Asia News
ABB to provide robots for SAIC VW
China - ABB has signed an agreement with SAIC Volkswagen to provide robotics painting solutions for a new factory being built in Shanghai. The plant will become the first new energy vehicle (NEV) factory of the VW Group based on the modular electric drive (MEB) platform.
Dongfeng Maxion to build wheel plant
China - Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group has formed a new joint venture company with Maxion Wheels - a division of the Brazilian wheel and structural component manufacturer Iochpe Maxion. The new company is called Dongfeng Maxion Wheels, and will look to serve the global market.
Working from home
Ian Henry looks at how Japan’s OEMs are faring in their native land as they intensify supply to their own domestic market
Scania sets sights on Thailand
Thailand - Scania has opened a new assembly facility for truck cabs, truck chassis and bus chassis in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone, Thailand. The Swedish OEM says that the move is an important part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the region.
Tesla starts building China factory
Tesla unveiled plans to build a factory in China back in 2014. The EV maker has now taken its first step to construct the facility after breaking ground on the site in Shanghai.
Asia’s other powerhouse
Already a dynamic and rapidly growing manufacturing hub, South-East Asia’s automotive industry is finding further opportunity in the growth of battery and hybrid vehicle production
New chapter, different story?
International expansion continues but, as Ian Henry reports, Audi’s long-term role within the VW Group is now under scrutiny
High performance for next-gen at NIO
Lightweighting, multi-metal compatibility and a focus on aluminium substrates is how thin-film, pretreatment technologies fulfil the requirements for NIO’s next generation of electric vehicles
Paint technology and investments
We report on the new technology, techniques and investments in the world of paintshop being implemented by vehicle-makers around the world…
Unease in the East
Falling sales, electrification and mega mergers: Nick Gibbs provides an overview of the current automotive industry trends in China
Power from plastics
James Bakewell speaks to thermoset plastics specialists Pieter Vanderstraeten and Hendrik De Keyser about the increasing scope for composite powertrain components
Academic circles
Mike Farish visits Oxford-based start-up YASA, a special electric motor company sprung from academia that’s now attracting the attention of premium OEMs
Piecing it all together
Ian Henry identifies six themes from the moves, mergers and makeovers underway in the global automotive tier supply sector
Toyota makes hybrid transaxles
Poland - The OEM has started production of its hybrid electric transaxles at its plant in Wałbrzych, situated in the south west of the country. They will be fitted to the new Corolla Hybrid, which is being built at Toyota's Burnaston factory in the UK, and the C-HR Hybrid, which ...
Daimler hits milestone in India
India - Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), which is part of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), has made 100,000 vehicles at its plant in Oragadam - an industrial town located near Chennai on the south east coast. The news comes just two years after the facility hit the ...
Slim nozzle torch body
Its new torch body for robotic welding devices features the MTB 350’s gas nozzle, which has a diameter that is 20% smaller than conventional torches, claims Fronius. The 20mm nozzle allows the welding torch to reach the interface more easily when working with challenging component geometries, and offers a high ...
A European focus
The third edition of the French automotive forum offered insights into the region’s production footprint and OEM e-mobility strategies. Nick Holt reports
Expanding and restructuring
As the move to electrified and autonomous vehicles accelerates, Toyota is expanding in both technology areas and restructuring its operations. Ian Henry reports
Eberspaecher and Yuchai build plant
China - The two companies have announced the formation of a joint venture (JV) to produce and sell exhaust emission control systems for commercial vehicles. These will be made at a new plant in Yulin, which is located in southern China.