Nissan’s Infinity
brand will exhibit its “compelling” production-ready new VC-Turbo (Variable
Compression Turbo) engine technology next month at the Detroit Auto Show.
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 30 December 2016
Wednesday 21 December 2016
Are US Class 8 sales finally on the move?
Class 8 heavy
truck net orders in the US experienced an uptick in November, following weak, including cancellation
heavy numbers reported for October, according to ACT Research based in
Columbus, Indiana.
VW wraps up US 3-litre ‘dieselgate’ for Christmas
Volkswagen
AG and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. have reached an agreement with the
United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve civil claims regarding approximately
83,000 affected 3-litre TDI V6 diesel engine vehicles in the US.
Friday 16 December 2016
Outlook dims Torotrak's off-highway prospects
Torotrak plc has noted today that a further deterioration in the trading
outlook for the global off-highway market could affect the timing of its target
to secure an initial licence for Flybrid KERS technology.
GM engine plant to receive $295 million
General Motors’
Tonawanda Engine Plant near Buffalo, New York, will receive $295.9 million by
2018 for future engine production.
Thursday 15 December 2016
Schaeffler set to double CVT output by 2020
By 2020,
Schaeffler LuK, part of Schaeffler AG, expects to have doubled its worldwide
capacity for continuously variable transmission (CVT) belts.
Wednesday 14 December 2016
Hydrogen fuel cells: yes or no?
Whose voice should we
listen to: the lone voice in the wilderness or vehicle makers preparing to
peddle their wares in years to come?
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Sell-out of Aston Martin and Red Bull “hypercar”
Aston Martin and Red
Bull claim that all 150 road-going versions of the duo’s “ultimate hypercar”,
the AM-RB 001, have been sold, together with a further 25 track-only models.
Monday 5 December 2016
G&W Invests £5 million in machining capacity
Grainger & Worrall (G&W), which provides
engine casting to Porsche, Aston Martin, Bugatti and McLaren, is to open a
state-of-the-art, £5 million machining facility at its site in Bridgnorth,
Shropshire.
Friday 2 December 2016
VW bolsters Brazilian truck and bus offshoot
Following
in the wake of taking a stake in Navistar International Corporation, Volkswagen
AG is pitching in with a €420 million investment in Volkswagen Caminhões e
Ônibus in Brazil to boost that business’s poduct portfolio. Intriguingly,
Navistar too has operations in Brazil.
Aston Martin taps into Maserati/Ferrari
In an interesting
move, Aston Martin has appointed Maximilian Szwaj as its new vice president and
chief technical officer.
MINI output tops three million mark
Production of the modern
version of the Austin/Morris Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis and launched
in 1959, has just topped three million.
Thursday 1 December 2016
Rolls-Royce goes four-wheel-drive at last
Is Rolls-Royce the
last major automaker to adopt four-wheel drive? Certainly, aficionados of the
marque will not have long to wait with 2018 as the launch date for the Cullinan with a price tag of circa £300,000.
Tuesday 29 November 2016
2017 Algeria assembly car/van assembly by VW
Next spring, SOVAC Production SPA will begin production of certain Volkswagen,
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, SEAT and ŠKODA brands.
Euro electric vehicles to receive charge boost
Four major automakers
have teamed up to create high-power charging points throughout Europe, paving
the way for greater electric vehicle (EV) use.
Torotrak to fit KERS into Caterpillar wheel loader
Torotrak has secured funding
to fit KERS technology into a wheel loader programme in collaboration with
Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Illinois.
VW to launche new upper class model
Next March at the Geneva Motor
Show, Volkswagen will launch its new premium saloon, the Arteon, a totally new
model which sits above Passat. Production begins in summer 2017.
Saturday 26 November 2016
JLR seeks to generate 10,000 UK jobs
JaguarLandRover (JLR) is hoping to take advantage
of a UK government pledge to put battery development and electric vehicles at
the heart of its industrial strategy.
Friday 25 November 2016
VW to quit selling diesels in the US
Whoever sanctioned Volkswagen’s ‘dieselgate’ will see the price the company is now
paying as an executive says VW will exit diesel car sales in the US.
Wednesday 23 November 2016
Škoda surpasses production record
Škoda, the butt of many jokes with its post-war rear-engine
oversteering models, has just surpassed the one million mark of vehicles
delivered in 2016.
Ricardo hits record engine output
Ricardo plc claims to have
manufactured over 2,000 engines in the six months to the end of October,
claiming this as a record for the company, and more than achieved in any
previous full year.
Monday 21 November 2016
How will US President-elect Trump react to GHG?
‘Global warming is a
Chinese hoax designed to weaken US manufacturing’, according to US
President-elect Donald Trump. Alan
Bunting asks: So can we expect the incoming Republican administration to scrap
all greenhouse gas (GHG) control legislation?
Saturday 19 November 2016
German-branded pick-ups facing ‘hostile’ US market?
A recent survey by
market research organisation Edmunds.com indicated
an unusually high degree of brand loyalty among North American buyers of
pick-up trucks, writes Alan Bunting.
Wednesday 16 November 2016
Half JLR cars will be electric by 2020
By 2020, JaguarLandRover (JLR) claims it will offer customers the
option of electrification on half of all its new cars.
Is VW’s Amarok pick-up set to bow in the USA?
In May this year, 2018suvs.net proclaimed that Volkswagen Commercial
Vehicles (VCV) would begin marketing the Amarok pick-up truck in the USA in
2017.
Ron Dennis ‘resigns’ as boss of McLaren
Following an exclusive story in one of the UK’s leading newspapers,
the Daily Mail, yesterday, McLaren
Technology Group (MTG) has confirmed the exit of Ron Dennis exit as its chief executive.
Tuesday 15 November 2016
Jaguar to produce I-PACE from 2018
Jaguar will put its I-PACE electric car into production in 2018.
