
off the line at the company’s Leamington Spa, UK manufacturing facility.
VW: Five-point plan for recovery
Matthias Müller, Volkswagen, chairman of the
board of management, has unveiled a five-point plan to reinvigorate the company;
to focus on quality not “faster, higher, larger”.
Wednesday 28 October 2015
F&S predicts Volkswagen sales fall by 2020
At a time when
scandal-hit Volkswagen Group has lost its sales crown to Toyota Motor
Corporation, comes news from Frost & Sullivan (F&S) that VW sales are
expected to fall by 2-4 per cent by 2020.
Monday 26 October 2015
It’s official: Zhongding is an investor in EcoMotors
EcoMotors has today broken its long silence to report that it has secured a lead
investor for its largest customer, Zhongding Power, giving renewed emphasis for
the opposed-piston two-stroke diesel engine (opoc) the two firms are engaged in
bringing to market.
Sunday 25 October 2015
Profits fall off a cliff at Bentley
Profits at Bentley
Motors, owned by Volkswagen AG, fell dramatically in the 12 months to 31
December 2014.
Ricardo steers AWD into Jaguar’s F-TYPE
Jaguar’s 2016 all-wheel-drive
F-TYPE has paid dividends for Ricardo which has created the “most potent
road-going sports car Jaguar has even made”.
Friday 23 October 2015
2016: Launch of next MINI Convertible
BMW’s MINI brand will launch the
next generation MINI Convertible in March 2016.
VW: EA288 engines not affected
Volkswagen has now confirmed that no software
constituting an improper defeat device as defined in law is installed in
vehicles with EA 288 EU5 as well as EU6-engines in the European Union.
Thursday 22 October 2015
GM readies for Cadillac CT6
General Motors is to double its workforce at
Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly by adding a second shift and more than 1,200 hourly
and salaried jobs.
Daimler AG continues its growth
Daimler AG continued with its
strategy and again set new records for unit sales and revenue in the third
quarter. With sales of 720,000
cars and commercial vehicles, the company sold 13 per cent more vehicles between July and September
than in the prior-year period.
Wednesday 21 October 2015
VW: Sales dip for commercials
Sales
of Volkswagen commercial vehicles fell one per cent in the nine
months to the end of September.
Monday 19 October 2015
VW passenger car sales remain resilient
Volkswagen Group claims its total sales from
January to September remained almost stable compared with the prior-year level,
with 7.43 million vehicles handed over to customers worldwide.
Sunday 18 October 2015
VW: 'Cheat devices' discovered by accident
According to The Mail on Sunday newspaper,
university researchers in West Virginia University stumbled on the Volkswagen ‘cheat
device’ by accident.
Friday 16 October 2015
VW bolsters integrity, legal, ahead of 'defeat' issues
Chairman of the
supervisory board of Volkswagen AG, Hans Dieter Pötsch, has requested the chairman
of the supervisory board of Daimler AG, Dr. Manfred Bischoff, to release Dr.
Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, Daimler’s legal specialist.
Thursday 15 October 2015
VW: Still no word as to the "technical solution"
Volkswagen is to
recall about 8.5 million vehicles in Europe (EU28 markets), including some 2.4
million vehicles in Germany, according to KBA - the Federal Motor Transport
Authority.
Wednesday 14 October 2015
Ford achieves 152 bhp/litre for new RS
Ford claims the
"unique" 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine in the latest Focus RS will
produce 350 bhp – far exceeding original estimates of 315 bhp – together with
350 lb.-ft. torque.
VW: Out with the old; bring in the new
The newly-formed Volkswagen brand board of management
has realigned diesel strategy in the light of the company’s recent 'defeat device' scandal.
Cummins V8 wins plaudits in Texas
Cummins Inc. executives will be pleased that their
first production application of the ISV5.0 has won plaudits on the back of 2016
Nissan Titan.
Jaguar: A journey from style to design
Nick Hull is to be congratulated for producing Jaguar Design: A Story of Style – a benchmark in authorship pulling together in sure-footed detail, the diverse strands of Jaguar design.
