Dr Automotive Design and Tools

Il progetto Fabbrica Italia è parte del piano di Fiat Group Automobiles per il periodo 2010-2014 e si pone obiettivi ambiziosi tra cui far crescere la produzione in Italia al 2014 a 1,4 milioni di vetture con investimenti per circa 20 miliardi. Il raggiungimento degli obiettivi, secondo l'a.d. Sergio Marchionne, richiede un pieno utilizzo della capacità produttiva degli impianti italiani, un rigoroso contenimento dei costi, un forte impegno nella realizzazione del sistema di World Class Manufacturing e una elevata flessibilità. Il progetto potrà quindi realizzarsi solo se, da un lato, le condizioni operative degli stabilimenti italiani rispetteranno le richieste che Marchionne ha posto ai sindacati e, dall'altro, se l'intero piano, con l'integrazione tra Fiat e Chrysler, sarà in grado di ottenere gli obiettivi di una produzione complessiva al 2014 di 6 milioni di vetture, soglia che Marchionne ha indicato come necessaria perché il gruppo rimanga tra i sei grandi gruppi globali destinati a sopravvivere. Ma sono in molti a pensare che nel 2014 i player internazionali saranno più di sei: i costruttori cinesi stanno facendo leva sulla crescita del mercato interno, ormai il primo al mondo, e si preparano ormai ad esportare nel resto del mondo. Nel mirino ci sono proprio le vetture "popolari" nelle quali gravita gran parte della produzione della Fiat che invece dovrebbe far crescere la propria quota di prodotti premium con i marchi Alfa Romeo e Lancia, meno sensibili alla concorrenza.
(Fonte: http://archivio-radiocor.ilsole24ore.com - 25/10/2010)

The 2012 Nissan GT-R version of its flagship GT-R sports cars. This is designed to be one of the best models in automobile industry. Accordingly, the manufacturer has modified the front end along with strengthening the dashboard support area and the forward suspension. The GTR is said to be 3% more efficient than the earlier models. Yesterday, Nissan Motors offered up the full information on the

Developed in partnership with electric dynamo Tesla at the NUMMI assembly plant in California owned by both companies, the electric RAV4 is expected to go on sale in international markets from 2012.

While technical specifications have yet to be revealed, the RAV4 EV is expected to be the only all-electric SUV on the market when it goes on sale in the US in 2012. Tesla has confirmed that it will supply the RAV4 EV's battery packs and electric motor systems.

While Toyota has focused largely on hybrid vehicles until now, new challengers in the electric vehicle segment such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, BMW and Volkswagen have put the world number-one carmaker at a disadvantage.

By teaming with the innovative Tesla, the Japanese carmaker could potentially leapfrog its rivals

Williams technical director, Sam Michael, says the Grove based team are now focused on their 2011 car, with the last update for the current season already in the wind-tunnel for testing purposes.

They join the majority of the grid in switiching their full focus to 2011, leaving just a handful of teams still developing their current cars, mainly the title challengers: Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

"In terms of the design priority though, from an aero point of view we are focused on next year now.

"It is a completely different car - it will be a clean sheet for everybody."

The major changes for next season will see a switch to Pirelli tyres, the banning of double-diffuers and F-ducts whilst the energy boosting technology dumped after 2009, KERS, will return, something the Williams team are looking to incorporate, although they are yet to decide on which system to run, flywheel or battery.

"We've got both options, but to be honest our priority will be a battery system. We do have capability to run a flywheel as well."

Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV electric vehicle has been in use by corporate fleets since 2007 elsewhere in the world, but Mitsubishi has announced plans to release a mass-market model in the US by 2011. The car debuts at the 2010 LA Auto Show in November.

From leaked sketches, auto enthusiasts speculate that the US model i-MiEV will be wider than existing units. The planned 2011 US spec i-MiEV will also feature a more aggressive styling, particularly in its front fascia. While details on the upgrade have not been unveiled, current-models of the i-MiEV feature a 100-mile range, with a maximum speed of 80 mph. A wider body will also allow for better side impact protection in the event of a crash, which will ensure that the car meets US safety regulations.

The i-MiEV is said to retail for less than $30,000, which is a lower price point than the comparable Nissan LEAF, which is priced at $32,780 before the $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is expected to reach the US market by the end of 2011.

Nissan showed a two-seater electric vehicle resembling a go-cart Monday that isn't ready for sale but spotlights the Japanese automaker's ambitions to be the leader in zero-emission cars.

Nissan Motor Co. is planning to produce 250,000 electric vehicles a year, starting with the Leaf electric car set for delivery in Japan and the U.S. in December, and next year in Europe.

Its alliance partner Renault SA of France is planning to produce another 250,000 electric vehicles a year.

The two companies together will produce 500,000 batteries for EVs a year, said Nissan, which makes batteries with Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp.

"We don't want EVs to be a niche product," Corporate Vice President Hideaki Watanabe told reporters at the company's headquarters southwest of Tokyo.

He said Nissan boasts 18 years of development experience in lithium-ion batteries, which will power the Leaf, and the company developed its first electric vehicle in 1947. Lithium-ion batteries are common in devices like laptops but will be relatively new for autos.

Then Watanabe zipped around - smoothly and silently as is characteristic of electric vehicles - Nissan's showroom in the tiny electric vehicle called "Nissan New Mobility CONCEPT."

It has a range of a 100 kilometers (62 miles), and maximum speed of 75 kilometers (47 miles) per hour. The EV system was developed by Renault, but the car's design was by Nissan.

Watanabe did not give a price for the concept car. He said uses were still being studied, such as amusement parks and Yokohama city's green mobility projects.

Nissan said it is setting up charging stations for electric vehicles, and forging partnerships with governments and companies, now climbing to more than 80 around the world from 30 last year in an effort to make the move to electric successful.

"That shows how interest in zero-emissions is growing," said Watanabe.

Nissan dealers in Japan will be equipped with battery rechargers with the goal of having 2 million chargers, and an additional 5,000 that recharge quicker, around Japan by 2020, according to the manufacturer of the March subcompact and Infiniti luxury models.

Nissan has set up a company to recycle used EV batteries to reuse and repackage, as well as reselling for back-up and storage.


NISSANEV

French coachbuilder Heuliez planned to build the Opel Agila based Heuliez WILL using MICHELIN Active Wheel Motors starting in 2010.

Heuliez will no longer produce cars but has a future as a parts supplier, according to new CEO Francois de Gaillard. In late June, new owners and a 10 million euros ($12.4 million) loan from the French government served to save France's last coachbuilder, which had been under bankruptcy protection.

In an interview de Gaillard said that he doesn't believe that contract manufacturing (supplying complete vehicles to OEMs) has a future. Instead, Heuliez will supply stamped parts and subassemblies to automakers and other industry sectors. De Gaillard said that the company is banking on its reputation for A-class stamped parts such as doors, roof, trunk lids and fenders, as well as for complete hand-made prototypes.

Heuliez will still offer these parts to the auto industry, and the rail and aerospace sectors. Last month, industrial group Baelen Gaillard Industrie (BGI) of France became the sole owner of Heuliez's stamping and body-in-white business after a French bankruptcy court approved the rescue deal. German groups Kohl and ConEnergy got a 68.2% in Heuliez's electric car division, which has been renamed Mia Electric GmbH. Meanwhile, the Poitou-Charentes region, where Heuliez is based, owns the remaining 31.8%.

The fate of the Michelin powered Heuliez WILL is unknown.