Described as the start of a new era for Jaguar, the company is launching the
car at this month’s Los Angeles auto show.
Monday 14 November 2016
Nissan to sell UK-made QX30 in China
Nissan is to sell the
Infiniti QX30 to buyers in China, however, the car will be made at the
company’s Sunderland, UK plant, where workers already produce its sister Q30
model.
First BYD electric bus order outside London
Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD say
they have won their first electric bus order outside London.
Tuesday 8 November 2016
Any ‘smoke and mirrors’ behind VW’s EA189 ‘fix’?
Does everyone
understand what really lies behind VWs powertrain engineers’ implementation of
their ‘fix’ for the EA189 engines? What is really implied in the ‘fix’?
Saturday 5 November 2016
Software ‘fix’ set to fix VW’s TDI mire
Guess what? Volkswagen AG is relying
on a software ‘fix’ and a ‘flow conditioner’ to provide the “technical solution”
for the 2.6 million vehicles with EA 189 1.6-litre TDI engines.
Wednesday 2 November 2016
New coating saves engine block weight
Grainger &
Worrall (GW) is working in conjunction with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and the
Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to develop a new type of cylinder block that
uses plasma coatings to reduce the weight and size of engines.
Friday 28 October 2016
VW pushes out SUV boundaries in US
Volkswagen is to build a new SUV (Atlas) alongside the Passat for the North American market at its Chattanooga
assembly plant in Tennessee, but only with gasoline engines.
Nissan denies any UK ‘sweetheart deals’
NISSAN Motor Company has denied the presence of any ‘sweetheart’ deals
associated with its latest plan to expand production and create fresh jobs in
the UK.
Ford’s performance marks time
Ford Motor Company has
just produced third-quarter results in which sales (revenue) came out at $35.9
billion giving year-to-date (YTD) sales of $113.1 billion ($109 billion in
2015).
Thursday 27 October 2016
VW improves business despite ‘dieselgate’
The Volkswagen Group financial figures for the first nine months
of the year appear unfazed by the events of ‘Diesel’ gate in the USA and
Europe.
Nissan gives UK its vote of confidence
Nissan Motor Company
Ltd. announced in Yokohama that following its executive committee meeting, the
company will produce the next Qashqai as well as adding production of the next
X-Trail model at its Sunderland, UK plant.
Wednesday 26 October 2016
Volkswagen settles in the US over 2-litre TDI
Volkswagen AG,
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and certain affiliates (together, Volkswagen)
has announced that Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court
for the Northern District of California has granted final approval to the
settlement agreement between Volkswagen and private plaintiffs.
Tuesday 25 October 2016
Daimler relies on Renault-Nissan for X-Class pick-up
Mercedes-Benz Vans will rely heavily on its alliance with Renault-Nissan to manufacture its new pick-truck
that it will sell in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Europe from 2017
onwards.
VW opens new Crafter plant in Poland
Volkswagen
Group has officially opened its automotive plant in Września dedicated to production of the new Crafter. Is VW claims the plant Europe’s most advanced new factory of its kind.
Monday 24 October 2016
ASIMCO displays CGI cylinder heads
One of the less obvious booths at last month's IAA commercial vehicle
exhibition in Hannover, Germany, amidst all the glitz and glamour of the various commercial vehicle displays,
was that of the ASIMCO Group.
Saturday 22 October 2016
Delphi unveils smaller diesel fuel injector for 2021
Delphi Diesel Systems has
demonstrated its next generation technology – the DFI 21 common rail injector.
Tuesday 18 October 2016
New steel from Tata cuts weight 15 per cent
Tata Steel is fighting
back to reclaim lost ground following successful trials of its XPF product
range. XPF800 is a new hot-rolled steel for demanding chassis applications.
Schaeffler launches all-electric concept vehicle
Schaeffler regards its electric wheel-hub drive, as in its STEP² concept
vehicle, as an enabler for future space-efficient vehicle concepts.
Saturday 15 October 2016
Nissan ‘more confident’ over future of UK plant
FEARS
that Nissan’s Qashqai flagship model could leave the car-maker’s UK plant in
the north-easy may have been eased after the company’s boss said he was “confident” the UK will remain a competitive place to do
business.
Friday 14 October 2016
UK’s first ‘serious’ hydrogen fleet bows
Arval has become a
leading partner in one of the UK’s largest hydrogen fleet car trials to date.
Wednesday 12 October 2016
Autonomous trucking – anyone interested?
According to reports, within the next decade, we can expect that the
number of autonomous vehicles on U.S. roads will become a mainstream force.
Tuesday 11 October 2016
G&W wins Aston’s V12 engine casting job
Aston Martin has confirmed Grainger & Worrall (GW) as its preferred
engine castings partner for the new DB11.
Monday 10 October 2016
Torotrak to visit OEMs with V-Charge
Torotrak is to begin a programme of visits to pan-European vehicle
manufacturers and Tier One suppliers to conduct a series of test drives.
Car makers miss carbon dioxide target by 39%
Real-world emissions testing
of passenger cars shows greenhouse gas emissions exceeds the official figures
on which UK national objectives and vehicle taxation are based.
Sunday 9 October 2016
US Postal set for hybrid delivery vans?
The United States
Postal Service (USPS) is set to examine the use of hybrid delivery vans as part
of its Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) programme which has just kicked
off.
Friday 7 October 2016
China buoys up Jaguar and Land Rover
Strong sales in China,
boosted by the launch of the locally-built Jaguar XFL, helped JaguarLandRover
achieve its strongest global September sales to date, selling 61,047 vehicles,
up 28 per cent compared to 2015.
Mercedes-Benz tops 200,000 per month
Mercedes-Benz has performed a hat-trick: In September, in the third
quarter and also in the first nine months of the year.
