33 minute read
SO THIS IS STELLANTIS
Carlos Tavares, CEO, Stellantis on why the $52 billion merger of PSA and Fiat was born out of necessity
Bringing together two groups of the size of Peugeot owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is no easy task. From the 16 January 2021, the pair formally combined under the corporate umbrella of Stellantis and it will be the job of CEO Carlos Tavares to oversee a transition that hopes to follow the example set by other super-groups such as the VW-led Traton to forge a new profitable path for the 14 brands now inside the new brief.
“This has been a very intense journey since we signed the binding agreement back in December 2019,” he begins, adding that the intensive process brought together cross-company teams to deliver over 12,500 pages of documents for the different filings that needed to make the trans-Atlantic corporation a legal entity.
Tavares says this was managed in “very good timing” and with no delays even as the Covid-19 crisis raged on. He says that the pandemic is only one challenge of many facing the new group.
“This merger is not a defensive move. Of course, there is a defensive dimension based on the challenges that we see ahead of us and certainly this merged company will help us to overcome those challenges, but there will be also an offensive move to make sure that we start this new company with a new mindset with open eyes looking at what is stimulating us in the marketplace.”
During a formal media briefing explaining the move, Tavares is at pains to stress that the core problem shared by the US and European brands of Stellantis is the search for profitability at a time of global uncertainty as well as vulnerability to the threats of rising competition in its core markets of North America, Europe and the Middle East.
Digging into the numbers from each of those markets, he says the Americas represent 44% of the group’s turnover and its even stronger across the Atlantic with 46% of turnover coming from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
While brands like Chrysler, Peugeot and Fiat hold onto their status as well-known car and van names with consumers, the reality is they are in a desperate fight for survival. Cost pressures on each means they can be stronger together than apart, the Stellantis CEO says, adding that the group is squeezing out an extra 5 billion Euros by using common engineering assets, as well as smarter procurement focusing on the cost competitiveness of everything the group buys. He explains that both strands represent 80% of variable costs in the busines before proudly stating that much of the savings are coming from suggestions and ideas of teams throughout the organisation.
“This unique company is going to have a different sense of competition and will be able to develop more efficiency and effectiveness. It will be able to grasp opportunities and will become at the end of the day,” says Tavares.
“We believe that standard is needs to be great rather than big. We want to gain scale, and of course make sure that we use this scale to develop innovation. We will use this scale as a lever to be more disruptive and do things that some other companies could not do.”
To create this ‘disruptive’ culture, Tavares is clearly taking inspiration from big technology companies that want to bottle the fire that powers smaller entrepreneurial firms. He says Stellantis is creating a great place to work to attract the best talents. Expanding the point, he says this should mean the company can provide “great products and great services” while making a contribution to the communities its brands serve.
“(We will) find great ways to innovate and great ways to be creative and innovative using the power of scale. We want to be a great rather than big company but, of course, if things are properly done, wil eventually become an even bigger company.”
In some ways, it is difficult to see how. The combination of PSA and FCA represents a footprint that sells cars in more than 130 countries and an R&D and industrial operation spread across more than 30 countries. It also boasts a leading market position in at least three regions, including some parts of the Middle East. Tavares says this is a strong foundation but there is a long way to go if the group is going achieve his ambition of making Stellantis a leader in mobility.
He adds: “The combined entity as a consequence based on the 2019 numbers had an adjusted operating profit of around 12 billion euros and adjusted operating profit margin of around seven percent. And then automotive operational free cash flow of above 5 billion euros. So it’s very, very strong. And our purpose is to use this power this scale to do great things and to be offensive. We will bring innovative solutions to the
AN INTENSE JOURNEY
Carlos Tavares describes bringing together PSA and FCA as a “very intense journey” but the merger will provide protection for brands like Peugeot, Fiat and Chrysler at the start of a new era for the automotive industry.
GREAT RATHER THAN BIG
Stellantis wants to gain scale but also focus on being a disruptive and positive for in the industry.
