Automotive suppliers and producers confront existential crisis: mass layoffs and plummeting electric vehicle investments threaten European manufacturing Major automotive suppliers including Bosch and Continental announce massive workforce reductions as electric vehicle market challenges intensify European manufacturing sector’s most significant restructuring in decades. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Automotive OEMs and suppliers look to continued development of smart factories and the deployment of digital tools to optimise production operations The concept of the smart factory offers highly efficient, optimised production operations. Ford, ZF and PPG reveal how they are working to realise this potential. AMS
ZF’s Fernando Bera on prioritising real-time data and people-centric strategies for smart factory success At the AMS Automotive Evolution NA 2024 event, Fernando Bera, Engineering Supervisor and Smart Factory Coordinator at ZF, outlined how real-time data and a people-focused approach are driving efficiency and quality improvements, shaping the company’s smart factory transformation. Nick Holt
AMS Automotive Evolution: Reducing costs, fast-tracking development, embracing change The AMS Automotive Evolution conference in Detroit brought together leading car makers and tier suppliers to discuss managing production operations as the EV transition continues. AMS Editor Nick Holt shares some takeaways from the event. Nick Holt
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
ZF’s Arno Güllering on smart factory innovations and navigating volatility AMS’ chief content officer Christopher Ludwig spoke to Arno Güllering, senior vice president, Operations – Electrified Powertrain Technology division at ZF at the Automobil Produktion Kongress 2024 at Munich to discuss the roadmap for navigating industry challenges and embracing the digital future. AMS
ZF unveils automotive tech facility in Monterrey, Mexico, focused on fusing engineering, design and product development ZF’s $200m investment will establish one of the most advanced automotive complexes in Mexico and will focusing on driving automotive developments through collaboration Ilkhan Ozsevim
Foxconn partners with ZF to expand chassis manufacturing and development The companies will form a joint venture to grow chassis business for both ICE and EVs, leveraging ZF’s production knowhow and Foxconn’s reach in fast-growing markets in Asia. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Audi leads manufacturing skills transformation as it launches first EV from Ingolstadt plant Audi’s launch of the all-electric Q6 e-tron series has catalysed a major reskilling project, as the shift to e-mobility is demanding skills development. Other manufacturers, such as ZF, have also been cultivating internal talent. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Volta Trucks partners with ZF Commercial Vehicle Solutions for core systems for its all-electric urban delivery truck Scandinavian electric vehicle OEM, Volta Trucks, partners with ZF Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) to leverage their expertise and tech, accelerating the advancement of the Volta Zero—a fully electric 16-tonne truck designed for urban deliveries Ilkhan Ozsevim
AMS Automotive Evolution Europe – a review from Munich 2022 The first AMS Evolution Europe Summit explored how the region’s automotive industry is transitioning away from internal combustion engine vehicles, with experts from BMW, Audi, ZF CATL and more discussing speeding time to market, greater agility in production, factory conversion and boosting battery cell manufacturing in the region Michael Nash
Welcome to Automotive Evolution Europe 2022! The 1st Automotive Evolution Europe took place December 6-7 in Munich. We welcomed colleagues and industry peers before the conference at the SZ Tower’s Panorama Lounge followed by a full day of back-to-back discussions with leading experts across Europe and more. Christopher Ludwig
Tier-1 transformation: fast-changing production for automotive suppliers Arno Güllering at ZF and Stephen C. Nunn at Hardinge joined the sixth panel at Automotive Evolution Europe to discuss how to better understand what electrification means for tier-1 suppliers. Christopher Ludwig
BMW opens digital upskilling, future technologies training centre at Spartanburg Automakers and component suppliers are increasingly turning to internal training to match skills to the rapid pace of automotive’s digital and electric transition. Peter Murphy
Watch: How ZF is empowering people in the transition to producing electrified powertrains ZF’s Arno Güllering reveals how the tier-1 is upskilling and motivating its workforce in the transition from producing ICE to electrified powertrains. Christopher Ludwig
Digital adrenaline – ZF seeks to turn fear of transformation into fervor Arno Güllering, who leads ZF electrified powertrain operations across 26 plants globally, will tell the AMS Evolution Summit (May 17-19) how the company is building employee buy-in to the transformative changes it is implementing. Peter Murphy Christopher Ludwig
Every production challenge has a cloud solution at ZF Chief digital officer René Deist tells the AMS Evolution Summit how the global tier one supplier is using the cloud to transform manufacturing and better leverage data analytics and artificial intelligence AMS
Day 1 wrap up: now that was electrifying! After the first half of the AMS Evolution Summit, it is clear that digitalisation, electrification and sustainability are converging in automotive production AMS
Global suppliers need modularity and flexibility in the EV age Electric vehicles bring with them high development costs and large expenses for retooling plants. To get around that, OEMs and tier suppliers must work together to develop flexible, modular production systems, according to panellists from ZF and ABB at last week’s AMS Livestream on electrification. Illya Verpraet
Watch: Automotive suppliers charging ahead – Electrifying Production Series (Pt.1) In the first part of our Electrifying Production Livestream series, AMS explores how vehicle electrification is changing major tier-1 suppliers’ manufacturing engineering and design, plant equipment and manufacturing strategies. Featuring experts from automotive suppliers and production specialists including Gestamp and ZF, Henkel and ABB. AMS
Carmakers pledge to switch to all-electric vehicles The wave of electrification is slowly turning into a tsunami, in Europe at least. Illya Verpraet takes a look at some of the big manufacturing plans in 2021 Illya Verpraet
Powertrain to the people As the automotive industry rapidly electrifies, powertrain suppliers have to adapt, but Illya Verpraet finds out that ZF is on board with the transition, enjoying more freedom in both engineering and manufacturing Illya Verpraet
Your webinar questions answered: How tier 1 suppliers are responding to tough headwinds You asked, we answer. We return to the questions from our audience that we didn’t have time to answer in our live webinar, ranging from which parts of automotive tier 1 suppliers’ business models are at risk of commodification, to how tier suppliers are changing manufacturing processes Daniel Harrison Christopher Ludwig
Tearing profits apart: how tier 1 automotive suppliers can mitigate shrinking margins The latest report by Automotive from Ultima Media examines the profits and outlook for the top 20 automotive parts suppliers and explores the strategies and solutions they should consider to avoid significant disruption in the 2020s. Automotive from Ultima Media
Tier Supplier Profit Analysis: Mitigating Margin Compression and Manufacturing Costs Automotive tier 1 suppliers are facing unprecedented industry transformation in electrification along with economic uncertainty. Download this report on the top 20 global suppliers for a deep analysis of their historic margins, as well as solutions for how suppliers could cope with growing pressures and changes in manufacturing across the supply base Automotive from Ultima Media