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Evidence of "widespread abuse by carmakers" - T&E
The average gap between real-world figures and
drive cycle test results is growing across the industry. This may suggest that
Volkswagen is not the only guilty party when it comes to fixing figures, says
Transport & Environment (T&E).
Monday 12 October 2015
Volkswagen's loss is Bosch's gain
Paul Willis, managing
director of Volkswagen UK, appeared today before the Transport Select Committee
of the UK’s House of Commons in Parliament to answer questions from MPs in
connection with the "defeat device" that VW fitted to its cars.
Thursday 8 October 2015
VW: More top boss changes
More changes at
the top of VW in preparation for the tougher months ahead in the wake of the
implications of its emissions scandal, as Frank Witter (56) is appointed member
of the board of management of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for Finance and
Controlling.
Grob wins big at BMW's Hams Hall
Grob-Werke of Mindelheim, Germany
has been one of the big machine tool winners of the heavy investment BMW has
made to develop its Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham.
Wednesday 7 October 2015
VW: A "swift and relentless clarification"
The CEO of Volkswagen
AG, Matthias Müller, has promised employees "swift and relentless
clarification" of the emissions scandal.
Tuesday 6 October 2015
F&S: VW pushes back diesel technology "by years"
Frost & Sullivan
claims that Volkswagen's concession of corporate wrongdoing in circumventing
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) testing in the U.S. has sent the global
automotive industry into a tail spin and substantially pushed back developments
in clean diesel technology and internal combustion engines (ICE) by years.
Sunday 4 October 2015
UK study: VW not alone in flouting RDE
The Institute for Transport Studies in the UK has made road-side tests on cars with Euro
VI diesel engines and found their emissions to be at least five time higher
than the Euro tests demand.
Thursday 1 October 2015
Porsche man takes charge of VW's PR
Surprise, surprise, Porsche PR man Hans-Gerd Bode (54) has taken over as head of
group communications, investor relations and external relations at Volkswagen
AG with immediate effect. He succeeds Stephan Grühsem (53); he leaves the company "by amicable agreement".
GM and Navistar in new truck deal
Perhaps it was only expected that after falling out with an old girlfriend,
i.e., Ford Motor Company, Navistar had to choose the only other girl on the US
shelf, namely, General Motors.
Wednesday 30 September 2015
Ricardo: RDE providing a pathway to cleaner diesels
Ricardo claims it has
demonstrated processes for evaluating the emission technologies of diesel cars
under the forthcoming Real Driving Emissions (RDE) regulations which aim to
ensure on-road compliance with published type approval data for fuel economy
and emissions.
Ricardo set to give JAC a big boost
Ricardo is developing a production
version of its ‘HyBoost’ concept to give China’s JAC a 30 per cent fuel economy
gain.
VW scandal: Action plan unveiled
Volkswagen AG has unveiled its action plan to
correct the emissions characteristics of diesel vehicles.
Tuesday 29 September 2015
Volkswagen, scandal and the rumour mill
The rumour mill is
asking: How would Volkswagen’s vehicles know when the EPA’s emissions testing
equipment was connected?
Monday 28 September 2015
The engineer who brought down Volkswagen
According to the Huffington Post,
Daniel Carder, an unassuming 45-year-old engineer with grey hair and blue
jeans, appears an unlikely type to take down one of the world's most powerful
companies.
Sunday 27 September 2015
The Cat trims its tail
The past
week has been a topsy-turvy world for the vehicle industry: the self-savaging
of VW, Caterpillar’s 33-rolling months sales decline in the Far East and a dividend
award of £60 million for JCB’s chairman and family.
Friday 25 September 2015
Porsche man is new head of Volkswagen
Matthias Müller (62) is the new chief executive
officer of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.
Wednesday 23 September 2015
Winterkorn experiences his own downfall
A great many thoughts
must be whizzing through the brain of Ferdinand Piech, who resigned earlier
this year in favour of Professor Martin Winterkorn who has himself now resigned.
Ricardo set for natural gas engine R&D
Ricardo is set to be a
key partner in the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Green Vehicle Initiative project
‘HDGAS’ – which aims for a 10 per cent in overall engine improvement.