THE RIGHT TIMING
Stellantis wants to be in the right place with the right timing while focusing on digital-led services.
new mobility era in which we are going to be hopefully one of the major players.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call to bloated large corporations that have been unable to instigate the sort of nimble side-stepping decisions needed to get procurement, production and delivery to adjust to volatile demand and supply shortages. It is too early to judge whether the creation of what Tavares describes as nine major committees within the group will give the organisation the agility to be the upwardly mobile disrupter he wants, but he is convinced it can enable Stellantis to react far more quickly to changes in the market from now on.
“We can make all the relevant decisions of the company like ours in a professional way and in a focused, fast way,” he explains; sharing that vitally the top management on the board recognised that more power needs to be shared across the group. “I think everybody feels that this is the right way for a company like ours and we will make sure that we are going to use this in our large family for a significant and intensive internal benchmarking.
He adds: “We need to understand that the covid-19 crisis has clearly shown us that we need to be more disruptive and this is exactly what we have in mind. We are going to
leverage the diversity of our people. They are coming from very different horizons and each of them needs to stay where he or she is right now because we love them. It is going to be our job – my job – to leverage this fantastic diversity of the company to create exciting proposals to the universe in which we operate. By the way, we can compare our diversity with the lack of diversity of some of our competitors, and I believe that having a highly diverse company is a strength in today’s world.”
Turning to the challenges of the market, Tavares again suggests that the merger needs to be as offensive as it is defensive.
“This is not only about being excellent in a zero-emission mobility, autonomous vehicles and connected vehicles. It is also about being provocative with our business models; doing different things; understanding that we need to move more onto the tech company side.”
Progress from now on will be judged on how well Stellantis is able to pull its enviable list of commercial vehicles and vans; its pickups; passenger vehicles; SUV crossovers into the orbit of consumers in the digital space. Any new car or van buyer – or even current owner needing servicing or parts – is now more likely to be using an app or PC to get what they need, including the services of fleets. With one eye on growing in the Chinese market, Tavares still wants to build into this space; recognising this will mean a raft of new services while selling more vehicles in more territories.
“We can be in the right place with the right timing to harvest what we need to ensure the sustainability of the company. We are in key markets. We still have an opportunity to do something good in China. We are making money in the Americas. We’re making money in Europe. We have the Technologies. We have the products. We have the people and the execution capability: “If we look at the long-term goals that we are
STELLANTIS IS SET ON ‘BRIGHTENING’ UP THE MARKET
The name Stellantis is rooted in the Latin verb “stello” meaning “to brighten with stars”. It draws inspiration from this new and ambitious alignment of storied automotive brands and strong company cultures that in coming together are creating one of the new leaders in the next era of mobility while at the same time preserving all the exceptional value and the values of its constituent parts.
Stellantis combines the scale of a truly global business with an exceptional breadth and depth of talent, knowhow and resource capable of providing the sustainable mobility solutions for the coming decades. The name’s Latin origins pay tribute to the rich history of its founding companies while the evocation of astronomy captures the true spirit of optimism, energy and renewal driving this industry-changing merger.
The process of identifying the new name began soon after the Combination Agreement was announced and the senior management of both companies have been closely involved throughout, supported by Publicis Group.
The Stellantis name will be used exclusively at the Group level, as a Corporate brand. The next step in the process will be the unveiling of a logo that with the name will become the corporate brand identity. The names and the logos of the Stellantis Group’s constituent brands will remain unchanged.
going to be working on. We recognise that we need to exceed our customers expectations. Many things can be done to enhance our performance. Our company will have to be carbon neutral as the condition to operate in the markets and the communities where we want to make business. This is going to be at the core of our long-term strategic plan.
“Those are some of the long-term goals that we want to achieve and understanding what are the business models for freedom of mobility in the future.”
According to Tavares, electric vehicle sales are going to represent more than one-third of the total sales for the group and possibly more Europe.
