Latest news with #StellantisNV
Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Inside this ‘virtual reality arena,' Stellantis aims to build a better car factory
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan - Deep inside the sprawling Chrysler Technology Center is a metal structure equipped with sensors that Stellantis NV engineers call their "virtual reality arena." Stepping into this VR laboratory, the engineers don headsets, pick up controllers, and are virtually transported to an assembly line inside any one of the automaker's North American production facilities. They can simulate what it's like to attach the doors to a Toledo-made Jeep Wrangler SUV, or connect wiring on the underbody of a Sterling Heights-built Ram 1500 pickup. The purpose behind the lab is to improve the automaker's existing assembly lines and help design new factories, specialists said in a Thursday demonstration. In virtual reality, engineers can try out out ergonomic or efficiency improvements, they said, or mock up how to install new equipment at an employee's workstation. "It's very costly to shut down an assembly plant - we never want to do that; we're not making products for our customers," said Keenan O'Brien, head of the automaker's Process Engineering Center. "So doing as much as we can in the digital world beforehand shortens that period in which we have to rely on physical trials and prototypes to get things up and running." The virtual reality room opened in 2018 and has been continually updated with better software and equipment. Several trackers mounted on the metal frame trace the movements of the person working below on the "assembly line." Stellantis has created digital mock-ups of all of its North American assembly plants and simulations of most of those plants' operations, said Joe Dzwonkowski, a virtual reality design review specialist. The automaker has in recent years opened similar VR labs at several of its European and South American sites. Even before construction began on the Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack plant that builds the Jeep Grant Cherokee more than five years ago, Dzwonkowski noted, engineers were already working inside a "digital twin" of the factory. In other instances, virtual testing helps update plants that are being converted to make new models. Those include factories switching over to make electric vehicles, which have new production processes and ergonomic concerns tied to building and installing batteries. Other automakers are using virtual reality in similar ways, said Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at communications firm Telemetry, who attended this week's Stellantis demonstration. For years, some carmakers have used it on the product design side of their operations; Abuelsamid recalled in 2016 attending a virtual walkaround of the Lucid Air electric sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But others like BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG are also using digital mock-ups to improve their manufacturing designs in similar ways as Stellantis, he said. Mercedes and chipmaker Nvidia, for instance, partnered two years ago to digitize the automaker's production processes to make better factories. Near the Stellantis virtual reality arena is a 3D printer - another tool that the automaker has increasingly turned to in recent years to improve its manufacturing sites. All of the company's North American assembly plants have been equipped with 3D printing capabilities over the last few years, said Don Clack, a 3D printing and mixed reality specialist. Those capabilities have continually improved, and the printers can now churn out hand tools used by workers, or parts and fixtures needed to keep the assembly line running. "If it can fit into the 3D printer, we can design it," said Clack, who noted that the printers use a mix of carbon fiber and fiberglass to generate components with metal-like strength. The 3D printers at each plant are helping employees respond to tricky problems. In one notable instance at Mack, a printed component helped the factory's paint shop create a cleaner two-tone paint process for the Grand Cherokee, where the dark roof needed to be crisply differentiated from the rest of the SUV's paint color. In other instances, Clack said, 3D printed parts prevented entire assembly plants from shutting down after a critical component broke down. "We really believe in keeping those (3D printing) labs as close to production as possible, so that they understand the pain points that the plant has, and then they can be agile in their responses," he said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Germany's stock markets reverse April's losses as Trump grants auto tariff relief
Germany's benchmark stock index, the DAX, rose for the sixth consecutive trading day on Tuesday, poised to recover all losses in early April. The rally reflected global market trends as the Trump administration introduced further amendments to its tariff policy, easing concerns over a possible recession. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump signed two directives aimed at reducing the tariff burden on automakers. The White House had confirmed Trump's decision on Monday, while the official documents were signed after European markets closed on Tuesday. The first executive order granted tariff relief by preventing automakers from being subjected to overlapping duties, such as those already levied on steel and aluminium. 