Nifco UK announces record sales
Nifco UK, based in
Eaglescliffe in Stockton, makes components used in the engines, and car
interiors and exteriors.
Will Cummins ever integrate vertically?
It
is not unreasonable to think that 12 or 18 months ago, at least one Cummins
senior executive might have mulled over the question in his mind in a quiet
moment: Is it time for the company to integrate vertically?
Will VW have an impact on MWM in Brazil?
It will be interesting
to see what happens to MWM International in Brazil when Volkswagen AG’s two
board members take their place round the table at Navistar International
Corporation.
Thursday 6 October 2016
Automakers should use ‘circular economy’ - report
Makers of luxury cars, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, could benefit from a ‘circular economy’ and thereby engaging in more
closed-loop recycling, adopting a ‘rent instead of sell’ business model, and by
lengthening product usability.
Tuesday 4 October 2016
Nexteer output reaches 40 million EPS systems
Some 40 millionth
electric power steering (EPS) systems have been manufactured by Nexteer
Automotive, a global leader in intuitive motion control.
Monday 3 October 2016
VW and Navistar to create new ‘engine platform’
The deal between
Volkswagen AG and Navistar International Corporation will not be ‘closed’ until
early next year but in the meantime the two companies are working on a ‘new
engine platform’.
Sunday 2 October 2016
Geely provides backing for Bloodhound
Geely Automotive,
through Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is to be the prime automotive sponsor (and
will provide technical assistance) to the British Bloodhound world land speed
record attempt in 2017.
Friday 30 September 2016
INFINITI claims ground-breaking turbo
INFINITI claims its
new variable compression turbocharger due in 2018 amounts to ground-breaking
new engine technology.
Audi launches aluminium five-cylinder engine
The new Audi RS 3 at the Paris Motor Show is said
to be the most powerful five-cylinder engine used a series production Audi.
Thursday 29 September 2016
GM ditches piezos, opts for solenoids
Those expecting
General Motors to jump through the hoop in launching the company down the
compacted graphite iron (CGI) route with its redesigned Duramax 6.6L V-8 turbo-diesel will go to bed tonight disappointed. And others might see a step from piezo as a backwards move.
Volkswagen seeks one million EV target by 2025
Volkswagen has
unveiled I.D., a highly automated electric able to cover a distance of 400 to
600 km on a single battery charge.
Latest ‘Disco’ receives Ingenium I4 diesel
The latest generation
of Land Rover Discovery, D5, continues to make use of Ford Motor Company’s
3-litre V6 diesel engine made at Dagenham, heralding continued production of
that engine for some time to come.
Wednesday 28 September 2016
Bentley sheds kilos from Bentayga diesel
Bentley Motors is
saving weight on its new diesel engine for the Bentayga sports utility vehicle
(SUV).
Tuesday 27 September 2016
Audi diesel powers Bentley's Bentayga SUV
Bentley
Motors has announces plans to install a diesel engine in its Bentayga luxury
sports utility vehicle (SUV).
Sunday 25 September 2016
Texas awaits next Duramax engine
Observers
of the US diesel engine scene are waiting for this week's Texas State Fair
which opens 30 September to see how General Motors achieves 445 bhp from its
6.6-litre V8 Duramax.
Friday 23 September 2016
MG car production goes ‘home’
Cynics among us knew
it would happen before long. That it took so long is indeed a surprise.
Navistar: Time to step up to the plate and deliver
Is it just
conceivable, when the dust of document signing has settled and top-level Volkswagen
Truck & Bus Group (T&B Group) engineers and managers sit round the
table with their counterparts at Navistar International Corporation that the
conversation will move to the detail of not only customising the MAN engines
that Navistar builds under license, but manufacturing other VW group diesel
engines in North America.
Thursday 22 September 2016
McLaren denies Apple takeover bid
Formula 1 team owner McLaren has played down a report that Apple has
made a buyout or investment approach for the supercar maker.
Wednesday 21 September 2016
Is platooning just around the corner?
Tuesday 20 September 2016
VW achieves 550 PS from 2-litre TSI engine
A specially-tuned Volkswagen Beetle has set a new speed record powered
by a turbocharged 2-litre gasoline engine giving 550 PS.
Researchers remotely hack into Tesla Model S
It is reported that Chinese
researchers have managed to control the brakes, lights and mirrors within a
Tesla Model S from while the car is moving and up to 20 kilometres (12 miles)
away.
Monday 19 September 2016
Next Jaguar XE reinforces ally ‘road map’
The message in Jaguar’s
‘Road Map’ always claimed that the XE saloon could be built at the firm’s Land
Rover plant in Solihull or Jaguar’s ‘home plant’ of Castle Bromwich. In the
event, Solihull became the XE’s first port of call but with the option production could
be moved to Castle Bromwich should the need arise.
Sunday 18 September 2016
Opoc engine moves closer to production
The
developers of the opposed-piston two-stroke diesel engine claim the engine is
moving closer to production. But details, as ever, remain elusive.
Friday 9 September 2016
Mahle fits eSupercharge 1.2-litre to VW Golf
Mahle Powertrain’s Northampton (UK) engineering team
has replaced the standard 2-litre turbocharged engine in its donor VW Golf GTi,
with the latest development of its 1.2-litre downsizing engine.
VW says ‘new’ Crafter is “without compromise”
Volkswagen claims its ‘new’ Crafter light commercial has been
designed ‘without compromise’. It will be available up to 5.5 tonnes.
Nissan raises output nearly 10-fold in 30 years
When UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opened Nissan’s first European
plant 30 years ago yesterday, the car maker had 470 staff and produced 5,000
vehicles at a rate of 12 an hour.
Thursday 8 September 2016
Torotrak verifies V-Charge performance
Torotrak Group claims it has verified its previous claims for V-Charge,
a variable drive mechanical supercharger, using a Ford three-cylinder EcoBoost
engine.