“We understand that the share of mobility will be increasing and we are happy that we have now understood how to make money on the car sharing activities and mobility service activities we do. 5G enable vehicles are expected to reach 16 million in the US, Europe and China by 2030 and that there will be a new comers and disruptors that represent a strong stimulation for us teams,” he remarks, adding that regulation and the need to create new dedicated mobility technology could raise the cost of a vehicle by as much as 20-40%.
“This is, of course, is what is going to drive the offensive part of the long-term planning of Stellantis. We also understand that the cost of those new technologies like electrification will be significant. This cost is going to increase significantly and we see the merit of the scale here to dilute those costs – being a variable cost in terms of volume – scale effect for the competitiveness of the procurements or R&D and cap-ex which will be diluted on the wider basis in terms of sales. All of this is going to give us the ability to face the challenges that we have ahead and all of this is demonstrating the merger of PSA into FCA is the right move and the right timing.”
To make the transition into mobility, Stellantis has developed two separate leasing brands Free2Move and Leasys. It has also partnered with Google-owned high tech company Waymo to create autonomous vehicle technology.
The greatest progress has arguably been made in the area of emission reductions with all the major components of its electric powertrains now manufactured and engineered in house, “which of course puts us in control of our destiny for those components being that electric motors, automatic electrified transmissions, battery packs, battery cells. are going to be developed
RAMPING UP EV PRODUCTION
The creation of Stellantis means that the group now has 29 EV models currently on sale. The number is expected to ramp up significantly this year with 39 electrified models, including vans from Peugeot and Fiat, ready for showrooms by 2022.
STELLANTIS AS A SHIELD
The creation of Stellantis protects the jobs of thousands of workers that would’ve been lost if the brands had continued to operate separately, says Tavares.
and manufactured either in-house or with JVs.”
He adds: “The scale is going to help us significantly to dilute the R&D and capex costs and to have a better procurement position to deliver on what we believe is the challenge for the next five years: delivering safe, clean and affordable mobility.”
The creation of Stellantis means that the group now has 29 EV models currently on sale. The number is expected to ramp up significantly this year with 39 electrified models, including vans from Peugeot and Fiat, ready for showrooms by 2022: “For each model, there will be an electrified version
We want to be a great rather than big company”
of that model. The real challenge is to make those models affordable so that we can keep the customer base that we have today,” says Tavares before suggesting that governments must avoid penalising car makers for the pre-baked carbon footprint of production while not doing enough to ensure the affordability of low emission vehicles.
“The state-of-the-art is that electrification is not a cheap technology. It’s complex. It’s costly. The costs will go down as the volume scan effects will appear but, so far, I don’t think it is a technology that you can deploy all over the world. Many of those communities don’t have the purchasing power power to afford the cost increase in the price increase that goes along with it.”
Returning to the scale of the company – Stellantis employs over 400,000 people – he argues that it is the size of group that will ensure the company can invest in R&D and streamlining its procurement to keep its vehicles price competitive. Likewise, he further suggests that the creation of Stellantis can protect the livelihoods of thousands of workers that would’ve been lost if the brands had continued to operate separately: “Stellantis is a shield. We are bringing the scale to dilute the R&D and capex over a wider volume base. Better cost competitiveness in procurement, helps affordability and helps to keep the customer base which then prevents bad things from happening.”
He concludes: “We are blessed with a 14-brand iconic portfolio. Those brands will absorb our passion for freedom of mobility as we understand that freedom of mobility is becoming an even stronger expectation. After the lockdown situations, everybody understands the extent to which it is important and why the freedom of mobility can be delivered by a mobility device called an automobile.
FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST
General Motors chairman Mary Barra lays out why BrightDrop re-writes the firstto-last-mile delivery rule book
It’s been three years since General Motors took the stage of CES in Las Vegas to share its vision of a future with zero crashes zero emissions and zero congestion.
