VW – Page 3376 – I wish I had more to offer

Skoda focuses on Eastern regions through partnership with Trinity in Odisha

Top Automotive Industry News for Week of November 19 – November 25, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week of November 19, 2018 -November 25, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Ford, VW could announce electric, driverless-car collaborations:
analyst

(MarketWatch)

Ford wants to get rid of that new-car smell. Here's why.

(USA Today)

General Motors buyouts likely to fall short and layoffs loom

(USA Today)

German court rules Volkswagen must reimburse owner full price of car

(Reuters)

Ghosn scandal could trigger a series of crises for Nissan, Renault,
Mitsubishi

(CNBC)

GM under investigation for faulty brake vacuum pumps

(Detroit Free Press)

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing kicks off construction on $1.6B Alabama
plant

(Made In Alabama)

Nissan board votes to remove Carlos Ghosn as chairman

(CNBC)

Renault taps interim chairman, COO to replace Ghosn: sources

(Reuters)

Tesla will cut prices in China in response to import tariffs; Reuters

(MarketWatch)

These are the best cars we tested in 2018

(CNBC)

-Automotive Evolution News-

AEye Raises $40M To Build Autonomous Car Sensor That Sees Better Than
Humans

(Forbes)

China Is Leading the World to an Electric Car Future

(Bloomberg)

Congress considers extending electric vehicle tax credits, approval of
self-driving cars

(The Detroit News)

Electric vehicle sales to 'see a big lift' over the next 2 to 3 years,
BlackRock says

(CNBC)

Needing Growth, Uber Returns to Germany. This Time on Best Behavior.

(The New York Times)

-Automotive Retail News-

3 straight quarters of more than 10 million used-car sales

(Auto Remarketing)

Analysts Expect First November Car Sales Slide in 9 Years

(The Detroit Bureau)

AutoNation and Scott Painter patch things up

(Automotive News)

Black Friday is breathing life back into the 0% auto loan

(Automotive News)

Digital Crystal Ball Gives Auto Dealers A View To Future Sales

(Forbes)

Every Plug-In-Hybrid Vehicle Available in America Today

(Car and Driver)

What's the Best New-Car Deal for Black Friday?

(Cars.com)

Where the deals are for Black Friday car shopping

(CNBC)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

J.D. Power’s wholesale price projection through 2019

(Auto Remarketing)

Update on late-model auction volume

(Auto Remarketing)

Used cars with the least depreciation in 2018

(Autoblog)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

23 hot cars we can't wait to see at the 2018 LA Auto Show

(Business Insider)

-Automotive Servicing News-

Citing Brake Concern, Feds Investigate 2.7M Pickups, Sport Utes

(Forbes)

-General Business & Executive News-

An early holiday gift: Lower gas, oil prices could boost spending,
economy

(USA Today)

Billionaire threatens to tackle the nation’s most expensive auto
insurance

(Insurance Business)

On Black Friday, more U.S. shoppers chose the computer over the mall

(Reuters)

PureCars launches an attribution platform just for car dealerships

(MarTech)

Tesla is turning to partners to help with a growing used-car business

(CNBC)

U.S. retail sales rebound, but consumer spending slowing

(Reuters)

-AEA Reminder-

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Ghosn scandal could trigger a series of crises for Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi

Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Carlos Ghosn, chairman of the alliance between Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., pauses during a Bloomberg Television interview at the Paris Motor Show in Paris, France, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018.

There aren't many automotive executives who can claim to have saved a company, let alone three. But now, Carlos Ghosn might also prove to be the man responsible for shattering the global alliance that transformed Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi into an industry powerhouse.

A day after prosecutors arrested Ghosn and another senior Nissan executive, accusing them of serious financial irregularities, the fallout was escalating. Some auto analysts questioned whether the alliance between the three carmakers could survive the affair, leading nervous investors to pare back their holdings. U.S. traded shares of Renault have slid by about 11 percent since news of Ghosn's arrest in Tokyo broke Monday while Nissan's shares in the U.S. fell by about 6 percent.

