Automotive

China Wants to Enter the U.S. Car Market, but a Rough Road Lies Ahead

February 12, 2018

Germany was first. It shipped the Volkswagen Beetle to the United States in 1949. It got off to a slow start only to be embraced by an enthusiastic American public.

At Tesla’s Factory, Building the Car of the Future Has Painful and Permanent Consequences for Workers

February 12, 2018

BuzzFeed News

Tesla wants to change the world by selling eco-friendly electric vehicles to the masses. But some of the workers laboring to build that dream have been hurt along the way.

Robot Delivery Vans Are Arriving Before Self-Driving Cars

February 9, 2018

Bloomberg

The future of driverless driving looks like a giant toaster with a funny hat.

How Supply Chain Finance Can Fund the Future of Automotive

February 8, 2018

SupplyChainBrain

The future of the automotive industry has arrived. Electric vehicles and autonomous driving are fundamentally changing the business models and supply chains of automotive OEMs – and that’s putting many automotive companies in a tough position. How can they profitably meet the demands of today’s consumers while investing heavily in the innovations that will sustain them tomorrow? -Tom Roberts, SVP Global Marketing, PrimeRevenue

Innovative Products Redefine Transportation, But They Require New Processes and Efficiencies

February 7, 2018

SupplyChainBrain

The automotive industry is on the brink of change with technology driving the shift, shaped by consumer demand, government regulations and environmental pressures. The rise of autonomous cars, electric vehicles and connected automobiles has forced suppliers to produce more high-tech, expensive parts. Businesses that supply these parts, along with the automakers themselves will need to find ways to keep costs down by improving their manufacturing and distribution operations. -Brian C. Neuwirth, VP of Sales and Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing

German Automakers Are Berated Over Tests on Monkeys and Humans

January 31, 2018

Los Angeles Times

Public criticism of the German auto industry has escalated after a report that an industry-sponsored entity commissioned a study of the effects of diesel exhaust using monkeys, and that another study exposed humans to low levels of one type of air pollutant.

Humans, Not Robots, Still Build the Best New Car You Can Buy

January 30, 2018

Industryweek

More than three decades after Honda Motor Co. first built an Accord sedan at its Marysville, Ohio, factory in 1982, humans are still an integral part of the assembly process — and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Plug Wars: The Battle for Electric Car Supremacy

January 30, 2018

Reuters

German carmakers hope a network of high-power charging stations they are rolling out with Ford will set an industry standard for plugs and protocols that will give them an edge over electric car rivals.

Volvo and Geely: The Unlikely Marriage of Swedish Tech and Chinese Manufacturing Might That Earned Record Profits

January 29, 2018

Forbes

Living on the edge, pushing boundaries, and testing endurance — these are the emotional trials that Volvo wants Chinese consumers to experience. And the Volvo Ocean Race, the sailing world's longest endurance race, is the perfect vehicle for the message.

Why Ford Is Blaming Costlier Metals for a 'Bad Year' Ahead

January 26, 2018

Industryweek

Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Hackett has already called 2018 a “bad year,” casting some of the blame on costlier raw materials used to build cars.

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.