At the time, the ground-breaking Chevrolet Bolt, its first affordable long-range EV, had been launched but the US giant felt the car was only one step in a journey towards developing a broader range of vehicles. Fastforward to 2021 and its chairman Mary Barra stepped up again to open up on how the company will now move into the burgeoning B2B EV space with BrightDrop, an entirely new business which will offer an ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software and services to empower delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently.
The BrightDrop solutions are designed to help businesses lower costs, maximise productivity, improve employee safety and freight security, and support overall sustainability efforts, she says.
“BrightDrop offers a smarter way to deliver goods and services,” adds the GM chairman and CEO. “We are building on our significant expertise in electrification, mobility applications, telematics and fleet management, with a new one-stop-shop solution for commercial customers to move goods in a better, more sustainable way.”
BrightDrop signals GM’s current confidence in its strategy to use the brainboxes of its Global Innovation organisation which has recently overseen the launch of several vertical startups, such as OnStar Insurance, OnStar Guardian and GM Defense. Last year, GM revealed an all-new modular platform powered by its Ultium batteries system intended to power electric vehicles in every segment “to meet the needs of every person”. From a growth strategy standpoint, this new business will unlock areas of B2B, expansion of its Ultium platform and software and service opportunities, says Barra.
“For every face you see here at CES, there are thousands more quietly getting the job done in Detroit, Shanghai and around the world including 20,000 software electrical engineers on the front lines of technological change.
She continues: “And we’re hiring more three thousand new positions in our electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle programmes.
Working on the cutting edge technology that is redefining mobility,” she explains.
“Our vision for the future is a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. The key to unlock that vision is electrification: starting with the advances in technology that are helping accelerate our vision and the GM ultim platform is the world’s first hyper skill electrical vehicle platform with the power to make almost any vehicle an electrical vehicle.
Barra adds: “This will be the best large format cells in the industry optimised to provide sufficient power for multiple vehicle designs.”
GM is manufacturing the cells in-house as part of a joint venture with LG and Barra explains that the cells will produce 60% more energy capacity than its existing electrical battery cells. She attributes the boost to the use if a flat rectangular pouch design that reduces the space between cells and can be stacked more efficiently into modules for higher energy density in a smaller space.
This will be the best large format cells in the industry optimised to provide sufficient power for multiple vehicle designs
GM is manufacturing the cells in-house as part of a joint venture with LG and Barra explains that the cells will produce 60% more energy capacity than its existing electrical battery cells. She attributes the boost to the use if a flat rectangular pouch design that reduces the space between cells and can be stacked more efficiently into modules for higher energy density in a smaller space.
“We can use 6, 8, 10 or double stack up to 24 modules in a single pad, depending on the power requirements of the vehicle. The end result of all these innovations is a battery that will produce up to 450 miles of range on a single charge.”
She adds that GM is combining the array with an incredibly flexible propulsion system called Autumn Drive which uses five interchangeable drive units to deliver front rear or all-wheel drive from a single system.
“We want to re-imagine the whole concept of vehicle ownership and driving and we’re calling that reimagined experience Ultifi,” she remarks. “Ultifi is a promise of a more personal EV experience, putting you in control the vehicle intelligence platform gives us the ability to deliver over-the-air updates to your vehicle. You should expect both ongoing free updates as well as opportunities to purchase premium content and feature upgrades.”
BEYOND DELIVERIES
In an addition to deliveries and logistics services, BrightDrop will also assist with maintenance needs, including securing parts and scheduling repairs.
At the centre of it all, says Barra, will be the all-new mobile app experiences: my Cadillac and my Chevrolet, mygmc, mybuick which are all coming in this Spring.
“These apps provide a remote control for your vehicle that will continually evolve and advance over time.”
Ultimately, Barra and GM strongly believe that as a new business BrightDrop can reimagine commercial delivery and logistics for an “all-electric future”. The intention is for Brightdrop to provide fleets with an ecosystem of smart connected products including electric vehicles and software enabled services; offering commercial delivery companies a platform for sustainable growth.
