Auto Industry articles from August 2000

Auto Industry archives from August 2000

Aston Martin plans new plant to build smaller car.
August 18, 2000... UK Aston Martin is to submit a formal planning application in the next few weeks for a new vehicle assembly facility together with a research and engineering centre. The move is in line with the company's plan to create a third...

New plasma technology for trucks.
August 18, 2000... UK Panel Technology, the Midlands-based metal processing company, has won a major contract to supply plasma-cut sheet metal components for the manufacture of truck cabs. The contract marks a break-through for the company which is part of...

Daewoo cuts back in the UK.
August 18, 2000... UK Daewoo's UK operations have not escaped its financial difficulties The Korean company has found it necessary to cut back on product development costs, and the Daewoo Technical Centre at Worthing will suffer 113 redundancies out of a total...

Mayflower and Henlys in European bus and coach venture.
August 18, 2000... UK Mayflower Corporation has signed a joint venture agreement with Henlys plc to merge their British-based bus and coach businesses, Alexander, Dennis and Plaxton. The new company, TransBus International Ltd, will be owned 70 per cent by...

Steel gains new boost following PNGV report.
August 18, 2000... US The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) has changed its stance on steel, stating that the metal may well become the structural material of choice for the 80mpg `Supercar'. The recently released sixth report from the...

Honda UK denies Japanese export rumour.
August 18, 2000... UK Honda UK is dismissing rumours that it is set to start exporting UK-made cars from its Swindon, Wiltshire plant to Japan as being "entirely speculative." In response to a report that appeared in the Financial Times, filed by a Nikkei...

Europe goes for diesel cars but the UK market bucks the trend.
August 18, 2000... UK Ricardo's latest annual diesel report shows that over 25 per cent of Europeans now buy diesel cars, and that the level is set to increase further over the next decade. However, under pressure from the British government, diesel sales in...

EU Commissioner makes it a bad month for the auto industry.
August 18, 2000... The EU has made rulings against internet procurement, block exemptions and car distribution over the past month, capping off a disastrous year for the European automotive industry. EU Commissioner Mario Monti has shown an increased...

business: news in brief.
August 18, 2000... United States Truck sales down Detroit Diesel is forecasting a 25 to 30 per cent reduction in North American heavy-duty truck production in year 2000 versus record 1999 full-year levels. In its first months of 2000, Detroit Diesel...

European demand for DAF trucks counters Paccar's market decline.
August 18, 2000... US Paccar, the US-based truck maker, saw its profits rise by 10 per cent on the first six months of 1999, to a record $286million (190.6million [pounds sterling]) earned from a turnover of $4.2 billion (2.8billion [pounds sterling]) in the...

Ford and Qualcomm to develop telematics.
August 18, 2000... USA Ford and Qualcomm, which holds many patents on cellular phones, are joining forces to develop new products. They will work with existing industry suppliers to develop cost-effective and integrated voice, entertainment and internet...

IMPCO selected to supply for Hyundai fuel cell vehicle.
August 18, 2000... North America IMPCO Technologies Inc. has been selected by Hyundai Motor Company as its Tier 1 supplier to develop hydrogen storage and fuel delivery systems for Hyundai's prototype Santa Fe Fuel Cell powered Sport Utility Vehicles. The...

ZF predicts steep rise in use of automated truck gearboxes.
August 18, 2000... Germany ZF, Europe's largest proprietary transmission manufacturer, has predicted that by 2007, over 50 per cent -- and perhaps even 70 per cent -- of commercial vehicles will be equipped with electronically managed (assisted-shift, non...

GKN beefs up CVJ business through Nissan.
August 18, 2000... Japan GKN is to acquire the production assets of Nissan's automotive Constant Velocity Joint (CVJ) driveline facility at Tochigi in Japan. The value of the assets to be acquired by GKN is 56million [pounds sterling] for which GKN is...

Exports brighten Hino and Nissan truck sales.
August 18, 2000... Japan Hino in which Toyota holds a 33.8 per cent share and Nissan Diesel, have managed to buck the declining export trend for Japanese truck manufacturers. According to the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association, Hino sold 6,560...

Fiat and General Motors finalise alliance.
August 18, 2000... Italy/Germany Fiat and General Motors have confirmed the terms of their alliance, establishing a 50/50 joint venture in the areas of purchasing and alliance. The agreement means that the two companies will now consolidate their European...

components: news in brief.
August 18, 2000... United Kingdom Internet replaces EDI at Delphi Delphi Automotive has adopted communications based on an internet system developed by EDS at its SILS centre at Ellesmere Port. The plant is adjacent to the Vauxhall factory, which...

Delphi to market cabin air systems.
August 18, 2000... US Delphi Automotive Systems is to begin shipping cabin air quality systems for fitment to two European vehicles -- one being a large car and the other a people carrier. The systems will use solid state gas sensors developed by Capteur...

