News

August 9, 2024

Mercedes-Benz got the green light to test self-driving cars in China. The German automaker will run Level 4 autonomous vehicles on certain roads, making it the first foreign company to do so in the country.

Some of the moves to be tested include parking, reversing and turning left in busy traffic without driver intervention.

August 7, 2024

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg and California robotics company Figure test the use of humanoid robots in production. During a trial run lasting several weeks at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, the latest humanoid robot, Figure 02 from California company Figure, successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, which were then assembled as part of the chassis. The robot must be particularly dexterous to complete this production step.

August 7, 2024

Nissan has been trialing an innovative automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle’s ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system.

The paint is developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products and it incorporates metamaterial, synthetic composite materials with structures that exhibit properties not usually found in nature.

August 5, 2024

Energy prices gained 2.1% in July, led by crude oil (+2.5%). Non-energy prices decreased by 2.3%.

Metal prices dropped by 3.4%, led by nickel (-6.6%), aluminum (-5.9%), and copper (-2.7%). Precious metals went up by 2.7%.

July 30, 2024

Ford is investing $3 billion to expand production capacity for one of its most popular and profitable vehicles. The investment in Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada includes installing new assembly and stamping equipment to initially boost heavy duty truck production by 100,000 vehicles a year. Ford’s expansion at the Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario supports its Ford+ plan for growth, aiming to maximize manufacturing footprint, extend global truck leadership, and grow its Ford Pro commercial business.

July 30, 2024

In the first half of 2024, new EU van sales increased by 15%, reaching 840,409 units, driven by double-digit growth in key markets. Germany led with a remarkable 19.3% rise, followed by Spain at 18.5%, Italy at 17.8%, and France at 10.5%.

July 25, 2024

Continental inaugurated, within ContiTech Timișoara, the new location for one of the largest testing laboratories in the entire network of ContiTech units in Europe. The new lab, designed from the ground up, includes testing spaces, new offices and employee amenities. Among the tests carried out here are: thermal tests, mechanical tests, computed tomography, precision metallographic microscopy and macroscopy, pressure impulse tests as well as vibration tests and technical verification of product cleanliness.