Tuesday 22 September 2015
SMMT gives a view about emissions testing
On a day when the fall in the share price of Volkswagen AG almost doubled and its plight continued to spiral downwards, the UK Society of
Motor Manufacturers and Traders has given a view about passenger car emissions
testing without passing comment one way or the other about the dilemma faced by Volkswagen Group in Germany, and possibly other automakers in Europe.
“The UK
automotive industry understands the concerns consumers may have following the
actions of one manufacturer in regard to emissions testing and the subsequent
decision to recall a large number of its cars. This is, however, an issue
affecting just one company and there is no evidence to suggest that any other
company is involved, let alone that this is an industry-wide issue.
“Consumers should be reassured that cars sold
in the UK must comply with strict European laws. All cars must complete a
standard emissions test, which, unlike in the US, is independently witnessed by
a government-appointed independent agency.
“On the separate on-going debate about real-world
testing, industry accepts that the current test method for cars is out of date
and is seeking agreement from the European Commission for a new emissions test
that embraces new testing technologies and which is more representative of
on-road conditions.”
UK Car
emissions testing
Why is it done? All cars sold in the UK have to undergo an official emissions test
under EU law. This is to ensure they meet the latest emissions standards, as
set by the European Commission, before they can be sold to the consumer.
The latest emissions standard is Euro-6 – and all
new cars registered in the EU from 1 September 2015 are required to meet this
standard. A range of emissions is tested, including carbon monoxide,
particulate matter, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
What is the test? It is a laboratory test, which ensures consistency and absolute
comparability from one vehicle to another. The vehicle is put onto a ‘rolling
road’ and fitted with equipment to measure emissions. The vehicle will then
perform a standardised drive cycle known as the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC)
– which contains set acceleration/deceleration levels, and replicates different
driving conditions.
If the vehicle emits levels of pollutants lower
than the limits set for the Euro-6 standard, it will receive a Euro-6 approval
certificate, meaning the vehicle can be sold.
What are the conditions of
the test? The test is carried out in a controlled temperature
of 20-30C, and the car must be calibrated to the specification as sold to the
customer.
All of the vehicle’s components must be present and
cannot be tampered with. For example, the alternator belt must be intact and
the brakes must function fully to pass testing. The vehicle will be checked to
ensure it has the same tyre pressures, fluid levels and components as it would
have on the road.
Who carries out the test? The test is carried out in a government-approved test facility, with a
government-appointed independent witness.
Who governs the test? The EU test operates in strict conditions and is witnessed by a
government-appointed independent approval agency. In the UK, this is the
Vehicle Certification Agency, which is responsible to the Department for
Transport.
How old is the test? The current test dates back to 1996.
What is the difference
between the EU test and the US test? In the US, the official tests are carried out by the manufacturer and
not witnessed by an independent third-party as they are in the EU. The results
are submitted to the US Environmental
Monday 21 September 2015
VW on the ropes as 'cheating' issue grows
Volkswagen shares fell
some 18 per cent on the first full day off trading following the EPA finding
that algorithms on some VW Group cars could manipulate emissions limits.
Saturday 19 September 2015
EPA accuses VW of 'defeat' emission devices
The US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air
Act (CAA) to Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Friday 18 September 2015
Cummins diesel prospect creates a buzz in Texas
There's a bit
of a buzz in the air
in San Antonio, Texas. For there,
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMT) has a
strategy to ramp up pick-up truck production.
Thursday 17 September 2015
EV versions of smart set for late 2016
Electric versions of the new smart fortwo and forfour will go on
sale in late 2016.
Tuesday 15 September 2015
Autonomous pod takes to the road
The first of three pod vehicles was unveiled in the
UK today as part of a pioneering project to trial automated vehicles in
pedestrianised areas.
How GKN can make the Ford Focus drift
GKN Automotive has developed a new version of its Twinster torque
vectoring all-wheel drive (AWD) system for the Ford Focus RS.
The man who changed Volkswagen?
Martin Winterkorn clearly wants to be remembered as
the man who changed the face of the Volkswagen group.
Monday 14 September 2015
Jaguar F-PACE: More business for vendors
Jaguar’s F-PACE performance crossover for with its
lightweight aluminium architecture provides further business for suppliers of
major technology and component suppliers.
