With TRW touch pad, drivers write commands to cut distraction TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has introduced an infotainment touch pad that can be molded onto the surface of a vehicle's armrest, steering wheel or dashboard. The touch ... Read More »
Nylon snafu highlights need for many sources of raw material The auto industry has become acutely aware of the dangers of a supply chain in which one Tier 3 manufacturer might produce the bulk of a key raw material such as nylon 12 ... Read More »
Q&A: AUTOLIV'S STEVE FREDIN
Small cars need smarter seat belts, airbags Airbags and seat belts -- mature products for suppliers -- are getting a fresh look from automakers that are trying to secure five-star crash ratings for small cars, says ...
Price dispute won't hinder supplies to Eberspaecher - for now Eberspaecher North America's price dispute with a Tier 2 supplier won't affect its ability to receive parts, at least for now. A federal judge in Detroit has granted a pr ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Accuride Corp., Comprehensive Logistics Inc., Ricardo Inc. and Power Drives Inc. ...
At Infiniti and Hyundai, humans backstop voice commands Despite voice recognition's growing popularity, two brands - Infiniti and Hyundai - have hedged their bets on infotainment systems by using call centers to backstop voice ...
Belt maker Autoliv pursues crash avoidance Autoliv Inc., the world's largest maker of airbags and seat belts, continues to muscle into collision avoidance. After a series of acquisitions, the company is developing ...
Cars that drive themselves? They're coming Driverless vehicles, which allow an onboard computer to accelerate, brake and steer in place of the motorist, may be closer than you think. Continental AG has equipped a ...
China parts flow briskly to U.S., but will it last? Fast-rising labor wages have shaken China's claim as the world's lowest-cost auto parts producer, but it's unclear whether this means the flow of Chinese parts to the Uni ...
Asian suppliers lead EV battery race Asian battery suppliers are poised to dominate the global automotive market for lithium ion batteries, a report by Pike Research of Boulder, Colo., concludes. LG Chem Ltd ...
Q&A
Johnson Controls has high hopes for rugged new starter batteries Lithium ion batteries may be the battery industry's glamour product, but Johnson Controls Inc. is betting heavily on an upgraded version of the lowly starter battery for ...
Suppliers race to fill fresh orders in North America Now that annualized U.S. vehicle sales have breached 15 million units, suppliers are trying to head off possible production bottlenecks. In a survey of 109 manufacturers ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Robert Bosch LLC, Pirelli & C. S.p.A., Meritor Inc. and Visteon Corp. ...
With Japanese back, production expected to rise in second quarter North America's auto industry will gain more momentum in the second quarter. LMC Automotive has forecast North American assembly plants will build 3.6 million light vehic ...
Mandate for back-up cameras should boost infotainment market A federal mandate to require backup cameras in all vehicles, expected Feb. 29, will be a bonanza for suppliers of collision-avoidance equipment. But the mandate also coul ...
Sync to adopt more conversational commands The voice recognition software that has made the Apple iPhone 4 such a big hit is finding its way into automotive infotainment. Nuance Communications, the company that de ...
Supplier personnel Personnel changes for Behr America, the Automotive Industry Action Group and Continental AG ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...