ALUMINUM IN THE LAMBORGHINI’S CHASSIS IS MADE IN BULGARIA

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REDUCING THE WEIGHT OF VEHICLES IS ONE OF THE MAIN SOLUTIONS FOR REDUCING EMISSIONS. ETEM factory in Sofia produces aluminum profiles for many models of BMW, Audi and Lamborghini. The plant provides aluminum for cars since 2011; it became clear during the International Automotive Conference in Sofia. “The main driving factor in the production of cars is no longer only luxury, but it is also care for the environment. One of the main methods of reducing CO2 emissions is to reduce the weight of vehicles and application of aluminum. For instance, in 1978 in each car average amount of aluminum used to be 32 kg, while in 2010 this is 160kg. All models that we supply with aluminum profiles are coming from our factory in Bulgaria. Not only for Lamborghini, but also for the Audi A8, TT, BMW 1 Series and 3 Series, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, Jaguar XJ and XF”, said Mr. Ralf Barten, Director of Sales at ETEM. Speed-Press Agency

CHEMISTRY IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE

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STATED DR. HERBERT FISCH, VICE PRESIDENT OF BASF HUNGARIA KFT & SOUTHEAST EUROPE, DURING THE INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE CONFERENCE. In 2020 is expected to be produced 122 million cars (77 million in 2011) worldwide. They have to be strong, lightweight and economic. Chemistry is the key that could help the automotive industry to make them such, since it can provide new materials and technology, proudly said Dr. Herbert Fisch, Vice President of BASF Hungaria kft & Southeast Europe at the International Automotive Conference, Sofia. BASF supplies parts and material to the automotive industry for over 9.5 billion per year and in the future the forecast shows increase and closer cooperation. He illustrates this idea with the prototype Smart Forvision – jointly developed by Daimler and BASF, presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011. For this advent-garde electric car the chemical company has provided cutting-edge solutions that make it possible to achieve 20% increased run. For example, wheels are made of thermoplastic polymers that make them 3kg lighter than aluminum and in addition they have the same strength. The seats are made of new materials which make them not only 3kgs lighter than the usual ones, but also provide an optimal climate comfort. Climate control in the car is maintained without energy consumption thanks to infrared reflective coating on the windows and the roof that is made of transparent organic solar cells which power up the car. This is only a prototype, but it shows that having a good cooperation, the chemical industry could bring the future today in the form of electric vehicles. Speed-Press Agency

BOSCH ARE INTERESTED IN THE SUCCESS OF THE OTHER SUPPLIERS IN BULGARIA

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BY 2020, ONLY 10% OF THE CARS WILL BE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED. № 1 automotive supplier in the world, Robert Bosch is not panning to open a plant in Bulgaria, but is monitoring the development of the industry. “To be honest with you, for the moment we at Bosch are not discussing the launch of production in Bulgaria. We have an office in which 50 people are responsible for the sales. However I am pleased to be here at the conference and will be back in Austria with a comment what is happening here .I have learned a lot from my colleagues from Grammer and Festo, which are clearly very happy with my investment here and have long-term plans. We have opened several factories in Eastern Europe, the last one last year, so it will be a while before we discuss a new investment.”, said Hanno Miorini , Vice President of OEM parts in Austria and Eastern Europe at Robert Bosch. Miorini presented the main areas of activites in the automotive sector for Bosch and determine the market entering of electric technology as a challenge to the industry. “Speaking of the next 10 years, I think the internal combustion engine will remain dominant. Hybrid operation will be much preferred for heavier vehicles and premium models. Our forecast for 2020 is to have 10 % of the industry that are driven by the electric elements. Half of them are hybrids, the rest plugin hybrids and electric cars.” said Miorini. Speed-Press Agency

BULGARIA PROVIDES RELATIVELY FEW PARTS FOR VW GROUP

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THIS IS UNUSED POTENTIAL OF OPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COUNTRY, SAYS PAVEL VESELY FROM VW. Bulgaria provides relatively few parts for VW Group and this is unused potential for your country, ended his presentation the representative of the VW Group on the International Automotive Conference Bulgaria Pavel Vesely. In crisis the supplies from Eastern European countries actually had been increased, he said. Vesely manages offices for supplies in Budapest and Istanbul with 45 people who work with suppliers from Eastern Europe and Turkey. In 2008, VW has received parts from Eastern Europe for EUR 115 million, and this year they are for about 200 million. The largest share logically is in the countries where the biggest factories for final assembly of cars are – the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Bulgaria was invisible on his map. Pavel Vesely has presented the mechanism for selection of suppliers for the most ambitious car manufacturer currently. The process is long and goes through several phases. The experts are seeking for appropriate manufacturers, evaluate their potential and enter into negotiations with them and when have them approved they support them. Any error at the beginning of the procedure may have serious consequences in the future. Therefore, prevention of errors is the principle of each stage of the work. Speed-Press Agency

PRISTA OIL IS BUILDING A PLANT IN UKRAINE FOR RECYCLING OF WASTE OILS.