Ford drives IC engine R&D to challenge EVs
As Ford continues to push its hybrid and electric
vehicle products, its technical centre in Germany is working on lean reciprocating
engines.
Mahindra launches India's first SUV with AMT
India’s leading SUV
manufacturer, Mahindra, has unveiled its much-awaited sports utility vehicle,
the TUV300.
JLR pushes on with zero emission technology
JaguarLandRover (JLR) has
revealed some of the new and innovative low and zero emission powertrain
technologies it is researching.
Sunday 13 September 2015
A time to hold nerves and stay calm
As auto executives pay homage by attending Europe's top-class automotive event – this year's Frankfurt motor show, just starting – their minds will be on other matters.
Saturday 12 September 2015
Qashqai generates UK cash for Nissan
Nissan claims it is making one Quashqai every 62
seconds at its Sunderland, UK production site.
Saturday 5 September 2015
VW to make 600 a day at new engine plant
Volkswagen Group has opened its new engine plant at
Kaluga in Russia.
Friday 4 September 2015
Daimler-Nissan break ground in Mexico
Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance yesterday
broke ground for their joint-venture manufacturing complex, COMPAS (Cooperation
Manufacturing Plant Aguascalientes) in central Mexico set to build
next-generation premium compact vehicles for the brands Mercedes-Benz and
Infiniti.
Thursday 3 September 2015
Navistar: Losses continue to flow
Thunder continues to rumble
in the background at troubled Navistar International Corporation which has now reported
12 straight quarter losses on the trot
Ricardo cuts rear drive unit weight by 25%
Ricardo claims that by using state-of-the-art technologies
it can cut the weight of a rear drive unit by 25 per cent
Schaeffler makes new active roll control unit
Schaeffler has built
completely new production facilities at its Schweinfurt location in Germany to
make a new electromechanical active roll control system the company has put
into volume production.
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Is there a market for plug-in hybrid trucks?
If Bob Lutz, chairman of VIA Motors is to be believed, his company is aiming to sell 50,000 hybrid trucks and vans a year by 2018.
Nissan seeks 10 per cent of US market
Nissan wants a 10 per cent US market share in 2016, according to Jose Munoz, chairman
of Nissan North America, speaking recently at the J.D. Power Automotive Summit
in San Francisco.
Friday 28 August 2015
Bill McMenamin takes finance helm at Navistar
Bill McMenamin has become senior vice president and treasurer of Navistar International replacing Jim Moran.
Thursday 27 August 2015
TVR claims 250 orders for "new" car
TVR claims it has taken in excess of 250 deposits
for its new sports car in only the first six weeks since the company opened the
order book.
I4 engine with the performance of a V8
A research programme in the
US is pulling together various technologies to create a four-cylinder engine
with the performance of a V8.
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Ford pushes up 2-litre power, torque
In the US, Ford Focus ST
customers can now obtain an upgrade kit that increases power and torque from
the 2-litre gasoline engine.
Chevy teams with SAIC for 2019 MY launch
Chevrolet, through General
Motors, is investing $5 billion for the development with SAIC Motors of an
all-new vehicle family that will meet the rapidly changing demands of customers
in these markets.
Monday 17 August 2015
No downside to light-weighting – claims Jaguar
Dr Mark White, chief
technical specialist, lightweight vehicle technologies at Jaguar, and an
architect in helping Jaguar to pioneer the use of aluminium body-in-white (BIW)
structures claims: “There is no downside to light-weighting.”
Thursday 13 August 2015
Torotrak sees JCB as ‘ideal partner’
Torotrak and JCB are working
on a three-year £1,100,000 project to move the technology company’s Flybrid
system know-how towards TRL8 readiness level.
Wednesday 12 August 2015
Ohio sees SOP of Ford F-650/F-750
Ford Motor Company has launched start of production (SOP) for the first time in the US of the all-new 2016 F-650/F-750 medium-duty
trucks.
Tuesday 11 August 2015
JLR to open 300,000/y car plant on Slovakia
JaguarLandRover (JLR) is to
build a new manufacturing plant in the city of Nitra in western Slovakia to
build aluminium-intensive vehicles from 2018 onwards.