Self-destruction

“You're witnessing the single greatest act of self-destruction in modern automotive history,” said Eric Schiffer, chairman of Los Angeles-based Reputation Management Consultants. “Not only has [Ghosn] destroyed his life, but he puts those companies in uncharted and dangerous waters.”

His swift fall from grace places the carefully constructed alliance he built between the three automakers at risk and will have far-reaching repercussions across the industry, auto executives and analysts say.

Perhaps only Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who died last July, came close to matching the high-profile persona of the 64-year-old Ghosn. Born in Brazil of Lebanese parents, he began his career in France with the tire-making giant Michelin.

In 1996, Ghosn was recruited by Paris-based Renault and tasked with pulling together a turnaround plan for the struggling automaker. His strategy worked so well that Renault was back in the black in barely a year.

Ghosn got the chance to prove he wasn't a one-shot wonder when Renault assigned him to lead its efforts to revive debt-laden Japanese automaker Nissan in 1996. With only three of its product lines making money, many observers expected that country's second-largest manufacturer to go broke. There was widespread skepticism when Renault announced plans to purchase a 38.6 percent stake – which has since grown to 43.4 percent.

Skeptics

At the time, former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Renault would be better off “taking $5 billion, putting it on a barge and sinking it in the middle of the ocean.” But within three years, Ghosn's Nissan Revival Plan had taken hold. The automaker halved its debt and was delivering profit margins of around 4.5 percent.

“I said it would never work” Lutz said on CNBC's “Squawk on the Street” on Monday “and to my amazement it has worked fabulously well for both companies.”

Originally working as Nissan's chief operating officer, Ghosn was soon its CEO and, a few years later, added the title of chief executive of Renault, as well as head of their Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Ghosn had long left open the possibility of adding a third leg to the stool and, in 2016, he made his move, directing Nissan to purchase a controlling stake in Mitsubishi, the small Japanese automaker teetering on the brink of bankruptcy after a series of financial and regulatory scandals.

While still too soon to tell whether Mitsubishi is completely out of the woods, it added enough volume to the alliance total that, in 2017, it nudged past both Volkswagen and Toyota to claim the crown as largest automotive group in the world by unit sales.

Forcibly removed

But that celebration could be short-lived. Ghosn, who has repeatedly sidestepped questions about his potential retirement, is now being forcibly removed from all his posts in the wake of this week's breaking scandal.

On Monday, Yokohama-based Nissan issued an initially terse release stating that, “Based on a whistleblower report, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan) has been conducting an internal investigation over the past several months regarding misconduct involving the company's Representative Director and Chairman Carlos Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly.”

Within hours, reports began circulating that Ghosn and his hand-picked lieutenant had been arrested by authorities in Tokyo where they faced a number of potentially serious allegations. Ghosn — who was now serving as Nissan chairman — was accused of concealing as much as 5 billion yen, or about $45 million, in income, as well as misusing corporate funds. Precise details have yet to be released, however.

For the past two decades, Carlos Ghosn was seen as one of the biggest rock stars in a Japanese business world normally skeptical of “gaijin,” or foreigners. He even became a star of his own comic book series. Since the accusations were made public, however, his image has been washed away by a tsunami of bad news. Reputation expert Schiffer told CNBC, “There will be blood because it is about preserving honor and trust with the public.”

Anger and disappointment

That became apparent within hours. “I feel strong anger and disappointment,” Ghosn's handpicked successor as Nissan CEO, Hiroto Saikawa told reporters at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama. “I am very sorry.”

The Japanese automaker quickly moved to fire Ghosn, even as pressure mounted on Renault to do the same thing a half a planet away. The French government, the automaker's biggest shareholder, called for a shake-up in management. Renault plans to name its chief operating officer Thierry Bollore as an interim replacement for Ghosn, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

“Carlos Ghosn is no longer in a position where he is capable of leading Renault,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France Info radio. But he added that the government “(has) not demanded the formal departure of Ghosn from the management board for a simple reason, which is that we do not have any proof and we follow due legal procedure.”

The fallout could, and likely will, continue according to several observers. During a meeting with reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday, Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko said the very alliance that Ghosn strung together is in jeopardy. “I don't think there is anyone else on Earth like Ghosn who could run Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi,” he said.

