The Honorary consul of Bulgaria for Baden-Württemberg and President of the Automotive Cluster accomplished the regional focus group for Socio-Economic Assessment of the Danube Region

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Dr. Till W. Truckenmüller, chairman of Automotive Cluster Bulgarian, represented Focus Group C for Socio-Economic Assessment of the Danube Region in the period from 24 to 26 November 2014 in Bucharest, Romania. Aims The main aim of the performance of the focus groups was to find out, what, in the view of local experts, are the obstacles to increased competitiveness in order to formulate recommendations that can help to achieve the main goals of the EUSDR in terms of competitiveness and smart specialisation by cooperation in the Danube Region. The participants intended to compare development strategies of countries of various development levels and the way experts saw the room for cooperation in implementing economic strategies. It was discussed the new forms and platforms of firm-level cooperation beyond national borders and other policies enhancing firm-level competitiveness. Overall topic of the focus groups The overall topic of the focus groups was “The Role of the EUSDR and their programs for increasing the competitiveness in the Danube Region”. The discussion in the focus groups was structured according to three main topics: – Prosperity – Entrepreneurship and SMEs – Cooperation and cooperation potential Background The Ministry of Finance and Economics Baden-Württemberg has commissioned a study on the socio-economic assessment of the Danube Region with financial support from the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. The study is conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, in cooperation with the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IAW), Tübingen, and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw). The overall aim of the study is to document the socio-economic development of the Danube Region with respect to the goals of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the overall objectives of the EU growth strategy “Europe 2020”, to identify strengths and weaknesses in various areas shaping the competitiveness of the Danube Region, and to provide recommendations for the future strategic orientation of the EUSDR. In a first step, extensive data has been collected on the competitiveness, entrepreneurship and SMEs and cooperation in the Danube Region. By assessing these data, a set of preliminary recommendations has been formulated. The aim of the second part is to develop these recommendations further. One central element of this part will be the performance of focus groups with experts from the region. Focus groups are moderator-led discussions about a particular topic. All participants: Evgeni Spasov, Ministry of Economy and Energy, Bulgaria Dr. Till W. Truckenmüller, Automotive Cluster Bulgaria, Bulgaria Costin Lianu, Ministry of Economy, Romania Valentina Vasile, Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy, Romania Dumitru Stratan, National Institute for Economic Research, Moldova Tatiana Lariushin, Institute for Development and Social Initiatives, Moldova Zinoviy Broyde, Centre EcoResource, Ukraine Igor Studennikov, Centre for Regional Studies, Ukraine

The President of Automotive Cluster Bulgaria Dr. Till W. Truckenmüller participated in the most prestigious automotive forum in Central & Eastern Europe

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Challenges for the CEE auto industry and its global competitiveness The two-day automotive forum in Prague provided a strategic overview to the latest European and global auto trends, forecasts and policy initiatives, to the production, expansion and investment plans of the automotive OEMs and to supplier operational challenges in CEE. It provoked a strategic CEO debate for the macroeconomic stability in Central & Eastern Europe focused on challenges for the region’s auto industry and its global competitiveness. Prominent audience from automotive industry As a key speaker at the CEE Automotive Forum Dr. Till W. Truckenmüller acquainted the audience with the Bulgarian approach in the automotive industry. He presented the future opportunities for development of the automotive industry in Bulgaria (with focus on the core projects: Auto Park Bulgaria and DonauMotor: (http://automotive.bg/projects/

Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant Ready To Start Production

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New Tennessee-based facility set to begin production of 2.0-litre 4-cylinder gasoline engines for the Infiniti Q50 sports saloon and Mercedes-Benz C-Class and their derivatives $319 million investment and an estimated 400 new jobs once full capacity of 250,000 annual engine production is achieved Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and other dignitaries expected to attend the Job One ceremony   NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Infiniti announced 26 June 2014 as the official start of production for the new Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant, a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Infiniti Motor Company President Johan de Nysschen and Gary Edwards, vice president, Powertrain Operations and Battery Plant, are expected to preside over the Opening Celebration activities. The first engine assembled at the all-new facility will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline 4-cylinder. The engines will initially be used in European versions of the Infiniti Q50 sports saloon and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Around 200 new jobs have been added to date, with that number expected to increase to 400 once the plant ramps up to its full 250,000 engine annual capacity. “The opening of this new powertrain facility is an important step for Infiniti. It is the first step of our manufacturing expansion that will include the start of vehicle production in China later this year and in Europe next year,” said de Nysschen. Construction of the ground-up $319 million, 310,000-square foot facility began in May 2012. It incorporates a number of energy efficient design features, such as a heat-reflecting white roof and natural daytime lighting through use of a skylight grid. “In this new state-of-the-art facility we are building on 17 years of powertrain experience here in Decherd – taking the best quality standards from Japan and Germany and combining those with our highly skilled U.S. workforce,” added Edwards. “Our team can’t wait to get started.”