Surprisingly, at CES, GM led with the Brightdrop EP-1 (not EV1 as incorrectly reported elsewhere) an electric-propelled pallet that helps reduce the time and physical effort required for couriers to get goods from the delivery van to the front door. The EP-1’s electric motor makes it easier for couriers to move around alongside, T&FME’s personal headline act, the all-new bright drop EV600 electric van. As Barra describes, the Brightrop EV600 will be built on the Altium platform using the same high energy modular architecture and is targeted to provide up to 250 miles of range. The first EV600s will be delivered towards the end of this year.
She adds: “A number of bright drop concepts are being explored such as a medium distance solution that transports multiple EP-1s and a rapid load delivery concept designed to load and unload ep-1s on and off the vehicle with ease we’re also planning to add to our existing electric vehicle fleet by partnering with brightdrop to introduce the EV600s to our line-up.”
GM estimates that by 2025, the combined market opportunity for parcel,
INTRODUCING BRIGHTDROP EP1
BrightDrop’s first product to market, the EP1, will be a propulsion-assisted, electric pallet developed to easily move goods over short distances – for example, from the delivery vehicle to the customer’s front door. Available in early 2021, the EP1 can help reduce package touch points, costs and physical strain on delivery drivers. EP1 features and benefits include: • Built-in electric hub motors with adjustable speed up to 3 mph depending on operator’s walking pace. • Maneuverable in tight spaces. • Carries and secures
approximately 23 total cubic feet of cargo. • Payload capacity of 200 pounds. • Adjustable shelving organizes contents. • Lockable cabinet doors allow for secure, remote access to contents.
food delivery and reverse logistics in the U.S. will be over $850 billion.
According to the World Economic Forum, demand for urban last-mile delivery, fueled by e-commerce, is expected to grow by 78% by 2030, leading to a 36 percent increase in delivery vehicles in the world’s top 100 cities. At the same time, this increase in demand is expected to cause delivery-related carbon emissions to rise by nearly one-third.
To help meet this surge in demand, while reducing the impact on the planet, BrightDrop is developing an integrated set of solutions to help improve almost every aspect of first-tolast-mile delivery. The BrightDrop ecosystem also includes an integrated, cloud-based software platform, which provides customers visibility and access to their BrightDrop
60%
products through both web and mobile interfaces. Built-in connectivity provides businesses with detailed data and insights that can help improve overall operations, including route efficiency, asset utilization and product upgrades. Drivers and couriers can utilise the mobile application for a variety of tasks.
Furthermore, BrightDrop’s mobile asset management ensures EP1 connectivity and provides customers real-time features, including location monitoring, battery status, remote commands to lock and unlock, and over-the-air updates of connected features.
In terms of fleet management, EV600 connectivity provides fleet operators remote access, real-time location, battery and charging management, driver safety coaching and incident recording, remote diagnostics, safety alerts and predictive maintenance insights, and over-the-air updates.
It was clear during CES that the EP1 and EV600 are only the beginning in terms of GM’s plans for the B2B sector and BrightDrop is set to continue to grow its product offerings over time to include a portfolio of integrated, zero-emissions products to help drive further efficiencies and address emerging customer needs. A number of concepts are being explored, such as a medium-distance solution that transports multiple EP1s, and a rapid load delivery vehicle concept.
BrightDrop is also being prepped for a full scale launch into the industry with ex-venture capital firm Redpoint Ventures executive Travis Katz joining as BrightDrop as president and CEO. In his previous role, Katz held the enviable role of entrepreneur-in-residence and has an extensive background as a technology leader, entrepreneur and investor. This, combined with his track record of scaling global businesses, will help BrightDrop further GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, says the company.
BrightDrop will initially serve customers in the US and Canada. It will have a customer support team to assist with every aspect of operating and servicing BrightDrop products, including supporting charging and infrastructure installation, advising on upfitting services, and retrofitting a current fleet vehicle to integrate with BrightDrop products. BrightDrop support services will also assist with maintenance needs, including securing parts and scheduling repairs.