'The rate of duty resulting from such stacking exceeds what is necessary to achieve the intended policy goals,' Trump stated in the order. In a separate proclamation, Trump revised the 25% tariff policy on auto parts, due to begin on 3 May, allowing automakers who complete vehicle assembly in the US to claim an offset equivalent to 3.75% of the retail price in the first year, through to 30 April 2026. This relief will be reduced to 2.5% in the following year. Trump told reporters that the changes were intended to give automakers time to shift production to the US, following intense lobbying from industrial leaders. Economists and analysts have warned that such tariffs would significantly increase manufacturing costs and push vehicle prices up by thousands of dollars. These negative effects, they argued, would ultimately damage the US auto industry, leading to job losses and factory closures. Related Donald Trump to offer automakers some relief on his 25% tariffs European markets rise as Trump prepares tariff reduction on auto parts Several global car manufacturers, including Stellantis NV, Ford Motor, General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG, and Toyota Motor Corp., have already planned production pauses in Canada and Mexico, or have introduced discounts to retain customers as they face risks of falling profit margins and weaker sales. Germany remains the largest European car exporter to the US, with $24.8 billion (€21.8 billion) worth of vehicles sold to America in 2024. Trump's decision to ease car tariffs is therefore seen as a positive development for Germany's auto industry and is likely to continue driving a rebound in auto-related stocks. German auto stocks have posted notable gains since Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs was announced three weeks ago. Shares in major automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and BMW have surged by nearly 20% over the period, fully reversing their losses earlier in the month. At the same time, the DAX has benefitted from a broader rally, climbing 21% from its low on 7 April and approaching its monthly high. Year-to-date, the index has risen by 13%, making it the best-performing major index globally—a stark contrast to the S&P 500, which has declined by 5.5%. The DAX now stands just 4% below its all-time high recorded in March. 'European assets are certainly gaining traction for several reasons: there's definitely the end of US exceptionalism, but there's also hope the tariffs will also come down on Europe, and the fiscal impulse in Europe as it remilitarises will be historically strong,' wrote Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at in an email. Sign in to access your portfolio
American Military News
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- American Military News
Stellantis to pause production at Detroit plants that make Grand Cherokee
Stellantis NV's Detroit Assembly Complex plants that build Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs will pause production next week, the latest of several plant cutbacks made by the automaker in recent weeks. The Mack and Jefferson North facilities in east Detroit will halt production for the week of April 28, with Mack also scheduled to take a week off starting May 19. A company notice sent to Mack workers said several types of employees working in paint and repair are still expected to report. A Stellantis statement said the plant downtime is related to the transition to a refreshed 2026 Grand Cherokee set to come out later this year, though it was not clear exactly how, as the company also said that it planned to extend production of the 2025 version of the SUV for now. 'To support a successful launch and ensure the highest build quality of the new model, we are extending production of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Assembly Complex plants,' the Stellantis statement from spokesperson Ann Marie Fortunate said. 'As a result, both Mack and Jefferson will observe a down week the week of April 28.' Both SUVs made at Detroit Assembly Complex had sluggish sales in the first quarter, with Grand Cherokee down 11% year-over-year to 48,465 units sold, and Durango falling 9% to 13,701 sold. Production at several Stellantis plants has been scaled back in recent weeks after President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on imported cars took effect at the start of April. The automaker paused production at two major assembly plants, one in Mexico and one in Canada, which triggered about 900 temporary layoffs at several of its American powertrain and stamping facilities. The Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico, which builds the Jeep Compass crossover and Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV, will remain idle through the end of the month. Meanwhile, the Windsor Assembly Plant, which builds Chrysler minivans and the Dodge Charger Daytona electric muscle car, resumes production for two shifts on Tuesday following the last two weeks off, bringing several thousand employees who were on temporary layoff back to work. 'As a result, more than half of the employees from Sterling Stamping, Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting who were put on temporary layoff when production was paused the week of April 7 also will return to work to support the Windsor operations,' the company said in a statement. Stellantis' Warren Truck Assembly Plant, which builds Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs, also remains down through early May. The company said that production stoppage was due to an engine shortage, not tariffs, as the company has recently routed more of its 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo six-cylinder engines used in the Jeep SUVs toward the better-selling Ram 1500 pickups that are made at nearby Sterling Heights Assembly Complex. ___ © 2025 Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Mint
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Europe Car Sales Rebound as UK Demand Boosts Battered Industry