Silicon carbide DC-DC converter tested on electric car

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A consortium led by Prodrive has successfully run a silicon carbide-based multiport DC-DC converter in an electric car.  The converter controls power flow between multiple energy sources and has been able to achieve a class leading efficiency of 98.7%, while increasing power density and reducing the size and weight of the converter when compared to silicon-based systems. The DC-DC converter acts as a hub that transfers energy between key components of the vehicle’s high voltage electrical system.  It has four ports: two connect to the traction motor and high voltage battery; a third connects to a secondary energy source, which in this test car is a super capacitor bank; and the fourth powers the vehicle’s 12V systems. The converter is able to match the voltages of these components and transfer energy between them in response to CAN commands from an external supervisory controller. The test vehicle is a Tata Vista EV demonstrator vehicle, developed by the Tata Motors European Technical Centre in Warwick, which has a 220 V battery and 37 kW traction motor.  The vehicle also has two 200 kJ super capacitor banks, which operate at 75-150 V. Mark Willows, Prodrive electrical systems and control specialist, said:  “In normal driving, the converter boosts the battery voltage to around 400 V to optimise motor performance and can supplement the battery supply with additional energy from the super-cap banks when the driving situation demands it. During re-generation, the converter transfers energy from the motor to the battery or super-capacitor banks as requested by the supervisory controller. Energy can also be transferred directly between the battery and super capacitor ports.  The system can be configured to support other energy sources, such as fuel cells or could supply multiple traction motors.” A key aspect of the converter is the use of silicon carbide devices.  These operate at a much higher frequency than equivalent silicon components – at 75 kHz in the test vehicles – with a significant reduction in switching losses.  This has resulted in a significant reduction in the size of the magnetic components and has enabled the converter to achieve a class leading efficiency of 98.7%, a gravimetric power density of 10.5kW/kg and a volumetric power density of 20kW/litre. The use of silicon carbide power modules could also allow much higher temperature operation than conventional silicon modules.  This provides the potential to integrate the power electronics and IC engine cooling systems in hybrid applications. The consortium is now working on a follow up project which increases the converter operating voltage to 750 V, further increases power density and demonstrates operation at increased coolant temperatures. “For this project we have developed a rolling test bed based on a light commercial vehicle chassis, which has a 75 kW traction motor.  The energy storage consists of a 320 V Li-ion battery and two super capacitor banks, all of which were built by Prodrive specifically for this project,” said Willows. The consortium of British companies is backed by the Technology Strategy Board and led by Prodrive, working in conjunction with The University of Manchester, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, IST Power Products, Raytheon Systems and SCISYS. Prodrive has worked on hybrid and electric vehicle programmes for more than a decade, starting with a prototype four-wheel drive parallel petrol/electric hybrid built in 2001. Subsequently it has worked on a number of hybrid and EV projects including: motorcycles, commuter vehicles, passenger cars and trucks covering prototype development through to homologation and diverse electrical technologies from HV batteries, super capacitors, fuel cells and high-speed electrical and mechanical flywheels.