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THE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE COMPANY PROVIDES PRODUCTS FOR GREAT WALL AND ITS PARTNERS IN TURKEY, INCLUDING TOYOTA. The Bulgarian company “Prista Oil” is turning the first sod in a couple of days for a recycling plant for waste oils in Ukraine, said the CEO Ivo Todorov at the International Automotive Conference Bulgaria. “Prista Oil” already has a terminal in Ukraine, and a recently opened plant in Azerbaijan. “The crisis gave us the opportunity for growth and diversification. It has changed customer attitudes and now the price of product is the leading factor in the purchase. Geographically, North Africa and the Middle East provide us the closest possibilities for development and markets in Central Asia are becoming increasingly important. The dynamic changes in the market make us more adaptable and more active.” said Todorov. Speed-Press Agency

DR. TILL TRUCKENMÜLLER: “IT IS POSSIBLE GOOD THINGS TO BE DONE IN BULGARIA“

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ACCORDING TO THE MANAGER, AMONG THE REASONS IMACOS HAS CHOSEN BULGARIA FOR HIS BUSINESS, IS THE AVAILABILITY OF WELL TRAINED AND KNOWLEDGE PERSONNEL. The Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Stuttgart is satisfied with the cooperation with S Media Team. Even the start of the IACB today in Sofia shows that it is possible to do good things in Bulgaria, said in his presentation, Dr. Till Truckenmüller, as President of the consulting company IMACOS Truckenmüller & Company. This was refering specifically the cooperation with the publisher S Media Team (BBC TopGear, Auto Bild, Speed-Press Agency and other) in the organization of the conference. The company IMACOS Truckenmüller & Company is working on the project “Autopark Bulgaria”. “This project is very important for the country, there is a progress, there is an interest from investors, but now I can not mention names because it is not professional to do it before the signatures.” he said. “Truckenmüller and Company Bulgaria” (IMACOS) is a German consulting company based in Stuttgart (1998), oriented in restructuring of enterprises, mainly in the automotive industry. The company has more than 20 years experience in the construction of production units in Eastern Europe. At the end of 2010 the Bulgarian office has been opened. Its main activity is related to consulting companies by optimizing the administrative and production processes, increasing the efficiency of enterprises. He is working hard to attract investors in Bulgaria, as well as expanding the markets for Bulgarian producers on the western markets. Among the reasons IMACOS has chosen Bulgaria for its business Dr. Truckenmüller indicates the presence of well trained and knowledgeable personnel. Speed-Press Agency

SOFIA IS JOHNSON CONTROLS NO. 1 TECHNOLOGY CENTER

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4% OF THE COUNTRY’S EXPORT COMES FROM 50 COMPANIES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR. The technology development office of Johnson Controls employs 563 engineers, making it the largest one of the company worldwide. For comparison, the center in the U.S. employs 234 engineers, the one in France 206 and the center in Yokohama, Japan only 7. The Bulgarian subsidiary of Johnson Controls is one of the nine technology centers in the world, the rest are located in Germany, France, USA, Japan and Slovakia. The engineering network of the company worldwide includes over 250 companies in more than 30 countries. The daughter company in Sofia offers design and development of automotive electronics. Among the largest customers are BMW, Ford, Renault, GM, Opel and Volkswagen. “We have 5 R & D centers worldwide, one in Sofia, France and the USA and two in Germany. We started with 50 people and now we have over 560.We decided to invest in Bulgaria due to several main factors, such as the lowest wages in the EU, the great number of educated people, speaking foreign languages, the highest number of German speaking academics in Eastern Europe and culture that is close to the culture of Western Europe. Bulgaria is a member of EU, NATO and the WTO. Its legal framework is harmonized with the EU, it is financially stable and its corporate tax is only 10%. As a location Sofia is 2-3 hours away from Western Europe by plane while our office is 10 minutes away from the airport”, Matthew Cole, Engineering Vice President at Johnson Controls said during the International Automotive Conference in Sofia. “We were among the first, but we are not the only one from the automotive industry that invest in Bulgaria. The number of the companies is more than 50. They employ more than 9,000 employees and provide 4% of the country’s export. Currently in Sofia there are several engineers from India who are being trained and share the experience from our technical center there. We are not moving our office, but developing the business in India “, Cole said. Speed-Press Agency