Navistar: The changing face of MaxxForce
Could Navistar International
be heading towards dropping its mid-range diesel engines following a quiet
rejig of its nomenclature?
Thursday 6 August 2015
GM to build new body shop at Flint Assembly
General Motors is to invest $877 million to
build a new body shop for the assembly plant, locating it closer to the Flint
Metal Centre, which supplies sheet metal and other parts used in the Chevrolet
and GMC full-size pickups produced in the Flint assembly plant.
Daimler-Nissan’s Mexico plant to roll in 2017
As BMW pushes ahead with its plans for its new
plant in Mexico, the Daimler AG/Renault-Nissan Alliance launches a
manufacturing joint venture in Aguascalientes in central Mexico to start in
2017.
Wednesday 5 August 2015
US facility will test “real world” tyres
A new state-of-the-art
facility for vehicle tyre characterisation will begin operations in 2016 in
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tuesday 4 August 2015
GKN to boost driveline output in Poland
GKN Driveline has launched
the first phase of a significant expansion of its operations in Poland, with
the construction of a new production facility.
2.7-litre EcoBoost: where does Ford go from here?
Some years ago, somewhere
deep in Ford Motor Company's Dearborn, Michigan, headquarters complex, a group
of engineers and planners laid out the company's future engine strategy.
GM’s small diesels will compete with Audi
Chevrolet will add a new “clean
diesel” engine to the lineup in 2017, featuring a B20-capable 1.6-litre diesel
already proven in Europe and other global markets. B20 is a bio-diesel with 80% content petroleum-diesel.
BMW to open Mexico plant in 2019
BMW claims it is set to open
its new plant in Mexico in 2019 with a planned annual capacity of 150,000.
Monday 3 August 2015
Turnaround at Vauxhall
Vauxhall claims that its
Vivaro UK van plant in Luton, Bedfordshire is working “almost full capacity”.
Thursday 30 July 2015
UPS gives backing to renewable diesel fuel
Delivery giant UPS, which
has been in the vanguard of alternative fuels (last year it rolled out a fleet
of 1,000 propane-powered delivery vehicles in Oklahoma and Louisiana), today has
given its backing to Neste’s renewable diesel.
Volkswagen sees double-digit growth as . . .
Volkswagen
Group has reported improved sales and earnings in the first six months of the
year in a very challenging environment.
Wednesday 29 July 2015
Ford, Nissan also show improved financial results
Declaring its second quarter
results, Ford Motor Company shows a pre-tax profit of $2.9 billion, up $269
million from a year ago. Nissan too has impoved its results.
Monday 27 July 2015
Teksid commits to greater CGI use
Teksid, the foundry arm
of Fiat Group, is to boost its production of cylinder blocks and other engine
components in compacted graphite iron (CGI).
Thursday 23 July 2015
GM continues “strong earnings growth”
General Motors has reported a strong earnings growth for the second
quarter with net income attributable to common stockholders of $1.1 billion,
which included a $1.1 billion loss from special items before tax.
Ricardo upgrades anechoic test facility
Ricardo has upgraded its Vehicle Anechoic Test
Facility (VATF) at the Shoreham Technical Centre to expand the range of
vehicles that can be tested.
Wednesday 22 July 2015
VW forms truck and bus supervisory board
Volkswagen
Truck & Bus GmbH, the holding company that brings together Volkswagen AG’s truck and bus interests, has formed a parity basis supervisory board.
Sunderland Q30 to bow at Frankfurt
Visitors to the Frankfurt
Motor Show in September will see the first Infiniti Q30 Premium Active Compact that
will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK plant next year
Nifco UK seeks third plastics facility
Plastic
automotive parts maker Nifco UK, based at Eaglescliffe, near Stockton is to
agree a deal with developers to launch the latest phase of the firm’s expansion
as it plans to build the firm’s third new factory this decade.
Toyota hybrid sales pass 100,000 mark
Sales of Toyota and
Lexus Hybrid models have passed the 100,000 mark for the first time in half-yearly
sales. Sales of cars with BMW diesels will also increase.
Tuesday 21 July 2015
BorgWarner named as VW turbo supplier
When Volkswagen
introduced its high-performance 2-litre diesel, engineers adopted a
twin-turbocharger layout; quite different to the simplified in-house single-turbo route taken by
Daimler for its OM 471 truck diesel engine.