Infiniti Achieves Record Global Sales in the First Half of 2014

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Continued strong progress towards its growth plan Further strides towards expanding product portfolio Extending manufacturing footprint to five countries Hong Kong – Infiniti sold a record 101,220 new vehicles around the world in the first six months in 2014, up 30% compared with a year ago. The brand has broken monthly sales records globally in April, May and June this year. Infiniti grew in 31 markets around the world, including key markets such as the US, China, Canada, West Europe and the Middle East. “Infiniti is making significant progress towards its growth plan. We have achieved sales records globally as well as in many individual markets,” said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company Limited. “We continue to transform the organisation, strengthen our product portfolio and nurture the brand. This all results in accelerated growth versus the overall premium vehicle market.” In the U.S., Infiniti sold close to 60,000 vehicles from January to June, a year-over-year increase of 14%. In Canada, sales were up 17% reaching 5,100 vehicles. In China, which Infiniti is turning into its second volume hub, the company sold almost 14,000 vehicles, 130% up compared to a year ago outperforming the premium market by a wide margin. Infiniti has at least doubled its sales in China in every single month in 2014 and continues to challenge other premium brands in this highly competitive market. In addition, Infiniti has grown 23% in the Middle East. Driven by the all-new Q50 premium sports saloon, Infiniti increased its sales by 63% in the ultra-competitive West European premium car market and more than tripled them in Korea compared to first half of 2013. Infiniti EMEA VP François Goupil de Bouillé commented: “Furthermore, in the last 3 months, West European sales have been growing by 251% compared to the same period last year.’’ Infiniti also continues to deliver on its promise to expand its product portfolio. Infiniti has sold about 50,000 Q50s around the world since the launch of the premium sports saloon in 2013. With its distinctive new design language, passionate craftsmanship, and world-leading technologies, it has won numbers of prestigious awards from around the world. Infiniti also introduced the new Q70L and QX80 models at the New York auto show in April this year. The long-wheel base version of Q50 and QX50 will be introduced to the China market by the end of this year. Next up is the Q30, Infiniti’s premium compact entry for global markets, in 2015. Following the Q30 Concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013, and the Q50 Eau Rouge concept, revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2014, Infiniti will continue to introduce a series of exciting concept vehicles with production intent at upcoming major auto shows to showcase the brand promise. Infiniti has a clearly pronounced product strategy to take the brand into the next decade. Its vehicle portfolio will increase by 60 percent over the next five years, and the number of engines and transmissions will more than double. By the end of this decade, Infiniti will have eight different saloon and coupe lines, and six crossover and SUV lines, with direct injection, turbo charged gasoline, clean diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV powertrains. The new and expanded portfolio is supported by additional production capacity to achieve expected sales of more than 500,000 vehicles per year by the end of the decade. Later this year, production will start in China for the local market, and next year, Infiniti will start production of the Q30 in the UK. At the end of June, the company announced the start of engine production at its Infiniti Powertrain Plant in Decherd, Tennessee, in the U.S, as well as production in Mexico as of 2017. This will extend Infiniti’s current manufacturing footprint from Japan and the U.S. to five countries on three continents in the next few years. “2014 marks Infiniti’s 25th anniversary. Our brand is entering an exciting and new phase as we transform ourselves into a global brand,” said de Nysschen. “We have ambitious objectives. We are executing a sound strategy, and we are on track to deliver against our plan. With an aggressive product offensive over the next five years, the team at Infiniti looks to the future with great confidence.”

Volkswagen Group expands production capacity in China

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► Two new vehicle plants planned in Qingdao and Tianjin ► Two billion euros to be invested in new plants ► Creation of new jobs and expansion of production capacities for environmentally compatible products   Wolfsburg/Beijing, July 7, 2014: In the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, today signed a joint declaration for two new vehicle plants in China together with Xu Jianyi, Chairman of FAW. “China has become our largest and most important market. To satisfy the demands of our customers in the country, we are engaging in a further substantial expansion of our capacities in China together with our Chinese partner FAW Volkswagen,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, who witnessed the signing of the declaration. “With these investments, Volkswagen is clearly expressing its commitment to the Chinese market. Following two decades of successful cooperation, Volkswagen will further intensify its strategic partnership with FAW with a view to bringing innovative, sustainable mobility solutions onto the Chinese market,” said Heizmann. The two new vehicle plants are to be built step-by-step on the East coast of China in the cities of Qingdao in Shandong Province and Tianjin. The decision in favour of these two locations was taken together with the joint venture partner FAW. The key site factors were high qualification levels and the infrastructure available. Furthermore, Tianjin is the location of a new production plant for dual-clutch gearboxes (DSG) for Volkswagen in China that is due to be inaugurated at the end of 2014. Together, the two partners are to invest about two billion euros in the expansion of production capacities. Volkswagen has been active on the Chinese market for 30 years and is one of the Western pioneers of the automobile industry in the country. Together with its two joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai-Volkswagen, the Group delivered about 1.51 million vehicles between January and May 2014, representing a rise of 17.7 percent compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Volkswagen plant in China

