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Volkswagen invests €450 million in battery manufacturing joint venture with Northvolt

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Volkswagen is to construct buildings and infrastructure for the battery cell factory it has agreed to build with Northvolt. The automotive giant has made initial investment of some €450 million.

The joint venture between Volkswagen Group and the Swedish battery producer Northvolt is gaining further momentum.

It has been decided that Volkswagen itself will erect the buildings and infrastructure for the joint venture’s “Northvolt Zwei” factory that is to produce lithium-ion battery cells, in order to leverage synergies at the Salzgitter site – based on the existing Center of Excellence for Battery Cells. [Read more…] about Volkswagen invests €450 million in battery manufacturing joint venture with Northvolt

Volvo and Daimler to begin ‘large-scale production’ of hydrogen fuel cells

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Volvo and Daimler are to begin “large-scale production” of hydrogen fuel cells.

The companies say this enable them to “lead the development of sustainable transportation”.

Sharing the Green Deal vision of sustainable transport and a carbon neutral Europe by 2050, two leading companies in the commercial vehicle industry – Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group – have signed a preliminary non-binding agreement to establish a new joint venture. [Read more…] about Volvo and Daimler to begin ‘large-scale production’ of hydrogen fuel cells

GM and LG agree $2.3 billion partnership to mass-produce car battery cells

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General Motors and LG Chem have agreed a partnership to mass-produce battery cells for future electric vehicles.

Together, the companies will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally owned joint venture company.

The joint venture will establish a battery cell assembly plant on a greenfield manufacturing site in the Lordstown area of Northeast Ohio that will create more than 1,100 new jobs. [Read more…] about GM and LG agree $2.3 billion partnership to mass-produce car battery cells

Airbus inaugurates ‘highly automated’ assembly line in Germany

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Airbus has inaugurated its “highly automated” fuselage structure assembly line for A320 Family aircraft in Hamburg, showcasing an evolution in Airbus’ industrial production system.

With a special focus on manufacturing longer sections for the A321LR, the new facility features 20 robots, a new logistics concept, automated positioning by laser measurement as well as a digital data acquisition system.

These will further support Airbus’ drive to improve both quality and efficiency while bringing an enhanced level of digitalisation to its industrial production system. [Read more…] about Airbus inaugurates ‘highly automated’ assembly line in Germany

Hyundai and Aptiv form autonomous driving joint venture

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Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv are forming an autonomous driving joint venture.

The companies say the partnership “brings together one of the industry’s most innovative vehicle technology providers and one of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers”.

The joint venture will advance the design, development and commercialization of SAE Level 4 and 5 autonomous technologies, furthering the partners’ leadership position in the global autonomous driving ecosystem. [Read more…] about Hyundai and Aptiv form autonomous driving joint venture

Magna signs first complete vehicle manufacturing joint venture in China

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Magna, BAIC Group and the Zhenjiang government celebrated the signing of a framework agreement governing their electric vehicle manufacturing joint venture in Zhenjiang, China, which marks another milestone of their continued cooperation.

The transaction, which is pending regulatory approval and other closing conditions, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The joint venture, which is to be controlled by an affiliate of the BAIC Group, is Magna’s first investment in a complete vehicle manufacturing facility outside Europe.

[Read more…] about Magna signs first complete vehicle manufacturing joint venture in China

ZF and Foton open joint facility in China to produce automated commercial vehicles

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German automotive components giant ZF Friedrichshafen and Chinese commercial vehicles manufacturer Foton have jointly opened a facility to produce automated commercial vehicles.

The joint plant in Jiaxing will produce automatic commercial vehicle transmissions for the Chinese market, and the partners say they see “excellent market potential for automated commercial vehicles in the next five years”.

At the end of 2016, ZF entered into two joint ventures with Foton, a Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer, to produce and sell commercial vehicle transmissions. [Read more…] about ZF and Foton open joint facility in China to produce automated commercial vehicles

Nasa installs 7-foot-long robotic arm on Mars 2020 Rover

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Nasa has integrated a 7-foot-long robotic arm on the Mars 2020 Rover.

In the image shown above, taken about a week ago, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the main robotic arm on the Mars 2020 rover.

A smaller arm to handle Mars samples will be installed inside the rover as well. [Read more…] about Nasa installs 7-foot-long robotic arm on Mars 2020 Rover

Honda and CiNet begin joint neuroscientific research in Japan

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Honda R&D Co., Ltd., a research and development subsidiary of Honda, has begun a collaboration with the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Japan, in neuroscientific research of humans in the areas of mobility and robotics.

CiNet is a flagship research institute that focuses on the brain and artificial intelligence within the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).

Honda has recently established the Innovative Research Excellence within Honda R&D, a new centre of excellence which will be responsible for the pursuit of revolutionary advancement and the creation of values for mobility and people’s daily lives.

[Read more…] about Honda and CiNet begin joint neuroscientific research in Japan

Alstom starts production of passenger locomotives in Kazakhstan

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Alstom has started production of passenger electric locomotives at its 75%-owned EKZ joint venture in Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan.

These locomotives are part of a contract signed with KTZ (Kazakhstan Railways) for delivery and maintenance of 302 Prima T8 KZ8A and 119 Prima M4 KZ4AT electric locomotives.

Alstom is expanding manufacturing lines at EKZ including for the construction of Prima T8 freight locomotives KZ8A for Kazakhstan and the production of on-board transformers for AZ8A, for export to Azerbaijan, and now the assembly of Prima M4 passenger locomotives.

[Read more…] about Alstom starts production of passenger locomotives in Kazakhstan