Dire warnings

Whether such dire warnings prove true is uncertain. Though they legally operate as independent manufacturers, after nearly two decades working together it can be difficult to distinguish between Nissan and Renault in many areas. They share most of their product platforms, as well as an extensive array of components. They work closely together on advanced research programs, including electric, hybrid and autonomous driving. And they are intertwined in global manufacturing and distribution. Since being pulled into the group, Mitsubishi has also begun mingling its operations.

Many of those activities were carefully crafted by Ghosn, especially the alliance's focus on the technology needed for future mobility, such as battery-electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf.

“He was an asset in navigating globalized markets,” said Jeremy Acevedo, manager of data strategy for automotive service Edmunds. “So really this is coming at a terrible time.”

Daimler

It's not just the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance at risk. For the past nine-years, Ghosn has carefully sculpted a separate partnership with Daimler AG, the parent of the Smart and Mercedes-Benz brands.

Though there are none of the financial cross-holdings found in the alliance, the partners are today working together on a variety of projects. Engines made by Nissan in Smyrna, TN, for example, are being used in Mercedes vehicles assembled in Alabama. Mercedes and Nissan's Infiniti brand share a Mexican assembly plant. And a platform developed by Daimler underpins the Smart fortwo and Renault Twizzy.

At least initially, the partnership with Daimler was nurtured by Ghosn and his German counterpart, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, who said at a news conference during the Paris Motor Show last month, “Without the chemistry between us, maybe this wouldn't have happened.”

There have been questions about whether it would survive Zetsche's scheduled move to relinquish the CEO post next year, moving into the post of Daimler chairman. Last month, he told reporters at a joint news conference with Ghosn, “I don't see from my perspective why the momentum in this relationship should change.” But with the Nissan boss enveloped in scandal and the future of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance itself uncertain, all bets are now off.

It is, of course, possible that Ghosn could survive the scandal, the alle..

VW reveals ongoing talks with Ford about trucks, broader partnership

Original Article

Porsche has plan to drive up profit by 6B euros

Porsche has plan to drive up profit by 6B eurosPorsche AG has an ambitious plan to improve operating profit by 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) over eight years by streamlining operations as the automaker spends more to develop and manufacture electric cars, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Porsche aims to increase earnings before interest and taxes by about 750 million euros annually over a timeframe starting this year and running through 2025 by increasing efficiencies, cutting costs and boosting contribution from new business such as digital offerings, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The increase is necessary to maintain the Volkswagen AG brand’s target of a 15 percent return on sales. Porsche declined to comment.
Keeping returns flowing at Porsche is key to Volkswagen’s plan to make the world’s largest automaker a more agile company and face the industry’s unprecedented shift to self-driving and electric cars head on. Carmakers readying electric lineups are pushing for savings elsewhere to offset lower profits from battery-powered cars when compared to vehicles with combustion engines.
Take Porsche’s first electric offering as an example of the quandary facing automakers. Cars like the four-door Taycan, which comes to market next year, will cost from 6,000 euros to 10,000 euros more to produce than a comparable traditional model, the people said. Those costs won’t be passed on to customers, meaning spending reductions need to be made elsewhere to maintain profitability, they said. In total, the sports-car maker is investing more than 6 billion euros through 2022 on electric mobility.
After 2025, the German manufacturer anticipates that the efficiency push will improve profit by about 2 billion euros annually, the people said. VW’s most profitable brand generated 4.1 billion euros in operating profit and 23.5 billion euros in revenue last year. The operating margin of more than 17 percent compares to single-digit return on sales at most mass-market carmakers.
The group is on its way to become “the electric powerhouse within the auto world” and should have higher revenue and earnings momentum than Daimler AG and BMW AG, Bankhaus Metzler analyst Juergen Pieper said in a note.
Porsche is working on electric-car technology with sister brand Audi and is considering using the jointly developed underpinnings to offer electric versions of existing models like the Macan compact sport utility vehicle. Porsche has said the first cars from the new platform are planned for late 2021.
Porsche expects half of deliveries will be fully-electric or hybrid cars in 2025. Developing vehicles with combustion engines won’t be economically viable from 2030 onward under the goals of the Paris Climate accord, they said.
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2018/11/25/porsche-plan-increase-profit/38605441/

