CD players, beloved by baby boomers, head for the exit Auto CD players are starting to look like excess baggage. When GM rolls out the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS in the United States this summer, the car will feature an optional ... Read More »
Bosch researches engine that ignites fuel with and without sparks Is it possible to design an engine that uses gasoline but switches between spark ignition and diesel-style compression ignition? The engine would combine the efficiency o ... Read More »
Q&A
After quake and flood, Honda works on disaster plan for parts After last year's earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand, Honda Motor Co. is asking some Tier 1 suppliers to develop backup production sources for key parts, says T ...
Justice Dept. says fines in price-fixing case could be heavy As a global criminal investigation into price fixing among auto suppliers spreads, the lead investigator says the size and scope of the alleged wrongdoing could far excee ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Harman International, DuPont and Goodyear ...
As suppliers cut cost, fashionable LEDs move to mass market LED lights are emerging as auto industry bling, as automakers aim to give their vehicles a striking, jewellike look. Once limited to the luxury segment, LEDs, or light-em ...
BMW working on laser headlights At first glance, the BMW i8 concept's laser headlights that debuted in September looked like vaporware, gee-whiz technology that will never make it the showroom. But BMW ...
After disasters, group wants database of subsuppliers to fix bottlenecks The Automotive Industry Action Group is trying to launch a database of suppliers and their factories, part of an effort to help companies monitor subsuppliers in the wake ...
With trannys, ZF helps Chrysler meet mpg goals The move last year by Chrysler Group to outsource development of many future transmissions to ZF Friedrichshafen AG of Germany is a signal to suppliers: Some automakers f ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Severstal North America, and IAV Automotive Engineering Inc. ...
Autoliv aims for mass market with less-expensive night vision Autoliv Inc. is preparing to roll out an upgraded night-vision system next year that can identify large animals such as deer, cattle or horses in the road. The Sweden-bas ...
Feds' antitrust investigation spreads to suppliers of safety equipment Amid the headlines about the U.S. Justice Department's probe of wire harness supplier Furukawa Electric Co.'s role in a price-fixing scandal, federal scrutiny of safety e ...
When the FBI comes knocking, here's how companies can be ready Now that Furukawa Electric Co. has agreed to pay a $200 million fine for price fixing of wire harnesses, automotive suppliers might want to consider what they would do if ...
Q&A: SIDNEY JOHNSON
Delphi seeks to monitor suppliers' suppliers In the wake of Japan's March 11 earthquake, Delphi Automotive LLP is analyzing its second-, third- and fourth-tier suppliers - a group that could include tens of thousand ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Visteon Corp., Johnson Controls Inc. and LoJack Corp. ...
Suppliers' challenge: Create big space in small cars Small-car interiors no longer are an afterthought. To appeal to cost-conscious customers who want big-car amenities in small packages, automakers are empowering their des ...
Pirelli factory masters low-volume specialty tires Tire makers are struggling to produce enough low-volume specialty tires in plants that have been retooled for mass production. With their large rims and low profiles, spe ...
New chemistries -- and lower costs -- tantalize battery makers First, the good news: A top executive at SB LiMotive says it may be possible to design lithium batteries that can deliver a 300-mile daily range. ...
Q&A
Yazaki eyes low-cost parts sources outside China China may be the world's largest market - and still a tempting target for global suppliers - but it isn't the low-cost producer anymore. China's fast-rising wages have le ...
Competitors help carpet maker after flood After heavy rains and flooding last month knocked out an auto supplier's carpeting plant in Bloomsburg, Pa., General Motors and Chrysler Group were poised to lose signifi ...
All-wheel drive will grow, despite rising mpg standards Demand for all-wheel drive will grow steadily in the next few years, predicts GKN Driveline. All-wheel drive is seen as an important safety feature, overriding automakers ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Ener1 Corp. and Boston-Power Inc. ...
U.S. fuel-economy rules projected to spur at least 10% cut in car weight The U.S. government's new corporate average fuel economy target has spurred automakers to launch a campaign to slash the weight of their vehicles. There appears to be a g ...
