Iran: US' fresh tariff threats throw global production into turmoil Trump's 25% levies on countries trading with Tehran risk fragmenting production strategies across China, Turkey and India, forcing manufacturers to reconsider investment decisions and factory locations whilst navigating unprecedented policy uncertainty. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Greenland: Trump's unprecedented tariff play shakes EU automotive production President Trump's demand that Denmark sell Greenland has triggered threats of escalating tariffs on eight European nations, sending automotive shares plummeting and forcing manufacturers to confront yet another layer of trade uncertainty. Ilkhan Ozsevim
The Assembly Line is no longer linear - and that changes everything Modular cells, intelligent sequencing and collaborative robots are transforming automotive production from rigid choreography into adaptable orchestration Ilkhan Ozsevim
GM takes $6bn blow, lays off 1,200 workers as battery ambitions meet reality Detroit automaker records massive writedown on electric vehicle investments as it recalibrates production capacity amid weakening demand and policy shifts, with majority of costs tied to supplier settlements Ilkhan Ozsevim
JLR deploys drones to slash inspection times by 95% Jaguar Land Rover's drone pilot at its Wolverhampton electric propulsion plant cuts four-hour equipment checks to 10 minutes, transforming maintenance protocols whilst training engineers in digital technologies for future factories. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Why Catena-X is becoming critical to automotive production Once voluntary, Catena-X is fast becoming essential infrastructure for automotive manufacturing, enabling earlier fault detection, precise sustainability reporting and resilient production through sovereign, standardised data exchange across OEMs and suppliers. Ilkhan Ozsevim
2026 and the knowledge capture race reshaping auto production As 2026 unfolds, automotive manufacturing confronts an urgent paradox. Veteran technicians retire in waves whilst electrification demands new skills. The industry's response transforms institutional memory into digital intelligence before time runs out. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Hongqi moves solid-state batteries from lab to trial production Hongqi has produced its first all-solid-state battery packs in a controlled manufacturing environment, marking a shift from experimental development to industrial validation. Ilkhan Ozsevim
2025: The year the factory floor outpaced the C-suite The year 2025 delivered an uncomfortable truth for automotive production. Success belonged not to those with the most sophisticated digital architecture but to manufacturers willing to deploy pragmatic solutions at speed. Ilkhan Ozsevim
AMS Talks 2025-2026: The Human & The Machine in Carmaking In our final livestream of 2025, we explored how automotive manufacturers are abandoning top-down digitalisation for agile, shop-floor solutions. What we discovered across factory visits is striking: transforming brownfield sites into EV hubs succeeds only when you empower people, not just deploy technology. What awaits in 2026? Ilkhan Ozsevim
Ford pivots factories from pure EVs to hybrid future The American manufacturer is repurposing its Tennessee and Ohio plants to produce trucks and vans with internal combustion and hybrid powertrains whilst launching a battery storage venture, marking a decisive retreat from EV-only production Ilkhan Ozsevim
Ford-Renault Alliance: Ampere Platform to Power New European EVs The landmark manufacturing alliance between Ford and Renault Group not only anchors Ford’s passenger car revival in Europe but also provides a major boost to Renault’s Ampere electric vehicle strategy by allowing the French OEM to fully utilise its EV production capacity and plants in Northern France. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Rockwell's Stephen Heirene on bringing future mobility to factory floor training Rockwell Automation's Stephen Heirene explains how the company is helping automotive manufacturers bridge the gap between legacy systems and digital transformation through training academies that prepare engineers for the realities of modern production. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Magna builds biomaterial roadmap for net-zero transition The Canadian tier-one supplier is deploying digital twins, AI-powered optimisation and supplier data platforms to accelerate its shift towards bio-based polyurethanes, natural fibres and closed-loop aluminium recycling. Ilkhan Ozsevim
BMW shifts leadership as Mexico plant enters new phase Klaus von Moltke moves from Steyr to lead BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant, signalling a new phase in the site’s global role. The transition follows major progress in Steyr’s electric drive and hydrogen programmes and marks Harald Gottsche’s return to Austria as plant director. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Great Wall Motor eyes 300,000-unit European plant by 2029 Great Wall Motor is exploring its first European plant, likely in Spain or Hungary, aiming for 300,000 vehicles a year by 2029 to revive its regional sales. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Battery manufacturing engineers return to Hyundai-LG site in bitter epilogue Hyundai-LG's $7.6bn Georgia battery plant sees detained workers return amid lawsuits Ilkhan Ozsevim