VW enters electric vehicle deal with JAC
Volkswagen
AG and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to secure long-term cooperation in the joint development of
all-electric vehicles in China.
Wednesday 7 September 2016
Torque converters now becoming lighter
Component supplier Schaeffler claims its iTC torque converter represents
a new generation of lighter-weight torque converters that are help reduce
vibrations.
Milestone
Auto
Industry Newsletter has achieved a milestone. Over a quarter of a million page
views have been recorded since its launch.
Land Rover’s extreme seat-folding test
World-renowned British
adventurer and well-known Land Rover owner Bear Grylls took to the skies to put
the New Discovery’s Intelligent Seat Fold technology to the ultimate test.
Tuesday 6 September 2016
OX ‘flat-pack’ truck seeks funding
A ‘flat-pack’ truck has been developed to
provide low-cost all-terrain mobility for remote parts of Africa and the
developing world.
Kia applies 8-speed auto box to FWD
Kia Motors has a new
eight-speed automatic transmission (8AT), engineered for use in front-wheel
drive vehicles, but based on RWD experience.
New Land Rover Discovery set for Paris
Land Rover will unveil its new Discovery on 28 September 2016 ahead of the Paris Motor Show.
Clarke confirms Navistar/VW tie-up
Navistar International Corporation has confirmed a wide-ranging
strategic alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus that brings in $256 million.
Monday 5 September 2016
Is Troy Clarke about to start smiling?
Rumours suggest Volkswagen may strike a deal with Navistar International
Corporation.
Sunday 4 September 2016
Spectris gobbles up Millbrook in £122 million deal
Rutland Partners only wanted the former General Motors/Vauxhall Motors’
proving ground at Millbrook for one thing, and one thing only – to make money.
Saturday 3 September 2016
Freightliner rolls out ‘efficient’ 2018 Cascadia
January 2017 sees the next generation Freightliner
Cascadia take to the roads in North America.
Daimler launches SOP of GLA SUV in Brazil plant
Five months after its Brazil plant opening, Mercedes-Benz has launched
SOP of a second model at its new passenger-car plant in Iracemápolis - the GLA.
Friday 2 September 2016
Peterbilt opts for Cummins/Westport gas engine
Peterbilt Motors has
decided to introduce the Cummins Westport ISL-G Near Zero NOx emissions natural
gas engine for line-haul, vocational and refuse applications. Launch ismset for the year-end and early 2017.
MG boosts engine test capability
MG Motor
UK has invested £1.2 million at its Longbridge site, Birmingham, UK, to install
addition test equipment and reduce the need for outsourcing.
Thursday 1 September 2016
GM/US Army to probe fuel cell military vehicles
Next Month, General Motors and the US Army Tank Automotive Research,
Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) will reveal a fuel cell electric
vehicle; as Nikola Motor also opts for fuel cells but for Class 8 trucks.
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Achates Power responds to EPA's GHG move
Earlier this month, the
US Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation
announced new greenhouse gas emissions
and fuel efficiency standards
for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The announcement has brought forth praise
and support.
Ricardo and Quanchai to collaborate on new diesels
The UK
is one of a world centre of excellence in diesel engine technology, proof of
which can be found in the need for a large and well-established China-based diesel
engine maker to knock at the door of Ricardo plc.
Monday 29 August 2016
Horiba MIRA readies for automated driving
Horiba MIRA is readying itself for the road ahead when
facilities will be needed for the development of driverless cars.
GM’s Tonawanda awaits news affecting its future
General Motors’ Tonawanda
engine plant is expecting to hear some news that could affect its future.
Sunday 28 August 2016
JLR sees boost for 4x4s
JaguarLandRover has sold
more than 100,000 4x4 vehicle les on the 12 weeks to the end of June. This
figure is four per cent up on last year.
Saturday 27 August 2016
VW cries ‘wolf’ over short-time working
Sabre-rattling by Volkswagen
over possible interruptions to production of Golf and Passat passenger cars due
to component shortage proved to be empty words.
Thursday 25 August 2016
VW tries to give Tiguan sales a boost
Volkswagen’s Tiguan now has the 2-litre TSI engine familiar in the
Golf GTI.
Wednesday 24 August 2016
Daimler boosts BYD link with Denza 400
Daimler has extended its portfolio of new
energy vehicles (NEV) with the introduction of the Denza 400, the company’s
“Made in China, for China” electric vehicle from Shenzhen BYD Daimler New
Technology.
Tuesday 23 August 2016
Supplier dispute stymies production at VW plants
Production at several
Volkswagen AG plants has been interrupted as a result of a halt in component deliveries
by external suppliers, according to the automaker.
Saturday 20 August 2016
Friday 19 August 2016
Hella’s lights dimmed by supplier failure
Lighting specialist
HELLA managed to boost group sales in 2015/2016 despite failure of a supplier
in China.
Thursday 18 August 2016
US truck makers face more woes
The extent of the woe
experienced by North American Class 5 to 8 is reflected in the latest figures
which show a near 60 per cent drop on year-by-year basis.
Wednesday 17 August 2016
Daimler knocks Cummins from pole spot
Vertical integration
is showing signs of taking a firm grip of Class 8 diesel engine sales in North
America as Daimler AG has nudged Cummins Inc. from the top spot in first-half
2016.
Mahle set to ‘move house’ in the US
Mahle Powertrain is taking
over property recently acquired from Westport Fuel Systems in a move that will
create new jobs and accelerate a variety of advanced engine-development programmes.
JLR fits twin turbos to Range Rover Sport
The 2017 Model Year
Range Rover Sport is the first full-sized Land Rover SUV to feature a
four-cylinder diesel engine with twin sequential turbochargers.
