More than a century after Henry Ford started the first moving assembly line, Ford Motor Company is applying smartphone technology to his pioneering development. Ford has developed a wearable device and a smartphone app that enables production line workers to make faster and more accurate quality checks on new vehicles. Previously, workers at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Valencia, Spain, … [Read more...]
Industry
Spot checks on German cars
Germany wants to carry out unannounced emissions tests on all automakers to help restore confidence in the industry that was shattered by the Volkswagen cheating scandal. "There will be controls on vehicles in the style of doping tests [for athletes]," Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the Bild newspaper. "Unannounced and every year." One way to carry out the random tests would be … [Read more...]
Urgent action called for to encourage autonomous vehicles
A new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is calling for urgent Government and industry action to encourage the greater use of autonomous and driverless vehicles. Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport at the Institution of the Mechanical Engineers and Lead Author of the report, said: “We need to urgently resolve legislative, technological and insurance issues to help encourage the … [Read more...]
Toyota to build next generation hybrid engine in Deeside
Toyota Manufacturing UK will build next generation hybrid engines at its Deeside plant in North Wales for a future Toyota crossover model based on the company’s C-HR concept car. The addition of the new high-tech engine to the factory’s production is attracting additional investment of around £7 million in operations by Toyota Motor Europe, including grant support of more than £700,000 from the … [Read more...]
Quality must be focus of new transport apprenticeships
The Government’s new transport skills strategy, which sets out how it will create 30,000 apprenticeships in the road and rail sector by 2020, must focus on quality and not just be a numbers game, says the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The announcement made by the Department for Transport today forms a major plank of the Government’s new Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy. It … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 January
Japanese auto parts makers will be fined for allegedly fixing prices of starter motors and accelerator modules, reports Automotive News Europe. European Union antitrust regulators will punish the world No. 2 parts maker Denso, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and a Hitachi Ltd. Unit. Tootle is a new online marketplace that allows dealers to source the used cars they want directly from private … [Read more...]
EU want Volkswagen to compensate buyers over emissions
European Union Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska is calling on Volkswagen to compensate European customers hit by the company's emissions scandal in the same way as U.S. customers. Volkswagen Group of America has promised goodwill compensation worth $1,000 each to tens of thousands of vehicle owners who bought VW cars with manipulated software that have NOx emissions far above officials … [Read more...]
European inquiry ordered by MEPs over emissions tests
The European Parliament is setting up a committee of inquiry into car emission tests. MEPs voted for the inquiry team comprising 45 members who will also investigate alleged failures by EU member states and the European Commission to enforce EU standards. It will present an interim report within 6 months, and a final report within 12 months, of starting its work. MEPs approved the … [Read more...]
Nissan confirm future batteries will be British built
Nissan will produce a future generation of electric vehicle batteries at its flagship manufacturing base in Sunderland. Representing a £26.5m investment in the UK, this commitment will safeguard 300 highly-skilled jobs in manufacturing, maintenance and engineering at Nissan’s advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Sunderland, the largest of its type in Europe. The announcement comes at the … [Read more...]
VW refuse EU owners compensation, Germany annoyed
Volkswagen says it will not compensate European owners over the diesel-gate scandal, so defying a demand from the EU industry commissioner. Volkswagen said there were no grounds to replicate in Europe a compensation program it plans for US. Volkswagen said it was paying compensation in North America because it had yet to agree with local regulators how to fix affected vehicles, and so … [Read more...]