Stellantis poised for Saudi assembly in localisation drive Kingdom courts Stellantis for full vehicle manufacturing to accelerate Vision 2030 industrial goals Ilkhan Ozsevim
Hyundai's agile Software-Defined Factory blueprint goes global Hyundai Motor Company accelerates software-defined factory rollout, transferring 60% of Singapore HMGICS innovations to Georgia's HMGMA metaplant. AI-orchestrated cell production enables 10-model flexibility in weeks, delivering unmatched manufacturing agility as EV demand fluctuates and supply chains realign. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Toyota stakes $912m on hybrid surge with five-plant expansion Japanese automaker allocates capital across component casting, engine assembly and vehicle production facilities in response to electrified vehicle demand approaching 50% of total US sales, marking significant shift in manufacturing strategy Ilkhan Ozsevim
Inside Palmela: How VW transformed a 30-year-old factory for net zero From geothermal networks to electrified paintshops and closed-loop metal recycling, Volkswagen's Palmela plant demonstrates how legacy factories can achieve significant decarbonisation—while confronting hard truths about polymer contamination and circularity limits. Ilkhan Ozsevim
VW-Rivian venture accelerates software ambitions A year into their joint venture, Volkswagen and Rivian have assembled a 1,500-strong engineering team working on next-generation vehicle architecture. Winter testing for reference vehicles begins next quarter as the partnership targets 30 million units. Ilkhan Ozsevim
BASF bets on automation to dominate high-volume coatings The German chemical giant has commissioned a heavily automated plant in Muenster designed to produce popular automotive paint colours at scale, banking on process stability and renewable energy to capture market share. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Nexperia turns: Beijing lifts ban following Trump-Xi summit deal China has reversed export restrictions on critical automotive semiconductors following diplomatic intervention at the highest levels, though European manufacturers remain cautious about the speed and scope of the resumption. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Hyundai opens Georgia's first EV training facility An 89,000-square-foot facility in Bryan County will train 824 workers simultaneously for electric and hybrid vehicle production, using simulation lines and high-voltage labs to prepare employees for Hyundai's advanced manufacturing processes. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Nissan-Mercedes JV shuts Mexican plant amid tariff storm The COMPAS facility in Aguascalientes will close in May 2026, ending a decade-long partnership between two automotive giants as trade pressures and Nissan's financial crisis reshape North American manufacturing. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Smart Factories need smarter people As automotive manufacturers accelerate digital transformation, the industry faces a fundamental reckoning about workforce development. Four industry leaders reveal how they are reshaping roles, building skills and bridging the gap between automation ambitions and human capability. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Intelligent automation rewrites the rules of vehicle production Carmakers bet on humanoid robots and AI-driven systems to solve labour crises and accelerate output. The catch: success depends less on silicon than on skilful change management. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Global vehicle production faces sharpest decline in 5 years Tariff exposure crushes margins, aluminium shortages halt F-150 lines, and BEV strategies unravel. Industry faces steepest production decline in five years as 78 million unit forecast reveals manufacturers misjudged policy, supply and demand dynamics. Ilkhan Ozsevim
JLR Cyberattack: UK's costliest ($2.5bn) breach further exposes production fragility Independent analysts say the attack on Jaguar Land Rover has caused unprecedented damage to Britain's automotive sector, with recovery not expected until early 2026 as supply chain impacts deepen across 5,000 tier suppliers and companies. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Amazon's AWS outage exposes automotive production's digital vulnerability Amazon's 15-hour AWS outage affected billions in transactions globally. With major OEMs running production systems on the same infrastructure, the incident raises urgent questions about automotive manufacturing's digital resilience. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Leapmotor's LFP-powered B10 exposes European EV deficits Chinese EV maker Leapmotor is disrupting Europe's compact SUV segment with aggressive pricing and imminent local production at Stellantis facilities in Spain, threatening incumbents with tighter margin management. Ilkhan Ozsevim