Ride-hailing app Gett seeks buyers

Ride-hailing app Gett seeks buyersGett Inc., the ride-hailing app valued at more than $1 billion and backed by Volkswagen AG, is looking for buyers in a bid to compete with larger rivals, people familiar with the matter said.
The Israeli tech company has approached potential bidders including other car-hire firms, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions were private.
Gett may sell its entire business or offload regional operations outside of its home market, said two of the people. The company may also weigh a listing, partnership or sale of a minority stake to raise capital, another person said.
Deliberations are preliminary and there’s no guarantee Gett will go ahead with a sale or initial public offering, the people said.
“As Gett is on a clear path towards profitability globally, including the U.S.,” in the first half of 2019 “it should not be surprising that Gett may receive inbound inquiries from strategic partners,” a spokesman for Gett said.
Gett had a promising start, attracting more than $300 million from Volkswagen in 2016 as the carmaker looked for a viable challenger to Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. This year Gett has raised $80 million from investors including Swedish fund manager Vostok New Ventures Ltd.
However, the business has been struggling in the face of growing competition.
Vostok cut the value of its stake by 14 percent so far this year, according to its third-quarter report. That puts its 4 percent holding at $55.5 million, giving Gett a value of about $1.39 billion. Volkswagen has also decided to funnel resources into a home-grown ride-sharing unit called Moia.
Facing intense competition in the U.S., Gett has also weighed an exit from the country just over a year after spending $200 million on an acquisition to enter the market, people familiar with the matter said in July.
Gett isn’t the only ride-hailing company struggling to maintain growth. Uber’s sales are dramatically slowing even as the firm spends more to expand. Lyft’s losses increased to $254 million in the third quarter from $195 million last year after spending more on research and development, a person familiar with the matter said. The two companies are also considering IPOs next year.
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2018/11/25/ride-hailing-app-gett-seeks-buyers/38605229/

Milestone: ŠKODA AUTO’s Mladá Boleslav plant built its seven millionth MQ 200 gearbox since the plant began manufacturing the transmissions

ŠKODA AUTO is currently investing 65 million euros in stepping up gearbox production
ŠKODA AUTO’s manufacturing of transmissions plays a key role in Volkswagen Group’s production network
Gearbox production is consistently centred on the principles of Industry 4.0

MLADÁ BOLESLAV, 13-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — ŠKODA AUTO has reached yet another milestone in component production: today, ŠKODA AUTO’s Mladá Boleslav plant built its seven millionth MQ 200 gearbox since the company’s main plant began manufacturing the transmissions in 2000. The Czech car manufacturer makes gearboxes for its own cars as well as for models from other Volkswagen Group brands at its Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabí plants. Nowadays, gearbox manufacturing follows the principles of Industry 4.0. ŠKODA AUTO is for example focusing on state-of-the-art technologies at both plants to make workspaces more ergonomic and to assist staff.

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, stressed, “The gearboxes made at ŠKODA AUTO demonstrate their high level of quality and manufacturing precision every day, and reliably do their jobs in millions of vehicles. The fact that we have produced seven million MQ 200 transmissions since the start of production in 2000 is convincing proof of the amount of trust that our customers place in our components.”

The manual five- or six-speed MQ 200 gearboxes are designed for engines that deliver torque of up to 200 Nm. ŠKODA AUTO currently manufactures 1,500 units per day on two production lines in Mladá Boleslav. The gearbox comes in no less than 50 different configurations, which are installed in models from various Volkswagen Group brands.

The product portfolio at ŠKODA AUTO currently comprises three types of transmission: in addition to the MQ 200, MQ/SQ 100 gearboxes are also built at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav; ŠKODA AUTO has been producing DQ 200 automatic direct-shift transmissions at its Vrchlabí plant since 2012.

The total production figure for all transmission types made at the Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabí plants per day is approximately 4,800. To date, ŠKODA AUTO has already produced well over 10 million gearboxes at both plants combined.

