On March 26, Stellantis announced that it would temporarily close five North American assembly plants starting April 5. The affected plants are in Illinois, Michigan, Mexico and Canada. At press time, the plants were expected to be closed through mid-April.
Battery recharging and range issues have been the Achilles heel of electric vehicles. Some automotive engineers believe solar power may be the solution.
The goal of vehicle-integrated photovoltaics is to enable EVs to recharge without stopping. Unlike traditional EVs that must periodically pull over to recharge batteries during a long road trip, solar cars can keep on going.
With the possible exception of medical device manufacturing, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted manufacturing in every industry last year. Wire harness manufacturing was no exception. With both automotive and aerospace manufacturing depressed, harness assemblers struggled.
COMMERCE, GA—SK Innovation, a manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles, has settled a legal dispute with rival LG Energy Solution, enabling SK to proceed with plans to expand its manufacturing operation here.
DETROIT—Ford has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to turn spent 3D-printed powder and parts into stronger, lighter, and more cost-effective vehicle parts for Ford’s Super Duty F-250 trucks.
I am fortunate to have had a lengthy career of more than 30 years. I have held a variety of product development positions, and these experiences have influenced my thinking about how best to get things done.
ARaymond has introduced a new series of quick connectors that meet German VDA automotive quality standards. Used for heating and cooling lines, including thermal regulation of battery packs in electric and hybrid vehicles, the new VDA Low-Push Quick Connectors can be easily integrated into thermal management systems.
QUEBEC, Canada—Lion Electric, which manufactures all-electric trucks and buses, recently announced its plans to build a battery manufacturing plant and innovation center here.
NEW DELHI, India—Automotive safety systems provider Autoliv has announced its plan to build a new airbag inflator manufacturing plant near Chennai, India, that will cater to the Indian market.