A group of eight US and German carmakers will demonstrate a common fast-charging technology they hope will accelerate the spread of electric vehicles. Volkswagen, Â Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors and Porsche will demonstrate the standardized single-port DC-fast charging technology at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26), a conference that will take place in Los [...]
PLM survey: Standards needed for data exchange
May 3, 2012
Manufacturing companies need a universally recognized standard for the exchange of product data across the supply chain, according to a survey of industry executives. The survey, conducted by Germany’s RAAD Research in cooperation with Contact Software and Siemens PLM, found that manufacturing companies are challenged by an absence of standards when exchanging information between production, [...]
VW opts for new positioning system in high-bay warehouse
May 3, 2012
Volkswagen Group has decided to instal new software to operate a high-bay warehouse at its Wolfsburg factory more efficiently. The carmaker is replacing an old Trimble ICS5000L positioning systems with the so-called Positioning Solution System developed by German specialist PSI Technics. PSI said many aging high-bay warehouses, including Volkswagen’s facility in Wolfsburg, suffer from frequent [...]
Ford integrates Baidu Ting, QQ Music Apps in new chinese Focus
May 3, 2012
Ford is expanding the infotainment options in its new Chinese Focus model by integrating the popular Baidu Ting and QQ Music applications. The services will be available at no additional cost via smartphones that are connected to the carmaker’s voice-operated SYNC system. Ford said the integration was driven by the proliferation of smartphones in China [...]
Bosch to buy Chinese infotainment company
April 30, 2012
Robert Bosch plans to acquire a majority shareholding in a Chinese maker of instrument clusters and infotainment systems. In a move designed to strengthen its position in China and East Asia, the German automotive supplier said it is buying a majority stake in a joint venture company of automaker Chery and an Australian group, Atech [...]
New Opel Insignia features Magna’s forward-collision warning system
April 27, 2012
The new Opel Insignia will be one of the first cars in Europe to have a camera-based forward-collision warning system, supplier Magna International said. Magna said its Eyeris electronic vision system, which was developed by the Canadian group’s Magna Electronics division, uses a video camera mounted behind the windshield and an advanced image processor to [...]
JCI Automotive picks Siemens PLM Teamcenter software
April 26, 2012
Johnson Controls’ automotive division has chosen Siemens PLM’s Teamcenter as its corporate standard for collaboration and process integration. Siemens PLM Software, a division of Germany’s Siemens Group, said Johnson Controls Automotive Experience will use Team Center across its entire global product development operation. Siemens said it had won the contract in competition with at least [...]
Garmin opens new offices in Shanghai, Stuttgart, Yokohama
April 24, 2012
Garmin has opened new offices in three major markets as it boosts its global satellite navigation activities and expands its automotive business. The Swiss-based company, said new offices in Shanghai, Stuttgart and Yokohama are located close to leading carmakers and automotive suppliers. The company also recently opened a dedicated automotive office in Detroit. “Our new [...]
McKinsey: China needs new EV strategy
April 24, 2012
China needs to boost sales of range-extended electric vehicles, rather than focus too heavily on pure EVs, according to McKinsey. In a study of the Chinese EV market, the strategy consultants say it will be at least 10 years before pure EVs become a commercially attractive alternative to combustion-engine-powered cars. EVs with range extenders, on [...]