ŠKODA AUTO’s manufacturing of transmissions plays a key role in Volkswagen Group’s global production network. Over the course of 2018 and 2019, ŠKODA AUTO is investing more than 65 million euros in gearbox manufacturing in Mladá Boleslav to increase the production capacity of MQ 200 transmissions. Furthermore, in recent years ŠKODA AUTO has invested more than eight million euros in a new test stand area for gearboxes.

Production principles have radically changed since gearbox production began in 2000; nowadays, innovations from Industry 4.0 are used. For example, modern software has since replaced the paperwork originally used in shopfloor management at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav.

12 KUKA robots currently assist staff with assembly by inserting screws or filling the gearboxes with oil, for example.

With its digital shopfloor management and collaboration between employees and robots, ŠKODA AUTO is pressing ahead with the digitalisation of its production – a key pillar of its 2025 Strategy.

SOURCE: ŠKODA AUTO a.s.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jens Katemann
Head of Communications
e: jens.katemann@skoda-auto.cz
t: +420 326 811 880

ZF now offers the broadest range of hybrid and all-electric drive solutions for almost every vehicle segment

ZF supplies electric drives for all vehicle types, ranging from bicycles to 40-ton trucks
The product portfolio ranges from hybrid solutions to all-electric drives.
Integrated E-system solutions, including electronics and peripheral systems.

Friedrichshafen, Germany, 09-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — ZF is constantly advancing vehicle electrification and has meanwhile come to be known as the world champion of variation with its many integrated system solutions. In fact, ZF now offers the broadest range of hybrid and all-electric drive solutions for almost every vehicle segment. As one of the early e-mobility pioneers, ZF knows what it takes to convert electricity into efficient and dynamic vehicle propulsion.

In 2008, ZF was the first company in Europe to volume-produce hybrid modules – a technology that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent compared to vehicles with combustion engines. In the meantime, many manufacturers are now producing a variety of car models equipped with the 8-speed plug-in hybrid transmission (8P) that features a longitudinally-mounted drive. A hybrid module that fits into almost any installation space is integrated in the automatic transmission and helps generate 90 kW and 250 Nm torque. It allows hybrid vehicles to accelerate on all-electric power up to 120 km/h maximum speed and – depending on battery capacity – travel a good 50 km. The separating clutch with low drag loss contributes to efficiency by completely decoupling the combustion engine in E-mode. Thanks to its optimized torsional damper, the 8P harmonizes also with downsizing three-cylinder turbo engines.

The 8-speed dual clutch transmission (8DT) shifts more dynamically as it is designed specifically for sports cars with longitudinal or all-wheel drives. ZF is working with Porsche to develop it as an optional plug-in hybrid system that supplies, all electrically, 100 kW and 400 Nm, thus enabling it to reach speeds of 140 km/h without a combustion engine. Torsional damper, separating clutch including actuators and electric motor are housed directly in the clutch bell housing in the 8DT. The all-wheel distributor system is also integrated into the AWD version of the hybrid transmission. It transfers torque to the front axle as needed.

Hybrid for compact and commercial vehicles

The electric axle drive system from ZF, on the other hand, does not impact the transmission, rather is positioned directly in the middle on the axle. Following the “Plug-and-Drive” principle, it brings together decisive system components in a compact module, including an electric motor, a two-stage single-speed spur gear drive along with differential, parking lock, the housing, the cooling unit as well as the power electronics and control software. Integrating the transmission, electric motor and power electronics into one system represents a key competence that ZF can offer its customers as a single-source supplier. In the process, the electric axle drive generates up to 150 kW and 3,500 Newton meters of axle torque. Installed in the vehicle rear, in the ZF “mSTARS” modular rear axle system (stands for “modular Semi-Trailing Arm Rear Suspension”), for example, it transforms the combustion-engine powered passenger car with front-wheel drive into an axle hybrid and electric all-wheel vehicle. In the ZF “eAMT” concept (stands for “electrified Automated Manual Transmission“), it also compensates for any propulsion breaks that occur when shifting gears with an automated manual transmission. The result is a smooth, punchy acceleration that was so far only able to be achieved with considerably more complex hybrid configurations.