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► Plant demonstrates core competences in green development and production ► German Chancellor gains an overview of Volkswagen’s vocational training activities in China ► About 7,300 employees produce 450,000 vehicles per year   Wolfsburg/Chengdu/Beijing, July 6, 2014:  Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany today visited the Volkswagen plant in Chengdu, southwest China. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, and Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, welcomed the guests together with Xu Jianyi, Chairman of FAW, and Zhang Pijie, President of FAW-Volkswagen. “Our objective is to work sustainability on a long-term basis throughout the world. Here in China, we are setting high environmental standards at our 17 locations and investing more in eco-friendly technologies and plants than ever before. Volkswagen is banking on China’s innovative power because this market provides key impetus for our industry through ground-breaking new trends,” said Winterkorn. During her visit, Mrs. Merkel also inspected the production area of the Chengdu plant. Here, sustainability is practised right down to the last detail. About 90 per cent of the materials used in vehicle production come from local suppliers. In addition, the paintshop at Chengdu is the first facility in Asia to be equipped with the “EcoDry Scrubber”, an environmentally friendly technology that reduces water consumption for the painting process by up to 90 per cent. Chancellor Merkel also visited the training centre and the assembly shop of the Chengdu plant and expressed special interest in the possibilities of vocational training in China. Apart from six different vocational training courses, FAW-Volkswagen also offers the possibility of a dual course of studies at Chengdu. Mrs. Merkel talked to young trainees and learned about their experience within the professional families. Each year, about 20,000 courses are completed by employees at the training centre, to improve further the quality of production and to raise educational standards. By opening training centres at all its plants in China, Volkswagen was the first company to introduce the principle of dual vocational training in China. “People are the key to our success. That is why we are committed to educating young talents,” said Heizmann. “Our objective is to offer innovative, eco-friendly products and reliable service. Efficient use of resources and environmental compatibility are also among the top priorities at our plants. In such a fast-growing market as China, a well-trained workforce is essential for mastering these challenges.” He continued: “The Chengdu plant is a symbol of the long-term cooperation between Volkswagen and China. We create highly qualified jobs here. This plant is a cornerstone for the sustainable development of the Chinese automobile industry and a key element in our Go West strategy.” The Chengdu plant is the third vehicle factory in the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture. It is also the first Volkswagen plant in West China. About 7,300 people are employed at Chengdu, producing about 450,000 units of the Jetta and Sagitar models each year as well as components. The plant started vehicle production in 2011. As well as Chengdu, FAW-Volkswagen also has car plants in Changchun, northeast China, and Foshan, south China. With the other joint venture, Shanghai Volkswagen, the Group operates vehicle plants in Shanghai, Nanjing, Yizheng, Ningbo and Urumqi, and is constructing a new plant in Changsha, opening in 2015. Volkswagen is now the leading automaker in China – with 20 million vehicles sold over the past 30 years. Together with its Chinese joint venture partners, the Volkswagen Group is to invest a total of €18.2 billion in new plants and products between 2014 and 2018 – this will be the largest investment programme in the history of the Chinese automotive industry.

Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile (DPCA) Announces Plans to Build Fourth Car Plant

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A fourth production plant based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province Capacity to build 300,000 vehicles a year eventually Dedicated to the production of SUVs and MPVs Production start-up in 2016   To support the strong growth in its unit sales, DPCA signed on 2nd July an agreement with the city of Chengdu for the construction of its fourth production facility in China. Work will get underway in the second half of the year, with the first car scheduled to roll off the new assembly lines in late 2016. With total capacity eventually reaching 300,000 vehicles a year, DPCA’s fourth plant will build Dongfeng Citroën and Dongfeng Peugeot and Fengshen- badged SUVs and MPVs. DPCA’s current production base comprises three plants in Wuhan, which are running on two shifts for a total potential capacity of 750,000 units a year. With the fourth plant, production capacity will be lifted to one million units a year in 2016. The company’s full-year objective for 2014 is to sell more than 650,000 vehicles in China. Last 28 March, Dongfeng and PSA Peugeot Citroën signed a global strategic partnership with the objective of selling 1.5 million vehicles by 2020.

Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler expand cooperation with new plant in Mexico

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Teams will work closely on development of next-generation compact vehicles for both Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti New plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, will add nearly 5,700 additional workers and annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles when fully ramped up Companies will equally divide investment costs of approximately €1 billion   MEXICO CITY (27 June 2014) – The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG are significantly expanding their cooperation with joint development of premium compact vehicles and joint production in Mexico. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche announced today that their companies have agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture, the business entity that will oversee construction and operation of the new plant in Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico. The new plant will be built in the immediate vicinity of an already existing Nissan plant and will have an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles when fully ramped up. Start of production is planned for 2017 with Infiniti models. The production of Mercedes-Benz brand vehicles will follow in 2018. Daimler and Nissan will share the total investment cost for Aguascalientes of approximately €1 billion. The companies will add almost 5,700 jobs (including engineering, line workers and support staff) by the time the plant reaches full capacity, expected in 2021. In addition, a high localization rate will significantly increase the Mexican supply base. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance: “Joint development of compact premium vehicles and joint production in Aguascalientes together represent one of the largest projects between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler. It also shows how our collaboration, which began in Europe, has become global in scope.” Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “In Aguascalientes, we will take our successful partnership to the next level by combining the skills of our two companies Daimler and Nissan in one production plant. Just over four years after the cooperation was founded, the decision for the new plant in Mexico is a major milestone.” Close collaboration between Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz at every stage of development, from advanced research and design to production, will ensure that vehicles within the scope of the project will clearly differ from each other in terms of product design and specifications.   Growing together in Mexico In Aguascalientes both partners will enjoy access to Nissan’s award-winning, highly efficient workforce. Nissan has been producing vehicles in Aguascalientes since 1992, and the plant has expanded significantly just in the past year. In November, Nissan opened the first stage of a US$2 billion manufacturing complex in Aguascalientes. This increased Nissan’s total capacity in Mexico to more than 850,000 vehicles annually. Mexico is already an important market for Daimler. The company has production plants for trucks and buses in Saltillo, Santiago Tianguistenco and Garcia, a parts distribution center in San Luis Potosí and a remanufacturing plant in Toluca. For passenger cars Daimler has a pre-delivery-inspection and a training center.   Four years of increasing collaboration The French-Japanese-German industrial cooperation of Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance began in April 2010, with three “pillar projects” primarily focused on Europe. Since then, the portfolio has increased to twelve significant projects, including major initiatives from the Americas to Japan. Just yesterday, Infiniti and Daimler launched production of four-cylinder gasoline engines in Decherd, Tennessee, USA. With an annual production capacity of 250,000 units, the Decherd facility produces engines for use in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and in the Infiniti Q50. Later this year, the Alliance and Daimler will start selling the next-generation smart and Twingo city cars, developed on a shared platform, the Twingo and the four-seater smart being produced at the Renault plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, the two-seater smart in Hambach, France. For the video news release and a full list of major projects within the cooperation go to: www.media.blog.alliance-renault-nissan.com/news/5002

Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant Begins Production of 2.0L Turbo Engines for Infiniti Q50 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class

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Production begins of new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder gasoline engines New 310,000-square foot facility in Decherd, Tennessee Represents a $319 million investment Supports an estimated 400 new jobs   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 26, 2014) – Infiniti today began production at the Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant, a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG. The first engine to be assembled at the all-new facility is a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline 4-cylinder developed by Daimler. The engines will initially be used in European versions of the Infiniti Q50 sports saloon and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Presiding over today’s opening celebration were Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Infiniti Motor Company President Johan de Nysschen, Infiniti Americas Vice President Michael Bartsch, Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Operations and Battery Plant Vice President Gary Edwards and Daimler AG Head of Engine Production Erhard Schletterer. “The opening of this new facility is the beginning of our manufacturing expansion. Infiniti needs additional capacity to fuel the expected growth which will be driven by our expanding portfolio,” said de Nysschen. “At the same time, this plant is an excellent demonstration of the strong partnership we have with Daimler AG.  It will leverage the technologies, expertise and highest level of manufacturing standards from both companies, which, in turn, benefit from the synergy and economies of scale of this joint effort.” Around 200 new jobs have been added to date, with that number expected to increase to 400 once the plant ramps up to its full 250,000 engine annual capacity. Construction of the ground-up $319 million, 310,000-square foot facility began in May 2012. It incorporates a number of energy efficient design features, such as a heat-reflecting white roof and natural daytime lighting through use of a skylight grid. Infiniti had previously announced that later this year, it will start local production of the extended wheel base versions of our new Q50 sports saloon and the QX50 crossover in China, and for the Chinese market. Next year, the company will start production of our Q30 premium compact car in the UK, for global markets.