Saturday 13 August 2016
BYD set to expand its electric bus fleet
Observers
of the electric bus business are awaiting the outcome of trials in Paris
following the recent announcement by China-based BYD, the world’s largest
producer of “pure electric” buses – 10,000 have been produced so far – that it
has secured a six-month trial of one of its buses with RATP, the French public
transport operator RATP.
Wednesday 10 August 2016
Mahle grows sales 16 per cent
Mahle GmbH has enjoyed an impressive year in 2015,
with sales growing to €11.5 billion, a rise of 16 per cent year on year.
Tuesday 9 August 2016
Cummins launches ‘new era’ truck diesels
Cummins Inc. has announced what it calls a “new era” in heavy-duty power
with the next-generation X Series. With the line-up expanded to three X
engines, the ratings extend from 350 bhp to 605 bhp.
Sunday 7 August 2016
Battle for Silverstone becomes bitter
Having lost out some three
years ago in its bid to buy the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire previously
owned by General Motors, JaguarLandRover set its cap at buying the Silverstone
racing facility.
Mercury Marine adopts CGI
Reports are emerging from
Mercury Marine of a 2-litre marine diesel engine with a cylinder block of
vermicular graphite iron or GGV.
Thursday 4 August 2016
VW to start fitting GPF in 2017
As the Volkswagen Group continues to wash its face in the context
of emissions, from 2017, all Group direct injection TSI and TFSI engines will
be fitted step-by-step with GPF – gasoline particulate filters.
Wednesday 3 August 2016
Volkswagen weathers diesel-gate storm
Volkswagen Group deliveries for the
first half of 2016 ran at 5.12 million units, representing an increase of 1.5
per cent over the corresponding prior-year period.
Wednesday 20 July 2016
Federal-Mogul claims high-temp piston novelty
Federal-Mogul Powertrain
will unveil a novel design of piston at the forthcoming IAA show in Hanover,
Germany in September. But production is five years away.
Knorr-Bremse chairman quits
In a strange move, which must have as
its ignition point some events of the last few weeks, the chairman of
Knorr-Bremse has quit.
Mahle Powertrain pitches for RDE, PEMS work
MAHLE Powertrain, the global
leader in engine development and consultancy, has opened the doors to its new
half a million pound Vehicle Engineering Centre (VEC) in Northampton, UK.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
Mecaplast wins JLR parts job
CAR parts maker Mecaplast has
undergone a £3.5 million expansion ahead of a major contract from
JaguarLandRover (JLR).
Friday 15 July 2016
Opel diesel finds use in marine world
The
Opel diesel engine adapted by Cimco Marine AB in Sweden for outboard use is
based on the 2-litre diesel engine made in the Opel plant in Kaiserslautern,
Germany.
NG Class 8 truck sales bounce up in North America
Natural gas Class 8 truck retail sales in the
US and Canada improved in May, after getting off to a slow start earlier in the
year, according to a recent report from ACT Research.
Wednesday 13 July 2016
Brexit drives Ricardo deeper into Europe
As Brexit looms for UK government under new
Prime Minister Theresa May, Ricardo is strengthening its consultancy push into
Europe.
Tuesday 12 July 2016
First turbine truck to bow in 3 years
For the second
time this year and only the fourth time in 19 months, demand for Class 8 trucks
in the US rose faster than the supply. However, new generation hybrid turbine
trucks are unlikely to fill the gap anytime soon.
Sunday 10 July 2016
Are powertrains facing transition?
Could diesel engines be on their way out? asks Ricardo Plc in its latest quarterly journal,
RQ.
Saturday 9 July 2016
Turbine truck set to overtake diesel Class 8s?
Nikola Motor Company (NMC)
of Salt Lake City, Utah claims it has generated $2.3 billion in reservations,
accounting for over 7,000 truck reservations with deposits, for its new turbine-driven
hybrid Class 8 truck.
Friday 8 July 2016
How a Bluebird started an industrial revolution
As the UK heads for its
second woman Prime Minister and challenging lie months ahead, today marks the
30th anniversary of Nissan Motor Company’s faith in the country.
Thursday 7 July 2016
Jaguar XJ13 is 50 years’ late
The 1966 Jaguar XJ13,
conceived to continue Jaguar’s winning ways at the Le Mans 24 Hours, will
finally make its debut this weekend at the legendary Circuit
de la Sarthe, 50 years’ late.
Wednesday 6 July 2016
Mercedes-Benz tops one million cars
Mercedes-Benz delivered over
one million (1,006,619) cars to customers worldwide in the first six months of
2016 (+12.1 per cent), more than ever before in half a year.
Nissan’s UK plant wins extra model
Nissan’s
facility in Sunderland is set to manufacture a special edition Juke hatchbacks.
Tuesday 5 July 2016
Aston and Red Bull unite their forces
Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing have joined forces to produce a
hypercar; surprise-surprise code-named AM-RB 001.
JLR boost for ‘specials’ and ‘classics’
JaguarLandRover has opened
the new technical centre for Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) in Coventry, UK.
Next Phantom will be in aluminium
The development
programme for the eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, considered to
be the ‘Best Car in the World’, has taken another significant step forward.
Monday 4 July 2016
Ford puts CGI into 1-litre EcoBoost
Ford in the UK
has confirmed its three-cylinder 1-litre Fox gasoline engine does have a
cylinder block of compacted graphite iron (CGI).
Thursday 30 June 2016
DTF: “Trust will cut excess NOx diesel emissions”
The $2.7
billion mitigation trust established through the settlement with Volkswagen AG will
reduce excess emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) according to Diesel
Technology Forum (DTF).
Cat pays for its EGR misdeeds
Caterpillar Inc. has agreed
to pay $60 million to settle claims about defects in its C13 and C15 heavy
commercial vehicle engines.