European car sales returned to growth last month for the first time since December, with gains in the UK and robust demand for electric vehicles making up for weaker sales in Germany and France. New-car registrations across the region rose 2.8% in March from a year earlier to 1.42 million units, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said Thursday. The UK drove the increase with a 12% rise, while demand in Italy and Spain was also strong. The robust sales offer some relief for Europe's car industry, which is grappling with weak consumer confidence, slumping Chinese sales and now US tariffs. Automakers such as Stellantis NV and Renault SA are trying to stoke demand in Europe with cheaper electric models to help them compete with new Chinese entrants such as BYD Co. EV deliveries surged 24% in the region last month as carmakers pushed sales of their battery-powered models by offering rebates. It's unclear whether that growth will continue after the European Union decided in early March to give automakers more time to meet stricter CO2 emissions targets. Fully electric models accounted for 17% of all sales in the period. The growth in EV sales didn't extend to Tesla Inc., which saw new registrations fall 28% in Europe last month. Tesla has been consistently outsold in the bloc this year by China's SAIC Motor Corp., which owns the MG brand. Some consumers are shunning Tesla over Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's support for right-wing parties and his involvement in politics. Additional tariffs from US President Donald Trump could further dent demand in a region that's already contending with weak economic growth. Carmakers may struggle to grow sales at all in Europe this year after a small gain in 2024, with tariffs potentially shaking consumer confidence further, according to analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence. Europe's biggest manufacturers are looking at ways to respond to the auto tariffs, even as Trump said he's exploring possible temporary exemptions on imported vehicles. Stellantis has paused production in factories in Canada and Mexico, while Mercedes-Benz Group AG weighs withdrawing its least expensive cars from the US and moving production of another vehicle model to the country. BMW AG is contemplating additional shifts at its South Carolina plant. To compete with EVs from Chinese manufacturers like BYD or Xpeng Inc., European automakers are wooing customers with cheaper battery-powered models, such as Renault's €25,000 R5 E-tech and Stellantis' Citroën ë-C3 city car. With assistance from Stefan Nicola. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 12:04 PM IST
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Stellantis to pause production at Detroit plants that make Grand Cherokee
Stellantis NV's Detroit Assembly Complex plants that build Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs will pause production next week, the latest of several plant cutbacks made by the automaker in recent weeks. The Mack and Jefferson North facilities in east Detroit will halt production for the week of April 28, with Mack also scheduled to take a week off starting May 19. A company notice sent to Mack workers said several types of employees working in paint and repair are still expected to report. A Stellantis statement said the plant downtime is related to the transition to a refreshed 2026 Grand Cherokee set to come out later this year, though it was not clear exactly how, as the company also said that it planned to extend production of the 2025 version of the SUV for now. "To support a successful launch and ensure the highest build quality of the new model, we are extending production of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Assembly Complex plants," the Stellantis statement from spokesperson Ann Marie Fortunate said. "As a result, both Mack and Jefferson will observe a down week the week of April 28." Both SUVs made at Detroit Assembly Complex had sluggish sales in the first quarter, with Grand Cherokee down 11% year-over-year to 48,465 units sold, and Durango falling 9% to 13,701 sold. Production at several Stellantis plants has been scaled back in recent weeks after President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on imported cars took effect at the start of April. The automaker paused production at two major assembly plants, one in Mexico and one in Canada, which triggered about 900 temporary layoffs at several of its American powertrain and stamping facilities. The Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico, which builds the Jeep Compass crossover and Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV, will remain idle through the end of the month. Meanwhile, the Windsor Assembly Plant, which builds Chrysler minivans and the Dodge Charger Daytona electric muscle car, resumes production for two shifts on Tuesday following the last two weeks off, bringing several thousand employees who were on temporary layoff back to work. "As a result, more than half of the employees from Sterling Stamping, Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting who were put on temporary layoff when production was paused the week of April 7 also will return to work to support the Windsor operations," the company said in a statement. Stellantis' Warren Truck Assembly Plant, which builds Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs, also remains down through early May. The company said that production stoppage was due to an engine shortage, not tariffs, as the company has recently routed more of its 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo six-cylinder engines used in the Jeep SUVs toward the better-selling Ram 1500 pickups that are made at nearby Sterling Heights Assembly Complex. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