VW sales dip in “tense” markets
Volkswagen
Group delivered slightly fewer vehicles in the first half of 2015 but again
topped the five million mark even though some regions were “tense”.
Friday 17 July 2015
Are single-regime CVTs the way forward?
Step-less automatic transmissions
continue to fascinate the automotive industry.
Wednesday 15 July 2015
John Egan: The knight who rescued Jaguar
As Jaguar scales new heights
in terms of production, output, quality and technical expertise, a new book depicts
how Sir John Egan ‘saved’ the company from extinction and put it on a new
footing. He even rescued the name 'Jaguar'.
Ford readies Transit for its next 50 years
Ford will next year add
SCR deNOx technology to its heavier Transit van and chassis-cab models to
comply with upcoming Euro 6.1 emission requirements applicable to diesel
vehicles under 3.5 tonne gvw. Alan Bunting reports
Tuesday 14 July 2015
Ford Transit van is 50 today
Ford
is marking the 50th anniversary of the Transit van with a Press
event at its Dunton, Essex, European Research and Development Centre.
Ford gives Mustang carbon fibre wheels
Ford is using carbon fibre for the wheels for
the all-new Shelby GT350R track-ready, road-going production Mustang.
Thursday 9 July 2015
Change of technical lead at Cummins
Jennifer Rumsey,
vice president of engineering for Cummins' engine business, is replacing Dr.
John Wall as chief technical officer as the company begins production of its
new ISV5.0 diesel.
Wednesday 8 July 2015
Make or buy turbos? Daimler decides
Daimler AG is manufacturing
diesel engine turbochargers in-house. It is another ground-breaking development
by the vehicle builder on its relentless climb to the sunlit uplands of
dominance.
Monday 6 July 2015
Mercedes-Benz scores record half-year sales
With 898,425 vehicles delivered to customers in the first six months of
2015 (+14.7 per cent), Mercedes-Benz scored the best figures in the company’s
history.
FlySafe will assess flywheel failure modes
Ricardo, in collaboration with various
industrial and academic partners, has delivered a flywheel safety test
environment to develop next-generation flywheel energy storage systems.
UK-built Honda R heads for Japan
Today, in his inaugural speech as
Honda Motor Company CEO, Takahiro Hachigo said the new British-built Civic Type
R is heading for customers in Japan.
Sunday 5 July 2015
Vauxhall Insignia latest to get ‘Whisper diesel'
Diesel engines have come a long way since the days when they emitted
clouds of black smoke and a characteristic combustion sound. But they could be
even better.
Demand for Ram diesel is “overwhelming” - FCA
Demand for the EcoDiesel version of the Ram 1500 pick-up truck has been
described as “overwhelming”, according to Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA).
Friday 3 July 2015
Daimler declares OM471 as a “masterpiece”
Mercedes-Benz
has unveiled its latest generation OM 471 heavy-duty truck engine which it hails
as a “masterpiece of engineering”.
Wednesday 1 July 2015
OPOC engine production to begin this year?
Acccording to stock-watcher stock.ourxun.com production of the OPOC
opposed-piston engine is expected to begin this year.
Torotrak seeks £13.8m to drive transmissions
Torotrak is asking investors to stump up £13.8
million. But will it be money down the drain?
Monday 29 June 2015
Ricardo to develop Foton’s 1-litre engine
Ricardo is to develop
a Euro 6 1-litre gasoline engine for Foton with a view to competing with BMW,
Ford and Volkswagen in the European market.
Friday 26 June 2015
Ford set to make greater use of 3D printing
Ford
Motor Company could be on the point of making greater use of 3D printing to
gain an edge in the manufacture of prototype parts.
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Daimler: Sprinter van plant is a “benchmark”
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van plant in
Ludwigsfelde is a benchmark for the industry, according to the company today.
Saturday 20 June 2015
Nissan to install new press line
NISSAN is investing £37 million in a new press facility in its
record-breaking Sunderland, UK plant in a bid to increase output further.