Wednesday 29 June 2016
VW settles over 2-litre diesel claims
Volkswagen AG has reached settlement
agreements with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the State of
California; the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC); and private plaintiffs
represented by the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (PSC) to resolve civil claims
regarding eligible Volkswagen and Audi 2-litre TDI diesel engine vehicles in
the US.
CGI offers boost for small diesels
Development of small-displacement diesel
engines using compacted graphite iron (CGI) and offering over 100 bhp/litre is
under way.
Saturday 25 June 2016
SMMT and EU referendum
The trade body for the UK
automotive sector, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has
reacted to the result in the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.
Friday 24 June 2016
CVT sales to reach 12 million - Torotrak
Torotrak Group claims sales of CVTs could
reach 12 million by 2020 and has designed a variator with a ratio spread of 12
for front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles to meet future demand. The design has
been proven up to 300kW.
Wednesday 22 June 2016
JLR to be self-sufficient in engines by 2020
The winner of the UK’s
Royal Academy of Engineering’s MacRobert Award will be announced tomorrow.
Tuesday 21 June 2016
US truck vertical integration set to grow
Last year, diesel
engines made up 98.5 per cent of the North American Class 8 vehicle market, but
this dominance is forecast to lessen by 2021, claims Americas Commercial
Transportation (ACT) Research and Rhein Associates.
Latest V12 rolls off the line at Niehl
The Aston Martin Engine
Plant (AMEP) in Cologne, Germany, has launched production of its latest engine,
a 5.2L twin-turbo unit for the DB11.
Knorr-Bremse strikes again – in the UK
Family-owned Knorr-Bremse
has made another acquisition, this time in the UK with GT Group, a business
aimed at reducing heavy-duty vehicle pollution.
Ford, McLaren back digital engineering
Ford Motor Company and
McLaren Automotive were among major companies supporting the launch of Digital
Engineering and Test Centre (DETC).
Friday 17 June 2016
Six drivers to guide BMW’s next 100 years
BMW has identified “six
focus areas” that comprise the Group’s view of the next 100 years – this assumes
the company is not the subject of an acquisition or financial failure.
Thursday 16 June 2016
GHG regs prompt new US engine report
Impending GHG
Phase Two regulations, growth of vertical integration and constant push for improved
engine efficiency have sparked a new report of the North American engine
activity.
Wednesday 15 June 2016
JLR opens new manufacturing facility in Brazil
As the UK hovers on
the brink of deciding either to Leave or Remain in the EU, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)
has opened its new R$750 million (£240 million) manufacturing facility in the
state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
US Class 8 truck sales in May plummet
Shock news from the US
suggests the economy is not too healthy as orders for heavy trucks in the
region plunged 30 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Tuesday 14 June 2016
Calsonic Kansei to open new UK R&D centre
Calsonic
Kansei, a supplier of heat exchange, air conditioning, exhaust, interior and
electronic automotive components, has created a new R&D centre at
Millbrook’s Bedfordshire-based Technology Park in the UK.
Thursday 9 June 2016
Navistar turns the corner – maybe
Troy Clarke's efforts
to turn round Navistar International Corporation
looks to be bearing fruit, but the new fruit may be short-lived.
Tuesday 7 June 2016
Euro truck makers set for heavy fines?
European truck makers
including Daimler AG, Volvo AB and Renault SA are said to face the biggest
cartel fine in EU history, according to London-based Financial Times.
Knorr-Bremse: from brakes into steering
Knorr-Bremse’s
acquisition of tedrive Steering Systems looks like an important strategic move
that will allow the family-owned business to expand into commercial vehicle
steering systems.
New law could affect JIT auto deliveries
Truck operators handling
containers could face additional delays at ports as from 1 July shippers will
be required to weigh and certify the contents of containers.
Wednesday 1 June 2016
UK connected driving trials next year
Trials could begin in
the UK next year on one of the world’s most advanced environments for connected
and autonomous driving.
Friday 27 May 2016
Former JLR manger jailed for ''road-rage' driving
Andrew Nay, former
venue manager at JguarLandRover (JLR) who left two young sisters paralysed
after a "road rage" crash in Northamptonshire, UK, has been jailed this
afternoon for four-and-a-half years.
Daimler invests €3 billion in new engines
Mercedes-Benz claims it is the first manufacturer to put diesel-engined
vehicles on the market that already fulfil the stricter emission limits planned
for the EU as of September 2017.
Wednesday 25 May 2016
BMW’s eAxle nod gives others the push
BMW is the industry
benchmark. It is every vendor’s aim to have BMW heading its reference list.
Saturday 21 May 2016
Study examines aluminium vs iron energy balance
The conclusions of a
Cranfield University project into the life cycle energy analysis of aluminium
versus cast iron, and its implications for the automotive industry, will be
published before the year end of 2016.
Citan gets six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Feeling pressure from
competitors such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz Vans has introduced dual-clutch
automatic transmission (DCT) versions of Citan.
Friday 13 May 2016
Cummins feels effects of vertical integration
Cummins Inc. has suffered
a first-quarter fall in sales which it attributes to weak industry orders and
higher dealer inventories.
Wednesday 11 May 2016
UK driverless cars set to get moving
In
the coming few months, eyes will be turned to the UK CITE project – a bid by
the UK government to fund autonomous vehicles as work by consortium partners
gathers momentum.
Tuesday 10 May 2016
G&W pushes for more CV engine work
Specialist UK-based
foundry expert Grainger & Worrall (G&W) is hoping it can attract
business from the commercial vehicle (CV) powertrain market following the purchase
of a second digital sand printer.
Millbrook test cells ready next month
Millbrook Group expects
its new engine test cells will be completed and ready for use by the end of
next month.
Saturday 7 May 2016
Nissan dumps UK production of Note
At
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK profit-per-car is all important in upholding the
plant’s financial performance.