Customers will connect with BrightDrop through an independent sales and service network, leveraging a newly established BrightDrop dealer network to support vehicle sales and service.
In the immediate future, BrightDrop and FedEx are partnering to build on their initial EP1 pilot programme which proved FedEx Express couriers were able to effectively and safely handle 25 percent more packages per day with the pallets. The two firms said during CES that a second pilot has been scheduled to take place in one of the biggest urban centres of the U.S. in Q1 2021. FedEx Express is also slated to be the first customer of the EV600, receiving their vehicles later this year.
“Our need for reliable, sustainable transportation has never been more important,” says Richard Smith, FedEx
THE FIRST TO THE LAST MILER: BRIGHTDROP EV600
BrightDrop’s second product to market will be the EV600 — an electric light commercial vehicle purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services over long ranges. It will combine zero-emissions driving with a range of advanced safety and convenience features more common in consumer electric vehicles. EV600 features and benefits include: • Powered by the Ultium battery system, the EV600 is targeted to have an estimated range of up to 250 miles on a full charge1. • Peak charge rate of up to 170
miles of EV range per hour via 120kW DC fast charging. • Over 600 cubic feet of cargo area. • Available at a GVWR of less than 10,000 pounds. • Standard safety features include: Front and Rear Park
Assist, Automatic Emergency
Braking, Forward Collision
Alert, Following Distance
Indicator, Front Pedestrian
Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure
Warning, IntelliBeam automatic high beams and
HD Rear Vision Camera. • Additional opitional safety and driver assistance features:
Rear Cross Traffic Braking,
Blind Zone Steering Assist,
Reverse Automatic Braking,
HD Surround Vision, Rear
Pedestrian Alert, Enhanced
Automatic Emergency
Braking, among others. • Cargo area security system with motion sensors to help keep cargo secure. • A 13.4-inch-diagonal, fullcolor infotainment screen. • Front sliding pocket doors, wide cabin walkways and a large auto-open cargo bulkhead door all contribute to optimise driver efficiency.
THE ULTIMATE BATTERY?
Barra says the range and capacity of General Motors’ Ultim batteries places it at the forefront of EV technology.
READY TO ROLL OFF PRODUCTION
Early customer interest in the EV600 has been strong, with the first vehicles to be delivered by the end of this year, confirmed Barra (pictured).
SCALING UP DEVELOPMENT
GM has committed to investing $27 billion through to 2025 so that it can bring 30 EVs to market.
Express regional president of the Americas and executive vice president of global support. “BrightDrop is a perfect example of the innovations we are adopting to transform our company as time-definite express transportation continues to grow. With this new suite of products, we will help improve the safety, security and timeliness of FedEx Express deliveries, while reducing our environmental impact and protecting the well-being of our couriers.”
Early customer interest in the EV600 has been strong, with the first vehicles to be delivered by the end of this year. BrightDrop expects to make the EV600s available to more customers to order starting in early 2022.
Opening GM Exhibit Zero at CES 2021 GM Chief Marketing Officer
Deborah Wahl was almost breathless as she set-out the company’s take on the challenges and opportunities of EVs.
“We’ve built not only an Ultim battery platform that can deliver more range more affordability and at scale we also talked about the vehicle intelligence platform which is the software platform now which all the vehicles will use and my message to everyone is that means that driving an EV will give you a completely different driving and ownership experience.
She added: “It allows us to be much more engaged with your with you as you’re driving the vehicle can be much more responsive to your needs. It allows for much more advancements. We have a really committed group of people inside the company incredible talent across the board that’s what’s allowed us to actually transform battery technology and get to the state now that we’re confident that we can offer EVs for everyone in in across the board so it’s the right moment and i think those things that we have from the legacy part of our company are actually going to enable us to be very fast and move very quickly forward
“I think what we want to do is see the impact on people’s perceptions about owning and driving EVs – that’s certainly number one. We’re also looking to make sure that people really understand our commitment to it as I said we’re committed to investing $27 billion through 2025 so that we can bring 30 EVs to market by 2025 and the point of this campaign is really communicating that and making sure and creating enthusiasm for that future.”
