Musk halts Tesla Mexico gigafactory until after US election Tesla has paused its plans to build a new gigafactory in Mexico until after the US presidential election in November, as Donald Trump has pledged to impose a 100% tariff on vehicles made in Mexico. Megan Kelly
Toyota to build EV battery plant for Lexus in Japanese island Toyota Motor is planning to build an EV battery plant for its Lexus brand in the Japanese island of Kyushu, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei. Megan Kelly
UK car production drops 8% in first half of 2024 Car production in the first six months of 2024 has dropped by 7.6%, according to new figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Megan Kelly
Global IT outage affects Mercedes-Benz production The global IT outage that hit industries across the world today has affected automotive manufacturing across the world, causing problems for the automotive manufacturing industry globally. Megan Kelly
GM, Stellantis and Volvo Group to gain $1.7 billion in EV grants The US federal government is set to contribute $1.7 billion in grants to GM, Stellantis, Volvo Group and more to support increased EV production. Megan Kelly
ACC halts construction of two European gigafactories Automotive Cells Company (ACC), with its shareholders Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies subsidiary Saft, has halted the construction of two of its three planned European gigafactories. Megan Kelly
Volkswagen announces new affordable European EV Volkswagen Group has announced that it will make all-electric entry-level mobility widespread across Europe, with affordable EVs made in the continent, for the European market. Megan Kelly
Exclusive: BMW Group improves efficiency with additive manufacturing gripper BMW Group has improved the speed, versatility and sustainability of its manufacturing and cut costs by using 3D-printed bionic robot grippers. Automotive Manufacturing Solutions reports on the latest innovations from the BMW Group Additive Manufacturing Campus and manufacturing plant in Munich. Megan Kelly
How Mercedes-Benz and Seat are transforming their plants Michael Bauer, regional head of production at Mercedes-Benz and Jose Arreche, plant manager at Seat emphasised the importance of data and digitalisation in the transformation of their plants at the Automobil Produktion Kongress 2024, but stressed the evolving role that people will play in production. Timo Gilgen
Balancing digitalisation with production output The focus of the Automobil Produktion Kongress 2024 was on sustainable, efficient and digital production methods. Industry experts from car manufacturers and suppliers discussed the future of smart production. Werner Beutnagel
Bosch Ventures invests in battery recycling startups Bosch Group’s venture capital unit, Bosch Ventures, has made significant investments in Cylib and Li Industries, two battery recycling startups. Megan Kelly
Toyota Motor Europe shuffles manufacturing leadership Toyota Motor Europe has made a series of changes to its manufacturing team leadership, including appointing a new vice-president. Megan Kelly
Tesla’s Berlin factory set to restart production after arson attack Tesla’s gigafactory in Grünheide, in Berlin, Germany is set to regain power from as early as today, allowing it to restart production, having been shut down for the past week following a suspected arson attack. Megan Kelly
GM appoints ex-Tesla executive to new VP of batteries role GM has appointed Kurt Kelty, a battery expert and former Tesla executive, to its new role of vice-president of batteries, in a move that aims to help the carmaker become a leader in EV manufacturing. Megan Kelly
ACC raises €4.4 billion for three gigafactories in Europe Automotive Cells Company (ACC), with its shareholders Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, has raised €4.4 billion ($4.7 bn) in debt funding for the construction of three gigafactories in Germany, Italy and France. Megan Kelly
Porsche plant in Leipzig wins Factory of the Year The Porsche factory in Leipzig, germany has won the ‘Factory of the Year’ award, presented by consulting firm Kearney and Automobil Produktion, a sister publication of AMS. AMS
Porsche launches all-electric Macan Porsche has revealed its first native all-electric model, the Macan SUV, using the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). Megan Kelly
How Farasis will bridge the EV battery gap in Europe The Chinese battery manufacturer’s new European general manager, Marcel Brömlage, will lead an evolving strategy in the region including increasing engineering and acquisition capabilities, and targeting automotive as well as non-automotive customers to support the growth strategy for the Siro joint venture and Farasis group. Christopher Ludwig
Rising labour costs become biggest concern for automotive manufacturing Rising labour costs and skills shortages are the biggest concern for the automotive manufacturing industry this year, according to the latest AMS & ABB Automotive Manufacturing Outlook Survey 2023. AMS
Skoda Kvasiny to become electromobility powerhouse Head of Skoda Kvasiny plant, Miloš Halbich, talks to Mike Nash about recent socioeconomic challenges, fluctuating markets and how the facility is a “crucial pillar” in the company’s global production network Michael Nash