Friday 29 April 2016
VW begins ‘dieselgate’ update modifications
Volkswagen’s passenger
car brand has begun technical modification of affected vehicles, beginning with
engine type EA 189.
TVR comes to the surface – but not completely
TVR says it will exhibit at the London Motor Show in Battersea Park on 5
to 8 May, 2016.
GM to invest $788.7 million in Spring Hill
General
Motors is to invest $788.7 million for an “all-new, high-efficiency engine”
programme, as well as projects to modernize various vehicle programmes at its
Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant.
Tuesday 26 April 2016
Turbocompounding spreads its wings to Mack
Turbocompounding,
developed by Volvo Powertrain, is finding more applications within the group as
Mack Trucks unveils its new product lineup for 2017.
Saturday 23 April 2016
VW remains resilient despite ‘Dieselgate’
In
spite of ‘Dieselgate’, Volkswagen Group’s sales for 2015 grew by 5.4 per cent
to €213.3 billion. However, due to high extraordinary charges, the Group recorded a
consolidated loss before and after tax of €1.3 billion and €1.4 billion,
respectively.
Friday 22 April 2016
VW reaches deal with US over ‘dieselgate’
Volkswagen AG has
reached an agreement in principle with the various US authorities including Department
of Justice (Environmental Division), the Environment Protection Agency (EPA),
and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with the full involvement of the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Thursday 21 April 2016
Mitsubishi falls on its sword
It is reaching a sad
point, indeed an indictment, when the “man in street” does not believe the
information given out by automobile manufacturers.
Torotrak shuns IVTs; focuses on KERS, V-Charge
Transmission
engineer Torotrak plc has put new focus on two of its three main technologies, namely KERS
and V-Charge.
Monday 18 April 2016
Cummins dips toe in plug-in hybrids
Cummins Inc. has won a $4.5 million grant from
the US Department of Energy (DofE) to develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in
hybrid electric vehicle that “can reduce fuel consumption by at least 50 per cent
over conventional Class 6 vehicles”.
Cummins and Komatsu forge deeper links
Cummins Inc. of the US
and Japan’s Komatsu Ltd. have deepened their connections through a global
corporate responsibility partnership to improve communities around the world.
Sunday 17 April 2016
VW sales hold as ‘dieselgate’ rumbles on
Volkswagen Group vehicle deliveries rose by 0.8
per cent in the first
quarter of 2016. The Group handed over 2.5 million vehicles to customers from
January to March 2016.
Saturday 16 April 2016
Mahindra set to make e2o in UK plant?
Is Mahindra set to
manufacture its e2o electric car in the UK, following in the footsteps of
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK with its LEAF electric car?
Wednesday 13 April 2016
Nexteer steers new path in Poland
Intuitive motion control specialist Nexteer Automotive has opened its
third manufacturing plant in Europe. Besides launching a new Technical Centre
in Tychy, Poland in mid-2016, Nexteer is looking tohire 100 engineers.
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Nissan scores all-time Euro sales high
Nissan’s
European sales in fiscal year 2015 (ending March 31st) reached 710,321 with Nissan sales in Western
Europe of 621,910, an increase of 9.4 per cent on 2014 levels and an all-time
high.
Monday 11 April 2016
5 Series reigns supreme – BMW
BMW claims that with over two million vehicles sold, the current 5
Series sets new benchmarks in the premium business segment.
Friday 8 April 2016
Stobart to trial KERS semi-trailer
Trailer
manufacturer SDC has developed a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
Curtainsider semitrailer designed to maximise operational efficiency.
JLR’s V6 and V8 on the way out – for SVO
Jaguar Special Vehicle
Operations (SVO) could be using in-line six-cylinder engines come 2017,
eventually dropping its V8 and V6 powertrains.
Thursday 7 April 2016
Ustian slammed by SEC in EGR cover-up
The
US Securities and Exchange Commission has said Navistar International
Corporation misled investors about the environmental compliance of its exhaust
gas recirculation, or EGR, method of reducing air pollution from its trucks.
JLR claims record 2015-16 year sales
JaguarLandRover, the ‘largest manufacturer in Britain’ has reported a
record-breaking month, quarter and financial year, with Jaguar just missing
topping 100,000 vehicles sold in 2015-16.
Sunday 3 April 2016
Is there a lesson to learn in steel?
Is there a lesson to be
learned from the turmoil now hitting the British steel industry of which Tata
Steel is at its heart?
Thursday 31 March 2016
Schaeffler gives new meaning to “hybrid”
German automotive and industrial parts supplier Schaeffler has developed
a new form of transport, a “bio hybrid” which it hails an “innovative
micro-mobility concept”.
Friday 25 March 2016
Achates gives opposed pistons a 2018 boost
Achates Power Inc. of San
Diego, California, has put a news story from Voice of America of 22 March 2016 on
its web site noting that the company, Delphi Automotive and Argonne National Laboratory
will have a three-cylinder opposed piston engine in operation by 2018 that is
"50 per cent more efficient compared to a downsized, turbocharged direct
injection gasoline engine, while reducing the overall cost of the powertrain
system”.
Thursday 24 March 2016
Nissan to invest £22 million in UK plant
An investment of
£22m investment is being made by Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMMUK) in its Washington,
UK facility in a bid to increase production of its Qashqai SUV, the company’s
best-selling model.
Volvo opts for turbocompounding
Volvo
Trucks North America has launched the group’s MY2017 engines offering customers
increased power, performance and fuel efficiency.
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Audi launches 'new' ‘hand-built R8 Spyder…
Audi claims the latest R8 Spyder with a naturally aspirated V10 power unit
returns “more technologically accomplished, more powerful and quicker against
the clock, even more tightly pinned to corners and even more composed on the
straights thanks to a 50 per cent improvement in torsional rigidity”.