AXALTA SHINES AN ‘ELECTROLIGHT’ ON MOBILITY / DUBAI BOOST FOR RB AUCTIONS / CURSOR X ENGINE SCOOPS 2020 AWARD / SCHEUERLE MODERNISES SPMT POWER
WORKSHOP
Axalta’s ElectroLight is 2021 colour of the year
NEW SHADE ‘LIGHTS UP THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY’ WITH HIGH VISIBILITY FOR LIDAR AND RADAR SYSTEMS
COATINGS
Global paints and coatings major Axalta has announced its 2021 Global Automotive Color of the Year – “ElectroLight”, which is formulated with reflective properties that make it highly visible to light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, while its layer structure and pigment content are easily transmissible by radio detection and ranging (radar) systems.
Axalts said that with fully autonomous vehicles close to becoming a reality, which will increasingly rely on LiDAR and radar technology to see and interact with the world around them, ElectroLight meets industry safety standards and improves the performance of both types of systems, making it a stand-out color option in both trend and technology.
A statement from the company described the new colour as an “expressively refreshing greenyellow hue with inspired bold, contemporary flavors that echo style, energy and flair. The unique personality of ElectroLight evokes a blend of sporty design elements with functional performance and offers great versatility when combined with two-tone charcoal color accents or matte finishes on a variety of mobility solutions,” said the statement from Axalta.
Hadi Awada, senior vice president at Axalta, added: “Offering innovative products that are ahead of the curve is what we live and breathe every day at Axalta. ElectroLight is another step toward illuminating a path for a green future for all type of vehicles, including autonomous vehicles. Formulated with mobility-sensing technology, ElectroLight combines a passion for individualisation with coating science into a functional, expressive and dynamic colour.”
Nancy Lockhart, global product manager of colour at Axalta, said: “Our 2021 colour evokes sustainability, happiness and safety. ElectroLight is at the forefront of today’s colour trends, while anticipating emerging technology advances.”
COLOURS BECOMING CUSTOMISABLE
Interest in automotive colours with a more customised and personalised look are becoming increasingly desirable. Green has influenced both blue and yellow colour palettes within today’s vehicle market trends, driving colours into a more eco-centric theme, says Axalta.
MAGNA TYRES LAUNCHES NEW RS TYRES
TYRES
Magna Tyres has announced the launch of the 18.00-25 Magna M-Stacker (IND-4), the latest addition to its material handling tyre line-up.
A statement from the Magna Tyres Group said the new tyre is a more advanced model for use on reach stackers, empty container handlers and heavy-duty forklifts designed to improve the efficiency and productivity of cargo operations. The new Magna port tyre is available in two versions: M-Stacker and M-Stacker+, where the difference is in the tread depth of 55mm in the former and 70mm in the latter.
“The Magna M-Stacker has been developed starting from the already proven MB01 tread design. Through years of experience, technical analysis by the R&D department and cooperation with leading ports and terminals, we have managed to design a tyre that meets the ever-increasing demands of pick-and-stack equipment,” added Magna in its launch statement.
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: ROUNDING UP THE BEST AND MOST PRACTICAL TECH FROM CES 2021, DRIVER SURVEY AND DHL INSIGHT
CURSOR X ENGINE TOPS DESIGN AWARDS
ENGINES
Engine maker FPT Industrial’s Cursor X modular, multi-power multi-application power source concept has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Good Design Award.
The CNH Industrial Group’s engine arm said the Cursor X “represents a symbol of how FPT Industrial conceives innovation: an engine concept ‘designed for Planet Earth’”. Jointly developed by FPT together with the CNH Industrial Design Centre, Cursor X is strongly identified by its main features that shape the architecture, logic and operational mode of the power unit of the future, said the manufacturer.
