BMW – Page 9
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ArticleGaining PACE!
Groupe PSA’s acquisition of GM’s loss-making European operations raised a few eyebrows. Ian Henry looks at the plan to turn around the Opel/Vauxhall brandsAfter several months of due diligence, the deal was completed on August 1, 2017. Come early November, a new strategy, PACE!, was announced. Having been making a ...
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ArticleAAM builds new powertrain plant
Spain - American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) has started construction of a new 15,000 sq.m facility in Viladecans - a town located 20km southwest of Barcelona. The company says it will house the production of powertrain components for several car makers, such as Renault, BMW, Daimler, Porsche, Audi and Ford.“As ...
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ArticleNEVS builds factory in Shanghai
China - The Swedish EV maker has started construction of a new car factory in Shanghai. It will be a copy of the plant that was recently completed in Tianjin - a city situated an hour south of the capital Beijing.Both these plants will have an annual production capacity of ...
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ArticleDiesel – is the final curtain about to fall?
Car companies across Europe are facing a serious problem with their diesel line-ups; whether it is the loss of consumer confidence following the VW crisis, or a rising environmental awareness among consumers, coupled with evident official policy moving against diesel, barely a week goes by without reports of declining diesel ...
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ArticleBMW Brilliance boosts battery output
China - Just months after opening the facility, the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture has announced an expansion to its battery plant in Shenyang. New batteries for the BMW iX3, which is set for launch in 2020, will be made here."Today, we break ground for the next stage of ...
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ArticleA global future
Now Chinese-owned Volvo enters its tenth decade looking stronger than ever. Ian Henry reportsFord had owned Swedish carmaker since 1999, but had never been able to integrate it into the rest of its operations. Nonetheless, when Geely bought Volvo it found a company full of new ideas and plans which ...
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ArticleBMW starts Leipzig extension
Germany - The OEM revealed its intension to expand the plant back in July 2017. It originally said the cost would total around €200m (US$234.82m), but has revised that figure to €300m.Construction work has started to extend and update both the bodyshop and paintshop. 500 new robots are being ...
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ArticleForeign policy friction
Tariffs on steel imports, NAFTA renegotiation and the return to sanctions on Iran have been at the centre of recent policy actions by the US president; the implications for the auto industry are potentially severe but how things will develop are far from clear.The decision to impose tariffs on steel ...
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ArticleBMW shuffles production personal
Germany - Robert Engelhorn is set to take over as director of the OEM's plant in Munich. Previously head of the technology and production division at the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture in China, Engelhorn will succeed Milan Nedeljkovic, who is assuming management responsibility for the corporate quality division.Daniel ...
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ArticleOut now: Electric Vehicles 2018
As governments and vehicle-makers turn away from combustion engines, the time for EVs is nowIn this era of stricter regulations, commitment to the environment and energetic competition, alternatively-powered vehicles are central to every OEMs production strategy. While the take up of electrified vehicles over the past two decades has endured ...
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ArticleSmarter EV production
As it launches ‘electric intelligence’ models, Mercedes-Benz is also adapting its factories for flexible productionAt first there was some confusion over what Mercedes-Benz meant when it announced that it was creating an ‘EQ’ division. Was it to be a line-up of cars which would directly challenge BMW’s i models, as ...
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ArticleIntegrating i vehicles
Separate production lines are used to build conventionally powered vehicles and the electrified i models at BMW Leipzig, but this could soon changeA gulf remains between electric vehicles (EVs)and those that are powered solely by internal combustion engines (ICEs). This is evident in consumer demand, in range, in cost and ...
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ArticleGreat Wall Motors builds new plant
China - The OEM has started constructing a new manufacturing base in Yongchuan, Chongqing. It is costing 4.5 billion yuan (US$710m) and is expected to be completed before the end of 2019."For this project, Great Wall Motors (GWM) will run at a higher and newer starting point," commented the company's ...
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ArticleDriving the EV revolution
Behind the scenes, suppliers are hard at work developing a range of innovative technologies that are underpinning the race toward electrification GKN unveiled the eTwinsterX at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor ShowNew electrified concept cars are flooding motor shows, with OEMs looking to deliver on their promises to offer a certain ...
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ArticleA bigger bet on BEVs
Most famous for its hybrids, especially the Prius, Toyota is now widening its focus to battery-electric vehiclesUntil relatively recently, Toyota positioned battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as a niche solution for short-range urban mobility. This stance led directly to the launch of models like the i-Road, an ultra-compact electric commuter vehicle, ...
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ArticleNew kids on the block
Many promising start-ups are looking to crack the electric vehicle segmentOf all the disrupting forces threatening to unseat established automakers, the rise of electric power could be first to strike. After all, this is a proven technology that can be swiftly adapted, engineered and marketed by any start-up company with ...
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ArticleThe case for carbon fibre
The launch of the i3 has changed the conversation about the future application of carbon fibre in vehicle structures