Commercial vehicles are also benefiting from electrification thanks to ZF. The TraXon Hybrid automated transmission system, for example, makes 40-ton trucks and coaches up to seven percent more economical. An electric motor with an integrated transmission ratio – positioned between the combustion engine and transmission – supports a maximum 130 kW and 1,200 Nm output torque. While the TraXon Hybrid works on long-distance travel parallel to the diesel drive, it can also function in the city center as well as when maneuvering around bus depots as a quiet stand-alone zero local emissions drive. In generator mode, the hybrid module can supply power to other power units, for example, during refrigerated transports. ZF will begin supplying the TraXon Hybrid to DAF as early as 2019. The hybrid systems described here combine not only the all-electric operating mode, they also support other essential hybrid functions like recuperation, boosting and start-stop.

100-percent electric

ZF is set up just as broadly and systematically for all-electric drives as it is for hybrids. ZF intends to cover the mini-vehicle sector through a joint venture with Sachs Micro Mobility GmbH. Its compact motor, the Sachs RS for pedal-assisted bikes and e-bikes, for example, can be flexibly integrated into different frame shapes. It features 700 Watt and 110 Nm to deliver a powerful tailwind. Even at a low cadence of 60 pedal strokes per minute, it generates a high torque – and can so long-term thanks to intelligent cooling. If the e-motor is not used, two one-way clutches ensure that it generates no resistance.

At the other end of the speed spectrum – in the Formula E motorsports race series – ZF will supply, for the 2018/19 season, the complete drive system for the Venturi team’s fast race car, which reaches up to 280 km/h. It covers the powerful 200 kW electric motor (power limited by regulations) including power electronics, a new race differential as well as a very efficiently toothed motorsport transmission mounted in bearings. Lastly, based for the first time on a one-speed concept, it is 40% lighter than the transmission from last season. The entire system is the first electric axle drive from ZF that was developed purely for use in motorsports.

Full electric range in the rear

The above-described electric axle drive module featuring a maximum 150 kW and 3,500 Nm axle torque will go into volume production for a European automobile manufacturer in 2019. The system is ideal as an all-electric drive for battery-powered, fuel-cell or hybrid electric vehicles. The drive can be used for both the front as well as for the rear axle. It has already proven itself in the field, for example, in the ZF Vision Zero Vehicle as well as in the forward-looking shuttle e.GO Mover, which will go into volume production in 2019.

ZF’s Advanced Urban Vehicle is yet another example of an all-electric drive for small cars. Its propulsion is powered by the electric Twist Beam (eTB), a twist beam rear axle on whose right and left wheels a compact drive unit is integrated, each one generating 40 kW. In the Advanced Urban Vehicle, the eTB plays a major role in enabling the extreme front axle steering angle of up to 75 degrees to be achieved. The drive then supports the steering movement and allows the vehicle to set off by means of individual power distribution on both rear wheels (torque vectoring).

Clean options for urban transport

In case of the AxTrax AVE electric portal axle, which has already been proven multiple times over and is in volume production for low-floor city buses, ZF relies on the concept of the integrated close-to-the-wheel drive. Both liquid-cooled asynchronous motors deliver 2 x 125 kW and 2 x 11,000 Nm that help it master very challenging urban topologies. For the best-possible efficiency and high electric ranges, ZF is offering the AxTrax AVE in a networked system featuring fully integrated inverters and drive control. The electric portal axle covers series hybrids as well as all-electric drives, whether powered by battery, fuel cell or overhead contact line.

In addition, ZF is offering the CeTrax electric central drive for low-floor and high-floor buses. Generating up to 300 kW and 4,400 Nm, it is designed for challenging applications. Moreover, it is impressive due to its weight and efficiency. Thanks to the “Plug-and-Drive” approach, the CeTrax can be integrated into existing vehicle platforms without having to make major modifications to the chassis, axles, statics or differentials. Electricity-driven versions of originally combustion-engine powered bus platforms can be converted with relative ease. The drive control and inverter are also included in the scope of delivery so that the manufacturer gets an optimally coordinated complete system regarding performance, efficiency and service life.

