Honda’s $1bn redevelopment of its Ohio plants sets a global precedent in integrating EV, hybrid and ICE production with smart manufacturing and supplier transformation. Honda North America’s upgraded Ohio operations will be its template for flexible production of ICE, hybrid and electric vehicles on a single line. Project lead Mike Fischer speaks to AMS about the goals, planning and execution behind this major production shift. Nick Holt
Honda North America’s big investment in flexible manufacturing for EVs, hybrid and ICE vehicles Honda invests $1 billion in retooling its Ohio manufacturing plants to build ICE, hybrid, and EV models on same production line. New technologies being introduced include megacasting, CDC and friction stir welding. Nick Holt
Skoda’s Andreas Dick on driving flexible manufacturing, digitisation and the role of AI in transforming automotive production for future competitiveness Two measures are at the top of Skoda’s new production boss, Andreas Dick’s, to-do list: digitalisation and flexibility. In the interview, he also reveals what impact the weak demand for electric cars has on his area of responsibility. Yannick Tiedemann
Gestamp’s Paul Belanger on reducing EV production costs with giga-stamping and cross-functional collaboration At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Paul Belanger, Director of R&D North America at Gestamp, shared how giga-stamping and customer collaboration are helping reduce production costs, making affordable EVs a realistic goal for the North American market. Christopher Ludwig
Automotive leaders discuss strategies to bring electric vehicles within reach of the masses through cost-cutting, advanced technologies, and new approaches in North American manufacturing At the AMS Evolution North America Conference, Ford and Gestamp leaders outlined strategies to slash production costs, tackle supply chain hurdles, and enhance manufacturing efficiency, laying out the groundwork for affordable EVs that meet consumer demand Ilkhan Ozsevim
Stellantis turns to AI tools and fast deployment to cut production costs and launch times Stellantis chief manufacturing officer Arnaud Deboeuf reveals technologies across automation, factory planning and lineside logistics that reduce transition costs and time to market. Nick Holt Christopher Ludwig
GM secures ex-Tesla gigacasting specialist Tooling & Equipment International (TEI) with the acquisition signalling a potentially ambitious production pivot and push into untapped market segment General Motors’ acquisition of gigacasting expert Tooling & Equipment International (TEI) could signal a significant change in its EV manufacturing. With Tesla in focus, GM may be aiming to reshape its production landscape and vie for market share. Ilkhan Ozsevim
