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Automotive News

South Africa must consider charging strategies before investing in EVs

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th November 2018 South Africa needs to develop controlled charging strategies before it embarks on large-scale investment in electric vehicles (EVs), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research research engineer Paseka Mabina said during the South African Energy Efficiency Confederation conference, on... →

Motus about more than car sales, says acting CEO

By: Irma Venter 14th November 2018 Motus is on track to list on the JSE on November 22, in the specialised retail sector, following the unbundling of the Imperial group into its two main businesses: Imperial Logistics and Motus, with the latter housing all of its automotive related activities. Imperial was, in fact, founded as a... →

Ockert Janse van Rensburg

Strong relationship bodes well for boosting India/South Africa trade and investment

By: Rebecca Campbell 13th November 2018 South Africa and India already have a solid framework for strong relations, not least in the areas of trade and investment, Indian High Commissioner to South Africa (Ms) Ruchira Kamboj tells Engineering News Online. "India and South Africa are old friends and historical partners," she highlights.... →

Electrifying the world no panacea for global warming, IEA says

By: Bloomberg 13th November 2018 Driving electric cars and scrapping your natural gas-fired boiler won’t make a dent in global carbon emissions, and may even increase pollution levels. Higher electrification may lead to oil demand peaking by 2030, but any reduction in emissions from the likes of electric vehicles will be offset... →

Carmakers lure ride-hailer, delivery drivers in Africa

By: Reuters 9th November 2018 At Suzuki Motor Corp's showroom in the Kenyan capital, hundreds of its Alto compact cars are waiting to be collected. Most of the customers are drivers for ride-hailing company Uber Technologies, which struck a loans and discount deal with the Japanese carmaker and South Africa's Stanbic Bank, at... →

Toyota, VW developing seven black component suppliers, says DTI’s Davies

By: Irma Venter 9th November 2018 Seven black-owned automotive component suppliers are currently undergoing an 18-month training programme, with the aim of supplying some of South Africa’s vehicle manufacturing plants in future, says Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies. Responding to a question in Parliament this week, he... →

Dr Rob Davies

Allied Steelrode launches second stretcher leveller to meet growing demand

By: Simone Liedtke 8th November 2018 As a result of increasing demand for stretched and flattened steel, local steel supplier and processing company Allied Steelrode on Thursday launched a second stretcher leveller at its Midvaal-based facility for the production of Allied Steelrode Stretcher Material (ASSM). Having the stresses of... →

Allied Steelrode executive director Warne Rippon and group CE Arun Chadha speak to Engineering News Online about the company’s most recent purchase, a second stretcher leveler, as well as some of the company’s corporate social investments in the Midvaal area. Video & Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Opel Adam, Honda Civic Sedan come out tops in SA vehicle quality survey

By: Irma Venter 8th November 2018 The Opel Adam has walked away as the best quality passenger car in South Africa’s 2017 Ipsos Vehicle Quality Survey (VQS), followed by the Honda Civic sedan and the Audi A3 sedan. At the bottom of the 50-vehicle-strong pile are the Datsun Go Plus, Renault Kwid and Ford Focus ST hatch. →

Nissan signs deal to build assembly plant in Ghana

By: Reuters 6th November 2018 Japanese automaker Nissan signed a preliminary deal with Ghana on Tuesday to set up an assembly plant in the West African country, company officials and the government said. Nissan, which leads new car sales in Ghana with a 32% market share, plans to make Ghana its sales hub in West Africa, a... →

Merc’s first electric car to make SA debut in 2019

By: Irma Venter 5th November 2018 Mercedes-Benz’s first battery electric vehicle (EV) will make its debut in South Africa next year, with sales to start in 2020, says Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa marketing director Selvin Govender. The special edition EQC models to hit the road in 2019 will serve to create awareness for... →

The Mercedes-Benz EQC

NCAP results give South African consumers insight into vehicle safety performance

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd November 2018 The Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) and the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa’s second set of SaferCarsForAfrica crash tests, for four models sold in South Africa, was released on Friday, and revealed varying safety concerns and performance parameters for local customers.... →

The Nissan NP300 during the NCAP crash test

Naamsa welcomes uptick in October new-vehicle sales

By: Marleny Arnoldi 1st November 2018 The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers South Africa (Naamsa) on Thursday said the latest domestic new-vehicle sales figures for October reflected an unexpected and welcome uptick of 1.7% to 51 866 units sold, which was largely supported by fairly strong growth in the various... →

