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.
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%.
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.
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%.
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.
The Energy Department has awarded US$208m to Volvo Group to accelerate the production of heavy-duty electric trucks and related powertrain components.
The upgrades will enable mixed-model assembly, providing scalability and flexibility in production. The improvements are expected to significantly boost the production capacity of battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).
Logistics software provider Alvys announced it has closed its Series A with $20.5 million in funding led by Titanium Ventures, with participation from Picus Capital and existing investors RTP and Bonfire. The company is looking to continue to develop its current offerings and support customer growth. Alvys has raised about $30 million to date.
The software provider currently offers load matching, quote generation, document management and other back-office workflows for dispatching and managing assets.