CeTrax lite is the more compact system variant for vans and light commercial vehicles up to 7.5 tons. Considering it generates 150 kW and 380 Nm, it only weighs 120 kg, including a single-speed transmission ratio. For vehicles up to 19 tons, CeTrax mid is available: its two electric asynchronous traction motors installed in parallel positions supply 300 kW and 760 Nm that a two-stage powershift transmission transmits.

E-traction from the trailer

In off-highway applications, ZF has scored major points in farm and construction machines with its electric eTRAC wheel head. This system consists of a liquid-cooled 3-stage asynchronous motor with high power density, a downstream, two-stage transmission and integrated brakes – electrically driven axle systems for trailers or electrically driven jockey wheels for different attachments are possible applications. The distribution of the drive power to additional wheels has diverse advantages: A controlled traction support, for instance, makes working under difficult conditions easier, enlarging the time available for cultivation even under adverse weather conditions or with sodden soil. Furthermore, the tractor needs less tractive force thanks to the electric traction drive – as a consequence, either more powerful attachments can be moved (thus increasing productivity) or the tractor trucks size can be reduc..

ŠKODA AUTO celebrates grand opening of an automatic small parts warehouse at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav

ŠKODA AUTO has invested around 8 million euros in its small parts warehouse in Mladá Boleslav
Robots transport small parts from the automatic warehouse to the assembly line
High level of automation increases the efficiency of processes in production logistics

MLADÁ BOLESLAV, 14-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — ŠKODA AUTO is pressing ahead with the implementation of technologies in line with Industry 4.0 principles: the grand opening of an automatic small parts warehouse took place at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav today. The high level of automation makes it possible to increase the efficiency of work processes in the plant’s small parts logistics. One example of this is the use of robots which put small parts into storage and transport them directly from the warehouse to the assembly line. ŠKODA AUTO has been operating a similar small parts warehouse in Kvasiny for around one year.

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, said, “Last year, we were already able to significantly improve the production logistics processes at our Kvasiny plant. We are now also taking the efficiency of the processes at our main plant to a new level with the new automatic small parts warehouse. The warehouse in Mladá Boleslav is considerably larger and optimally prepares the plant for the future demands of car manufacturing with state-of-the-art technology in line with the principles of Industry 4.0.”

Michael Oeljeklaus officially opened the new automatic small parts warehouse (ASPW) together with Jiří Cee, Head of Brand Logistics, and KOVO Union MB representative, Miloš Kovář. The warehouse has been in operation since July 2018. ŠKODA AUTO has invested around 8 million euros in the construction of the small parts warehouse.

The ASPW is rigorously applying Industry 4.0 principles. The small parts are now stored and removed from the respective shelves fully automatically. From there, they are delivered to the assembly line just-in-sequence as required. This means that they arrive in exactly the order in which they are required and fitted. Automation makes it possible to further increase working precision, accelerate logistics processes and further minimise the error rate. Robots take the strain off the employees by taking on the physically demanding work. This frees up the employees’ time for tasks such as scanning labels or moving small load carriers (SLC) in the incoming and outgoing goods areas.

Covering 2,000 m2, the new ASPW in Mladá Boleslav offers plenty of space for 71,000 small load carriers. Per hour, up to 580 of these small plastic crates can be stored in the shelves which are 14 metres high. The same number of SLCs can be handled in order picking, i.e. outgoing goods. Two robots store the parts and two other robots take them out and deliver them just-in-sequence to production.

In July 2017, ŠKODA opened a similar small parts warehouse at its Kvasiny plant, offering space for 45,000 SLCs. In June 2018, ŠKODA was awarded the expert audience prize at the ELA European Logistics Awards for the Kvasiny warehouse.

By commissioning the automatic small parts warehouse in Mladá Boleslav, ŠKODA AUTO is pressing ahead with the digitalisation of its production – a key pillar of its 2025 Strategy.