GRAMMER SHOWED BULGARIA AS AN EXAMPLE

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2 YEARS AGO THE COMPANY CONSIDERED CLOSING THE PLANT IN TRUDOVETS. Frederic Flory, Vice President of Grammer, praised his company’s decision in Bulgaria during the International Automotive Conference in Sofia. Grammer is an international company specialized in developing and manufacturing of interior components as well as seats for cars, trucks, buses and trains. Globally the company is represented by its over 30 production and sales locations in 18 countries. This also includes the plant in the village of Trudovets, near Botevgrad, employing over 800 employees. From Bulgaria production is delived to the centers in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland and Germany. Among the company’s customers are BMW, VW, Fiat, Daimler, MAN, DAF, Claas, John Deere and Linde. “If someone had asked me 2 years ago whether I was happy with this investment in Bulgaria, I would have answered negatively. We had no results, the staff was angry. We had two options – either to stop and give up or to invest and not surrender. We invested not only in people but also in buildings, so we have long-term plans”, Flory said. Surprisingly for Flory the top management of the company consists of more young people than in the first level of the personnel. “We have three levels of employees and 800 employees in total. When I came here, I expected to see more young people at the lowest level of employees and respectively in the top management older people with experience. It turned out the opposite. The middle management is a source for the top management. It is internationally oriented, spreaks foreign languages and that’s why it is successful. These are younger people between 25 and 35 years who strive for promotion”, Flory said. Speed-Press Agency

HYUNDAI INTRODUCED AMBITIOUS TARGETS IN BULGARIA

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THE MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PLANNING WILL REPRESENT THE COUNTRY IN KOREA. Jean-Marie Bussiere, General Manager of Strategic Planning at Hyundai Motor Europe, presented the automotive company during the International Automotive Conference in Sofia. “On behalf of Alan Rushford, Chief Operating Manager for Europe, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present Hyundai in Bulgaria. According to the latest data for 2013, we are the fastest growing brand in the world with an increase of 20% from 2005. Presently we are in the 43rd place among all brands worldwide and just for comparison, Ferrari is in the 64th and Porsche in 98th place. In 2005 we were in the 84th place”, Bussiere commented. According to the Manager of Strategic Planning, the company has a level of customer loyalty within 49%. “Only 5% increase in the level of loyalty leads to an increase of 34,000 sales”, Bussiere explained. When asked what were the main reasons for Hyundai’s choice of the Czech Republic for its European plant some years ago, the Manager replied: “I have to be honest with you, I joined the company a few months ago and had not participated in the selection process of the Czech Republic as a location for our plant. I will I tell you though that Hyundai has a very centralized management and we treat similar issues with confidentiality”. Bussiere has been asked by Professor Harald Leschke, a participant at the conference from Leschke Design and former designer at Daimler, whether Bulgaria is not an attractive country to set up a design office of Hyundai, to which he replied: “The format of the company is integrated but I am sure that Bulgaria can be part of this structure in the future. I can assure you that I will present the opportunities in this country to my colleagues in Korea”. Speed-Press Agency

PREMIERE OF THE MERCEDES S-CLASS IN BULGARIA

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THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD WAS PRESENTED DURING THE AUTOMOTIVE CONFERENCE Balkan Star, General representative of Mercedes-Benz in the country, introduced a new generation of the S-class immediately after the statement of Rosen Plevneliev, President of Bulgaria, at the First Automotive Conference in Sofia. The cover of the car was removed by Katia Boyanova, Managing Director Sales and Marketing in Balkan Star Automotive. ” I present you the best car in the world. This car was created from products of special suppliers”, Boyanova said. The standard modification is 5.12 m long and the extended one 5.25 m. The wheelbase as always will be 3.04/3.17 m. The interior has about 100 buttons and switches and the central console is equipped with an analog clock. However what makes the car attractive are two big screens creating a huge control station. The air-conditioned seats offer a “hot stone massage” fuction while the lucky passengers enjoy cooling cup holders and an air freshener in the glove box, extras that Mercedes offers as a first manufacturer in the world. In certain situations, the vehicle allows the driver to remove their hands from the steering wheel for a moment, to turn slightly back or get a glimpse of their smartphones while the vehicle keeps the distance and movement in the lane on its own. This is possible due to the Stop-and-go assistant. The system uses not only radar cruise control but also a stereo camera by means of which the S-Class “finds” alone its way in traffic jams. With the help of the stereo camera the Magic Body Control suspension turns the luxury liner into a magic carpet. The car “sees” road bumps and adjusts the air suspension within milliseconds so that it “flattens” the road relief to the maximum. The automatic transmission has seven gears, the most powerful diesel engine develops 258 hp. Initially S 500 will be sold equipped with the well-known V8 with 455 hp and S 350 Bluetec with the 258 hp diesel engine and average cost EU- Mix 5.5 l. There will also be a S 400 Hybrid with aV6- 306 hp engine and a 27 hp electric motor – a tandem that provides a 6.3 l/100 km consumption. The best solution is S 500. There engine operates at 700 Nm and accelerates the 2-ton limousine in 4.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. Speed-Press Agency