Wednesday 17 June 2015
Ford to return to Le Mans with EcoBoost
Ford will return to
France in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3
at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ASIMCO signs up to make CGI engine parts
Another Chinese foundry has turned to
SinterCast to install process control technology enabling it to supply CGI
cylinder heads and blocks for commercial vehicle diesel engines
Opposed-piston engines: here we go again
The arrival of Cummins Inc. on the
scene has once more thrown the limelight onto opposed-piston two-stroke diesel engines
for military fighting vehicles.
Tuesday 16 June 2015
Cummins in opposed-piston engine deal
Cummins Inc. has partnered with Achates Power, Inc. of San Diego,
California which has been awarded a $14 million project to develop
next-generation engines for tactical and combat vehicles.
Jaguar boosts power/torque of XJ diesels
Eight out of 13 of the models of the revamped Jaguar XJ luxury saloon
are powered by a more powerful 3-litre diesel engine.
Wednesday 10 June 2015
Fiat and GM? Barra says No!
Mary Barra is facing
her first real test as chief executive officer of General Motors.
Ricardo to support Detroit Materials
Chassis
brackets for Class 8 trucks could be the first area of joint development by Ricardo
which has teamed up with Detroit Materials Inc. to help the start-up US company
commercialise its products into the automotive sector.
Tuesday 9 June 2015
Renault launches Bluecar production
This month, Groupe Renault’s Dieppe plant in northern France begins
assembly of the Bluecar all-electric city car’.
Gliders offer EPA 2010 engine loophole
It seems that glider
kits are attracting increasing attention in North America. On the one hand, Class
8 truck operators seemingly face problems and dissatisfaction with their EPA 2010
engines while on the other hand the glider kits offer them an opportunity to ‘wriggle
round’ current EPA emission regulations.
AB Dynamics set to double capacity
AB Dynamics is moving
to a new facility next year that will double capacity, allowing staff to work
on one site for the first time in many years.
Saturday 6 June 2015
GM invests for future engine growth
General Motors is to invest $119 million in tools and equipment to
support production of future vehicle components at its Grand Rapids, Michigan operations,
creating approximately 300 future jobs.
Navistar makes progress under Clarke
Navistar
International Corporation is beginning to spend money again. As the company
continues with its mission to be industry 'Uptime leader’ in the industry,
Navistar has purchased test track and proving grounds in New Carlisle,
Indiana for an undisclosed sum.
Tuesday 2 June 2015
Ford halves shut-downs to boost output
Demand
for Ford F-150, Edge, Escape and Explorer products is so great the company is
idling certain plants for one week only in the summer shut-down in a bid to
build 40,000 extra vehicles.
Monday 1 June 2015
Next Astra has 1.4-litre aluminium engine
Leaked photographs have forced Vauxhall to reveal prematurely details of
its next Astra, powered by an aluminium I4 gasoline engine; its predecessor has
a cast iron cylinder block.
Ricardo strikes gold at Ford
Ricardo is feeling particularly pleased with
itself today. Ricardo Inc. is one of 11 leading global suppliers to receive a Ford
Gold award.
Eye in the car that keep drivers awake
A British company is
working on a sensor device which can detect if a driver is falling asleep at
the wheel.
Sunday 31 May 2015
Tupy expects four years' significant growth
Brazilian foundry Tupy SA is forecasting four years of “significant
growth” of its compacted graphite iron (CGI) business from the automotive
sector.
Friday 29 May 2015
Tear-downs: paving the way for CGI growth
How will OEMs respond
to Ford’s 2015 F-150 pick-up truck with its intensive use of aluminium and a
gasoline engine with a CGI block?
Labels:
Audi,
AVL,
Caterpillar,
CGI,
Chevrolet Silverado,
Cummins Inc,
Daimler Trucks North America,
EcoBoost,
F-150,
FEV,
Ford Motor,
Lima Engine Plant,
Lotus,
Navistar,
Ram 1500,
Ricardo,
SinterCast,
Tupy,
VM Motori,
Volvo
Wednesday 27 May 2015
BorgWarner wins JLR gasoline and diesel contracts
BorgWarner is one of a
number of leading supplier companies to win business from JaguarLandRover (JLR) for
its new Ingenium gasoline and diesel I4 engine programmes.
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