As Jaguar is set to revive the XKSS
Anxious not to miss pout on any ‘high end’ sales that may be in
the offing, Jaguar is to build the XKSS as a £1 million ultra-exclusive continuation
model.
Tuesday 22 March 2016
TVR picks Wales as new production site
As expected, sports car maker TVR will follow the lead set by
Aston Martin and build its new car in a new
production facility located in Wales; in this case in the Ebbw Vale Enterprise
Zone in South Wales.
Monday 21 March 2016
Jeep Wrangler set for diesel and hybrid
The US automotive press is awash with speculation that Fiat Chrysler Automotive
(FCA) is planning to reconfigure its Toledo, Ohio, assembly complex next year
to build next-generation Jeep Wranglers.
Friday 18 March 2016
Aston Martin and Red Bull unite forces
When Dr. Andy Palmer, chief executive officer of Aston Martin, spoke
last May to the Manufacturing Forum at Cranfield University, outlining his next
century plan, he had a good idea of what was to come.
Thursday 17 March 2016
R&D consortium strives for ‘advanced diesels’
Ricardo is one of
some 16 organisations participating in Project REWARD to develop advanced diesel
engines beyond Euro6 for passenger cars and light commercials under 3,500kg, including a new two-stroke diesel for B/C segment cars.
Wednesday 16 March 2016
Daimler's van sales rise 9 per cent
Mercedes-Benz Vans, which has reported record sales, revenue and EBIT
figures for financial year 2015, delivered 321,000 vehicles, a rise of 9 per
cent compared with 295,000.
Tuesday 15 March 2016
GKN’s eAxle migrates to C-segment cars
GKN is attempting to increase its return on investment in hybrid
technology by pushing its technology to a wider C-segment OEM audience.
Thursday 10 March 2016
Audi lifts secrecy cloak around 4-litre TDI
Following our earlier posting, Audi has now decided to lift the cloak of secrecy that mysteriously surrounded the bore and stroke of its
new 4-litre TDI diesel engine.
Audi throws cloak of secrecy over 4-litre TDI
In an amazing move, of
which the KGB or the Mafia would be immensely proud, Audi has declined to
disclose the bore and stroke of its new 4-litre TDI diesel engine.
Monday 7 March 2016
Ford extends aluminium use in F-Series trucks
Ford loves aluminium -
especially when it comes to cutting weight from its F-Series trucks.
Shengrui moves to stop/start 8-speed auto ‘box
A new version of the Shengrui 8AT transmission
adds stop/start functionality to the capabilities of this eight-speed automatic
transmission, co-developed with Ricardo.
Audi adopts 48V electrical compressor for V8 TDI
Audi claims its ‘new’
4-litre V8 diesel engine makes the new SQ7 TDI “the most powerful diesel SUV on
the market”.
Monday 29 February 2016
VW’s US emission penalties gather momentum
More details have emerged of the additional penalties for Volkswagen AG (AIN, 23
February 2016) being mooted by different authorities in the United States, writes
Alan Bunting.
Thursday 25 February 2016
Aston Martin to build DBX in Wales from 2020
Cars have not been made in Wales, in the UK, since the days
of Gilbern Sports Cars Ltd., which built glass fibre cars in Pontypridd, Glamorgan
between 1959 and 1973. Former butcher Giles Smith and German engineer Bernard
Friese joined forces to found the company.
Tuesday 23 February 2016
VW to build electric cars in the US?
As Volkswagen
expands its powertrain options for the Up!, including an innovative electric
power unit, reports from the US suggest the German automaker may have to build
electric vehicles there to pacify regulators.
Wednesday 17 February 2016
GM rebrands its powertrain centres
General Motors is
rebranding GM Powertrain to GM Global Propulsion Systems.
Boost for Dagenham-made CGI engines
Output
of 3-litre V6 diesel engines at Ford’s Dagenham Engine Plant, UK topped 100,000
in 2015
Tuesday 16 February 2016
Ford set to build more cars in Mexico
By 2018 Ford will have shifted production
of its next-generation compact cars from its Wayne sited assembly plant in Michigan
to Mexico in the next couple of years.
UK metrology gains new centre
The importance of metrology in manufacturing, but especially in Formula
1, is evidenced by a new metrology centre that will open shortly at the
technology park at Silverstone in the UK.
Monday 15 February 2016
Mercedes-Benz launches all-ally 4-cylinder diesel
Mercedes-Benz has joined the ranks
of JaguarLandRover and others with its OM 654, its first all-aluminium four-cylinder diesel engine which it says marks the debut of a “ground-breaking” family.
Sunday 14 February 2016
Achates spends $125 million on new two-stroke
An
executive of Achates Power Inc. has revealed the company has invested $125 million
developing a new two-stroke engine that uses compacted graphite iron (CGI) for its highly-stressed cylinder block.
Saturday 13 February 2016
Will new Ampera really be a ‘game-changer’?
It
will be interesting to see if the GM/Opel Ampera-e is as “game-changing” as the
company claims it will be when it is launched next year.
Wednesday 10 February 2016
Could Paccar build a 15-litre truck diesel?
Is it possible that Paccar
Inc. will develop a 15-litre heavy-duty truck diesel engine for the North
American market, one that can match Cummins' ISX15?
Monday 8 February 2016
Volkswagen considers IPO for trucks division
Volkswagen AG is
considering setting up an IPO for its international trucks division in a bid to
counter Daimler Trucks and Volvo Trucks.
5,000 jobs ‘vacant’ in UK auto industry?
Up to 5,000 job
vacancies in the UK automotive industry could be vacant due to a
skills shortage affecting the sector, according to the Automotive
Council.
Friday 5 February 2016
Daimler set to top 3 million vehicle sales in 2016
In 2016 Daimler AG expects
to continue its growth and improve on its return on sales. Last year, when Daimler sold Atlantic Foundries (Pty), return on sales increased across all products.