SOURCE: ŠKODA AUTO a.s.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jens Katemann
Head of Communications
e: jens.katemann@skoda-auto.cz
t: +420 326 811 880

Audi and First Automotive Works (FAW) celebrate the 30th anniversary of their partnership in China; plan to launch more China-specific model variants and digital services

Audi and Chinese partner First Automotive Works are to expand their local portfolio to more than ten models by 2022 and launch their first all-electric cars
2019: Audi Q2 L e-tron is the first electric car specifically for Chinese customers
Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen Group: “30 years of Audi in China tell a success story of innovation, transformation and friendship”
Alexander Seitz, CFO and Board Member for China at AUDI AG: “We will use our experience to locally develop and produce models specifically for China”
FAW CEO Xu Liuping: “Together, we have achieved pioneering milestones and created a successful win-win cooperation.”

CHANGCHUN, China/ INGOLSTADT, Germany, 20-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Audi and First Automotive Works (FAW) are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their partnership this Monday. The approximately 650 guests at the anniversary event at the FAW plant in Changchun include representatives of the province of Jilin, of partner FAW, and of the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, as well as members of the boards of management of Volkswagen AG and AUDI AG. Audi is further expanding its local research and development competencies in order to launch more China-specific model variants and digital services. The first electric car tailored for Chinese customers, the Audi Q2 L e-tron, will already be launched in 2019. Local production of the Audi e-tron will follow in 2020, one year after its market launch in China.

China has developed into Audi’s strongest growth engine and biggest single market. In the past 30 years, Audi has delivered more than five million automobiles there. Sales volumes have increased more than fivefold in the past ten years. The models Audi A4 L, A6 L and Q5 L are especially popular with Chinese customers, and China is the most important sales market also for the Audi A8 L. The fourth model generation of this luxury sedan is once again the reference for Vorsprung durch Technik. The Audi A8 demonstrates this with style-defining design, innovative chassis solutions, an innovative touch operating concept and consistent electrification of the drive system. The Four Rings were the first automobile brand to launch services developed for China such as 3D maps and Chinese character recognition, in order to respond precisely to the wishes of Chinese customers. China will continue to contribute significantly to Audi’s growth.

Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG, says: “30 years of Audi in China tell a success story of innovation, transformation and friendship. I am looking forward to the next 30 years.”

Alexander Seitz, Audi Board of Management Member for Finance, China, Compliance and Integrity, emphasized: “We will use our experience to locally develop and produce even more models specifically for China in the future. We will continue our shared success story with the latest technologies, digital services that focus on market needs, and models like the Audi Q8 and Audi e-tron.” By 2022, Audi aims to increase its local portfolio with FAW-VW to more than ten models. The first all-electric models from Audi will also be sold in China.

Audi currently offers six locally produced model families in China. The Audi A4 L, A6 L, Q3 and Q5 L series are built at the Changchun plant in the north. The Audi A3 Sedan, A3 Sportback and Audi Q2 L drive off the assembly line in Foshan in southern China. A further step in the cooperation between Audi and FAW is the start of Audi production in Tianjin. The Chinese plants are making a significant contribution within the Audi production network. Their flexible structure will allow the ongoing gradual expansion of capacities. In the coming years, capacity with the partner FAW-Volkswagen can be increased to a total of more than 700,000 automobiles, depending on market demand.

Audi was the first premium brand to enter the Chinese market in 1988. As part of a license agreement between Audi and FAW, the Audi 100 was the first model to be produced from parts kits at the FAW plant in Changchun. In 1995, Audi production was integrated into the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture and the cooperation was successively expanded. As a pioneer, Audi put long-wheelbase versions of the Audi A4 and A6 on the road and, with the Audi A6 L e-tron, offered the Volkswagen Group’s first locally produced plug-in hybrid. In 2013, the brand with the Four Rings inaugurated a development center in Beijing, thus paving the way for an innovation boost in Asia. Another important milestone for Audi in China is the assumption of Group-wide development responsibility as a Center of Excellence for high-voltage battery cells.

In addition, the partners are intensifying their cooperation along the entire value chain, with connectivity services and mobility offerings. FAW CEO Xu Liuping: “Together we have achieved numerous pioneering milestones and thus created a successful win-win cooperation.”

SOURCE: Volkswagen AG

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