David Wilkie, head of the CNH Industrial Design Centre, said: “We take enormous pride in receiving the 2020 Good Design Award. Designing a concept engine is really something special. It is completely reimagining the engine as we know it. The award is a testament to the conceptual work done and to our commitment to realising innovative ideas to illuminate our future. With Cursor X we can tune the powertrain solution to achieve a unique set-up for each mission, each vehicle, each machine. Thanks to its modular approach, the Cursor X is ready to become the protagonist in every mission, inspiring the next era.”
Egle Panzella, manager, Brand Equity, Sustainability and Heritage at FPT Industrial, added: “We are all more than happy that the 2020 Good Design Award jury recognised our unique engine concept ‘designed for Planet Earth’. In the future we can imagine engines to be part of the external body of the vehicle and it should be beautiful, not only performing. Cursor X is a new powertrain unit, capable of using any available and above all sustainable energy source. Cursor X can run on full battery electric.
SCHEUERLE MODERNISES POWER PACK UNITS
ENGINES
Scheuerle has upgraded its Power Pack Units (PPU) Z180 and Z390 used to drive Self Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) modules, increasing the levels of user-friendliness of the new 12inch touch display and extensively optimising diagnostic possibilities.
PPUs of the Z180 and Z390 series serve as drive units for vehicles of Scheuerle’s SPMT series. According to the manufacturer, they are suitable for use even under the most difficult of conditions such as extreme temperatures in deserts. The Z180 drives 16 through to a maximum of 40 pendulum axles while the Z390 propels 26 up to a maximum of 80 pendulum axles, each with a 48t axle load. The PPUs provide 180kW (Z180) or 390kW (Z390) of power respectively.
The new colour display on the Z180 and Z390 PPU at the head end of the drive unit is designed for better visibility. It now measures 12-inches and Scheuerle adds that the information is displayed according to the latest design standards, with the high information content of the display screen neatly arranged. In addition, all graphic elements are shown in such a way that they are self-explanatory. Thanks to the clear, modern design, the operator can see the most important information on hydraulics, engine functions and fill levels at a glance via the start page of the main menu, the manufacturer adds.
Important performance data, control data and filling levels are graphically displayed in a clear and easily understandable manner. Control icons indicate special operating conditions as well as other essential information such as Adblue and fuel levels. The touch-screen control also provides the user with quick access to the various sub-menus and thus to all essential vehicle data.
RB CLOSES 2020 WITH STRONG DUBAI TURNOUT
AUCTIONS
Ritchie Bros. has reported sales of over 1,450 pieces of equipment, trucks and other items for more than 210 of its consigning customers in its last online machinery and heavy equipment auction of 2020 in Dubai held in December.
According to the global machinery and heavy equipment auctioneers, over 1,200 online bidders from 83 countries registered for the Dubai event, which concluded on December 16. More than 40% of the equipment in the auction was purchased by bidders from countries outside the UAE, including Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. The auction was conducted entirely online using Ritchie Bros.’ easy-touse Online Timed Auction system.
The Dubai auction inventory ranged from excavators, wheel loaders, crawler tractors and backhoes through to articulated dump trucks, mobile cranes and more. This edition of the auction also saw increased numbers of buses, pickup trucks and passenger vehicles being consigned, further broadening the auction inventory and range of options for buyers.
“We saw an impressive number of registered bidders participate in our December online auction,” said Eduard Faig, regional sales manager at Ritchie Bros., Middle East. “We received a lot of positive feedback from online bidders who told us how easy it was to use our Online Timed Auction system.”
Bidders could research sale items on the Ritchie Bros. website and app, or in person during viewing days, following the strict health, safety and physical distancing precautions in place at the Dubai auction site.
UNDER A VIRTUAL HAMMER
Timed Auctions have no physical auctioneer, with bidding open for several days, with auction lots closing at staggered times during the final days.