Toyota goes for NOx storage catalyst to clean up its diesels.
August 18, 2000... Japan Toyota is developing a novel form of diesel aftertreatment in the face of tighter Tokyo city authority exhaust pollution limits in 2003, as well as more severe emission standards in key export markets. Eventual adaptation of what is...

Corsa gets new transmission.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Opel and Vauxhall's line-up for the new GM Corsa, debuting this autumn, will include a 1.2 litre 16-valve engine mated with the company's new Easytronic automated five-speed manual gearbox. The Easytronic lets the driver decide between...

Rear-wheel drive for BMW 2 Series.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2000... Germany BMW has decided to adopt rear-wheel drive for its new 2 Series model, despite the fact that the car will be no bigger than the current Volkswagen Golf. BMW has taken the unusual decision of calling the rear-drive layout "standard...

Daewoo joins MPV battle.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Korea Daewoo has managed to introduce a completely new model -- its seventh since it set about developing a new range of models five years ago. As with the other models, the Tacuma MPV was designed and developed rapidly -- just three...

Telemetry centre in Cambridge.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2000... UK Cybit's newly opened telemetry centre near Cambridge could revolutionise car navigation and emergency call services. The centre is able to offer a number of services that are becoming increasingly popular with car buyers. For example...

DCC eyes MPV version of PT cruiser.(DaimlerChrysler Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2000... US DaimlerChrysler Corp (DCC) has made tentative plans to go into production of a panel-sided version of the immensely popular PT Cruiser, according to officials at the company's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The officials said...

design: news in brief.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2000... Sweden Volvo Sport-ute ready for 2004 Volvo AB has the blessing of its parent, Ford's Premier Automotive Group (PAG), to go into production of crossover vehicle with the looks and attributes of a sports utility vehicle, according to...

manufacturing: news in brief.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Czech Republic EvoBus plans to double output EvoBus -- the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary, which is the world's largest bus producer -- is planning to invest Ck150million (2.6million [pounds sterling]) to build new production facilities...

German axle maker SAF extends Chinese operations.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2000... Germany Otto Sauer Achsenfabrik, the German manufacturer of SAF trailer axles and suspensions, SAF has expanded its manufacturing/ assembly facility in China by moving into a larger factory. Located at Jinan in Shandong province, the new...

Ghosn goes for cash.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... UK Nissan's Sunderland plant might be the most productive plant in Europe but it's still struggling to break even, leading chief executive Carlos Ghosn to seek a cash break from the government at the end of July. Ghosn's argument is that...

BMW develops carbon fibre body panels for production.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Germany BMW is developing carbon fibre body panels which have made substantial weight savings on prototype vehicles and could go into production for the next generation of cars. Whereas carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body panels...

GM and Ford try to improve image of utilities.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... USA Ford and GM have promised to make improvements to their four-wheel drive and pickup truck ranges after being stung by criticism that they are unsafe and uneconomical. Ford came to the rescue first with a plan to improve fuel...

VW moves towards in-car internet service.
August 18, 2000... Germany Volkswagen is to use the internet to keep its customers informed about their cars. Amongst a host of functions on offer, this means that the owner will be able to analyse the car's service record to decide when it should be...

r&d: news in brief.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... United Kingdom X-ray centre for Cosworth Cosworth Technology has introduced a semi-automatic X-ray system at its Worcestershire site. The Seifert Real Time Radioscopic System, which is now up and running, is a long-term research tool...

BMW heads for steer and brake by wire.
August 18, 2000... BMW's latest concept car takes advantage of a host of cost-effective and weight-saving electronic technologies. John Hartley reports on how the BMWs of tomorrow are shaping up In its latest concept car, designed to be ready for production...

Steel gets green light as material of choice.(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... As manufacturers do battle to beat emissions regulations steel looks set to win a reprieve as the material of choice and hybrids are poised to make a big impact in the future. The North American steel industry has received a big boost...

New ERF truck models reveal MAN's influence.(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... After being bought out by MAN, UK truck manufacturer ERF is shaping up with a new product range. For British heavy truck builder ERF, the first half of the year 2000 has been arguably the most turbulent six months in the company's 67...

Torotrak hopes to grow on IVT success.(Infinitely Variable Transmission System)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Torotrak's Infinitely Variable Transmission System has been 12 years in the making. Now on the brink of going into production the company is aiming to become a centre of technical excellence. Since its inception, the automatic...

Plasma cutting ideal for complex parts.
August 18, 2000... Graham Mosedale talks to John Mortimer about the potential of Panel Technology's new plasma cutting technique for heavy duty vehicles A new plasma cutting technology is about to revolutionse the way major modifications are made to complex...

People.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 18, 2000... Autoindustry's regular roundup of people on the move Isotrak, the UK technology services specialist, has appointed Guy Barbor as its new director of business development. Barbor's primary responsibilities will be overseeing alliances,...