Automotive

UPS to Spend $130M on New Natural Gas Vehicles, Fueling Stations

June 20, 2018

Package delivery company UPS on Tuesday said it will invest $130m to buy 730 compressed natural gas vehicles and build five more domestic CNG fueling stations as the industry moves to shift from petroleum-burning vehicles to those that use less-polluting alternative fuels.

Why Is Tesla Fighting a Rule That Would Force Electric-Car Manufacturers to Treat Their Workers Well?

June 19, 2018

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times

A new California rule saying that state rebates for electric cars can go only to manufacturers certified as being “fair and responsible” in their treatment of workers has put Tesla, the state’s only major EV maker, in a tough position.

Automotive Supply Chain Disruptions Are Up 30 Percent, Report Shows

June 14, 2018

Supply Management

The global automotive industry saw a “significant rise” in supply chain disruptions in 2017 compared to the previous year, a report has said.

Inside Tesla’s Model 3 Factory

June 14, 2018

Bloomberg

On the Model 3 body line on a Tuesday afternoon in early June, everything is still. Tesla Inc. is just coming off a week of downtime during which workers added a new production line, improved ventilation after a fire in the paint shop, and overhauled machines across the factory. But even after the changes, there are kinks to work out.

Opinion: When Factories Have a Choice Between Robots and People, It's Best to Start With People

June 13, 2018

Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Forbes contributor

It’s lazy to think that a manufacturing process is better just because it’s automated. While the effort going on right now at the Tesla factory in Fremont is anything but lazy, it brings into the spotlight one of the core problems with the simplistic “automation for automation’s sake” strategy: processes that aren’t stable to begin with cannot be made stable with robots.

Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels

June 13, 2018

The New York Times

On a smoggy afternoon in Jinan, China, huge log carriers and oil tankers thundered down a highway and hurtled around a curve at the bottom of a hill. Only a single, unreinforced guardrail stood between the traffic and a ravine.

One Day, Your Car Could Run on Fumes — From Power Plants

June 12, 2018

Industryweek

A Canadian startup is testing a system that sucks carbon dioxide from the air and converts it into fuel for cars and other vehicles.

U.S. Gig Economy: Data Shows 16M People in 'Contingent or Alternative' Work

June 11, 2018

The Guardian

How big is the “gig economy”? Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gave the first official reading of how many Americans rely on temporary work, freelancing, and on-demand apps to make ends meet. And the answer is: a lot.

There Now Are More Job Openings in the U.S. Than Unemployed Workers to Fill Them

June 7, 2018

Los Angeles Times

The labor market has hit a tipping point that should help boost wages: There are more job openings in the U.S. than unemployed workers to fill them.

Truck Orders Soaring on Growing Freight Demand

June 7, 2018

The Wall Street Journal

The market for new heavy-duty trucks is growing at a nearly unprecedented pace this year as fleet owners and big-rig manufacturers race to keep up with accelerating U.S. freight demand.

Automotive

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the automotive industry — which consists of companies that produce automobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and heavy trucks. Learn how automotive companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.