Lessons on transforming manufacturing in India

By: Kim Cloete 31st October 2018 Transformational changes in manufacturing in India have been unpacked at the Lean Summit Africa 2018, in Cape Town, holding important lessons for ramping up efficiency and boosting competitiveness in South Africa. Takayuki Furuhashi, who is considered an international guru in the field of... →

Cartrack aims for a million-plus subscribers by 2020

By: Irma Venter 31st October 2018 Cartrack should truly reach economies of scale in the next 24 months, when the mobile asset management and asset recovery company should reach one-million global subscribers, says CEO Zak Calisto. Speaking in Johannesburg as he announced Cartrack’s financial results for the six months ended... →

Zak Calisto

Ekurhuleni BRT system extended to OR Tambo International

By: Schalk Burger 31st October 2018 The Ekurhuleni bus rapid transit (BRT) system, called Harambee, has been extended from Tembisa to OR Tambo International Airport, Ekurhuleni executive mayor Mzwandile Masina said at a media briefing at the Intercontinental Hotel, at the airport, on Wednesday. The Harambee project was part of the... →

HELLA South Africa to move head office to Coega SEZ

By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th October 2018 In line with Germany-based lighting and electronics specialist HELLA’s decision to position its sub-Saharan African operations to serve as a gateway into Africa, HELLA Automotive South Africa (HELLA SA) will build a new R30-million operations hub in zone two of the Coega special economic zone... →

Former Audi CEO Stadler freed from jail in diesel emissions case

By: Bloomberg 30th October 2018 German judges allowed former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler to leave the jail where he’s been since June, while warning that there’s still strong evidence against him in a criminal probe over diesel-emission cheating. The 55-year-old was told not to contact any potential witnesses in the fraud... →

Natural gas cheaper than soaring diesel, petrol, says NGV Gas

By: Irma Venter 30th October 2018 When compared with petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas (CNG) is the most economic transport fuel, believes CNG group sales and marketing manager Wayne Williams. “On 26 September, natural gas was R7.10c cheaper than a litre of 95 octane petrol in Johannesburg,” he... →

GM cautious on switch to platinum even as palladium price soars

By: Bloomberg 30th October 2018 Palladium’s surge to a record has intensified talk among analysts that carmakers will look to replace it with cheaper platinum for use in pollution-control devices. The auto industry’s answer: Not so fast. Palladium, mainly used to control smog from gasoline engines, is trading near the highest... →

Advocacy organisation urges better enforcement of second-hand tyre regulations

By: Marleny Arnoldi 29th October 2018 Newly launched advocacy organisation Part Worn Africa is calling on governments and regulatory bodies across the African continent to develop and enforce stronger regulations governing the sale of part-worn and second-hand tyres. Part Worn Africa advocates that part-worn and second-hand tyres... →

Jaguar’s first electric car to cost a cool R1.69-million in SA

By: Irma Venter 29th October 2018 South Africa’s third commercially available fully electric vehicle (EV) will make its local debut early in 2019, at a starting price of R1.69-million. The Jaguar I-Pace sports-utility vehicle (SUV) will be available in three trim grades, namely S, SE and HSE, as well as a special first edition,... →

Ramaphosa declares end to 'investment strike' and unveils R290bn in commitments

By: Terence Creamer 26th October 2018 President Cyril Ramaphosa declared an end to South Africa's proverbial 'investment strike', when he unveiled firm investment commitments of R290-billion across a diverse range of sectors, from mining and energy to infrastructure and manufacturing, at a well attended and vibrant investment... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

There is room for more ride-hailing services, says Taxify country manager

By: Irma Venter 23rd October 2018 Taxify believes there is room for another electronic ride-hailing service in South Africa. US-based Uber started operations in South Africa in 2013, with Estonia’s Taxify moving into the country in 2016. →

Buying only SA-made vehicles could boost GDP by R37bn, says Wits study

By: Irma Venter 23rd October 2018 New research by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) shows that a government policy of buying only locally produced cars, bakkies, buses and trucks at national and provincial government level could, through various multiplier effects, increase South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) by... →

Dutch solar road proves successful, moves on to heavy traffic road trial

By: Irma Venter 19th October 2018 A solar bike path trial in the Netherlands has exceeded all expectations, and will now be rolled out to a road with heavier traffic. The SolaRoad pilot cycle path alongside the N203 near Krommenie, in the Netherlands, was opened in October 2014. It is 90 m long and 3.5 m wide. →