Aluminum use seen rising 60% by 2025 The new corporate average fuel economy standards are going to force automakers to use more aluminum -- a lot more, according to a new industry study. By 2025, the average ...
Q&A
Magna will have capacity to meet rising auto demand, CEO Walker says At Magna International Inc., each division has the freedom to handle its own purchasing, and CEO Don Walker says he's determined to keep it that way. At a time when many ...
Researchers close in on solid-state auto battery Two companies are racing to develop the Holy Grail of electric and hybrid vehicles: a solid-state battery. The technology is not expected in showrooms until the next deca ...
Cooper, Goodyear, PPG each get $1.5 million in U.S. funds to boost fuel economy The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $1.5 million grants to Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and PPG Industries Inc. to study, evaluate and devel ...
In-wheel motors could reshape cars Although in-wheel motors aren't revolutionary -- Ferdinand Porsche unveiled a vehicle with them at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris -- they have the potential to change how ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Cooper Standard Holdings Inc., Tower International Inc., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Amerigon Inc. ...
Suppliers feel pressure from automakers to consolidate Alpha Group of Cos., a suburban Detroit producer of auto fasteners, received an ultimatum recently from one of its Tier 1 customers: Expand into Mexico by year end or los ...
Inteva to cut roster of suppliers in half Inteva Products, the interiors supplier spun off by Delphi Automotive in 2008, is preparing to cut its network of 1,000 suppliers by nearly half. The company wants to str ...
Severstal to make high-strength steel in Michigan Russian steelmaker OAO Severstal is making a huge investment -- $730 million -- to launch production of two types of high-strength specialty steel in its Rouge Steel plan ...
Q&A
Aisin rebounds with Toyota in North America Aisin Seiki Co., a major supplier of powertrain, brake and chassis parts, is a key member of Toyota Motor Corp.'s keiretsu. But Aisin is gaining some outside business, an ...
Raw-material costs jump; rubber, plastic resins most problematic The cost of raw materials such as steel, resins, rubber, copper and aluminum are rising, typically 10 to 20 percent from a year ago. According to a survey of 110 supplier ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Fallbrook Technologies, Nexteer Automotive, Cooper Standard Automotive, Tower Automotive and Agility Fuel Systems. ...
Ford exec team's visits to suppliers are paying off Ford Motor Co.'s purchasing operation says special steps aimed at attracting cutting-edge technology from suppliers are getting results. This year, a team of high-level F ...
Minority supplier thrives, diversifies after recession Although the recession thinned the ranks of minority-owned automotive suppliers, there is a silver lining: Some of the survivors are getting bigger and are starting to di ...
Q&A
Ford's key suppliers win more business on global vehicles Ford Motor Co.'s key suppliers are poised to reap big rewards from the automaker's campaign to design global vehicles such as the Ford Focus. In a recent interview, Ford ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Severstal North America, Denso International America Inc., Michelin North America and NSK Americas Inc. ...
Carbon fiber may move beyond exotic niche Carbon fiber -- once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars -- is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbo ...
BMW poised to lead in carbon-fiber parts BMW AG plans to begin high-volume production of carbon fiber parts in two years, which could make it the first automaker to move beyond limited-edition use of the exotic ...
In search of weight savings, automakers take another look at aluminum Now that federal regulators are considering proposals to raise fuel economy standards as high as 62 mpg, automakers are taking a fresh look at new uses for aluminum. By 2 ...
Ford expands list of preferred suppliers Ford is expanding its list of preferred suppliers by adding 17 parts suppliers and service vendors. The Aligned Business Framework program now has a total of 76 productio ...
Grede CEO goes slow on growth Grede Holdings CEO Doug Grimm is in no particular hurry to expand his North American network of 15 iron foundries and three machine shops. Several customers asked him to ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Denso Corp., Mursix Corp., HTTM and Johnson Controls Inc. ...