Hytec Group companies reduce OEM’s energy costs

19th October 2018 In a first for South Africa, automation solutions provider Tectra Automation and hydraulic solutions provider Hytec collaborated to aid a motor vehicle original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) reduce energy costs at its Port Elizabeth engine plant. →

MONITORING PRESSURE The Sytronix variable speed pump drive monitors the hydraulic pressure and adjusts the motor running speed so only the required pressure at any given time is delivered

SA-linked startup wins UK competition to build hyperloop-type solution

By: Irma Venter 19th October 2018 UK company Magway has won co-funding support of more than £650 000 from Innovate UK, through its emerging and enabling technologies competition, to build a 150 m hyperloop-type demonstration link for high-speed package delivery, east of London. Innovate UK is the UK government’s Research Agency. →

South Africa poised to adopt plan to boost local car industry suppliers

By: Reuters 18th October 2018 South Africa is likely to adopt new plans for the country's car industry in December which aim to increase the local content of assembled cars to 60% by 2035 from around 38% now, a cabinet minister said on Thursday. The new plan, which will come into effect in 2021, seeks to provide stability for... →

It’s a tough market out there and it’s not getting better, says CMH

By: Irma Venter 17th October 2018 It has been a challenging year for corporate South Africa, says Combined Motor Holdings (CMH). “The economy has suffered from the after-effects of years of corruption and mismanagement, [as well as] the ANC's recent pronouncement that it intends to amend the Constitution to allow land... →

Cape Town e-bus rollout in limbo until Whitehead investigation wraps up end-2018

By: Irma Venter 17th October 2018 The City of Cape Town’s bid to use electric buses within its MyCiti system has been stalled by the investigation into former Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) commissioner Melissa Whitehead. A fleet of eleven electric buses was scheduled for arrival by the end of 2017, “operating by... →

Brink Towing Systems SA secures additional export volumes

By: Irma Venter 16th October 2018 An unexpected surge in demand will see Brink Towing Systems South Africa (SA) in October and November export almost 10 000 additional units to its parent company, the Brink Group, in the Netherlands. Brink Towing Systems SA is the largest manufacturer of tow bars in the domestic market, and... →

The new Yaskawa robot at the Brink Towing Systems SA factory

Bloodhound project faces financial crunch, seeks R475m

By: Irma Venter 15th October 2018 Bloodhound Programme, the UK company behind Project Bloodhound, the initiative to break the land-speed world record (currently at 1 227.98 km/h), has run into serious financial trouble. The company has entered into administration, with the appointment of Andrew Sheridan and Geoff Rowley, partners... →

The Bloodhound vehicle in 2017

Commercial vehicle market defies economic downturn

By: Irma Venter 12th October 2018 The South African new-truck market has increased overall sales by 2.3% year-on-year for the first nine months of the year, defying a slew of negative economic indicators. According to the latest sales statistics released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa,... →

Gert Swanepoel

Lithium leaders tout bright EV future after tough trading debut

By: Bloomberg 12th October 2018 The market for lithium will remain tight through 2025 as producers struggle to lift output fast enough to meet demand for the material that’s essential in making batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), according to the sector’s newest public company, Livent. “We think demand is going to grow... →

Opportunities abound for Italian entrepreneurs expanding into Africa

By: Shannon de Ryhove 12th October 2018 The Italian-South African Chamber of Trade and Industries says Italian companies are becoming increasingly positive about the opportunities offered by South Africa, which is being acknowledged as a hub from which to expand and invest into surrounding African countries, says Italian-South African... →

Mercedes-Benz rolls out fuel-cell SUV to tackle tech hurdles

By: Bloomberg 10th October 2018 Mercedes-Benz will soon start handing over its latest fuel-cell electric car to fleet customers to keep a toe-hold in a promising technology that’s been hampered by the difficulties of storing and refueling hydrogen. The Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell model combines a fuel cell with a battery that can... →

Ford produces first trial Ranger Raptors in SA, invests another R160m

By: Irma Venter 10th October 2018 The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has produced its first batch of trial Ranger Raptor bakkies at its Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria. In preparation for full-scale production of the new model, the plant assembled its first ten official Ranger Raptor units as part of the tooling... →

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