scholarly journals Bio-Based Products in the Automotive Industry: The Need for Ecolabels, Standards, and Regulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Wurster ◽  
Luana Ladu

At the Hanover Fair in April 2018, the Bioconcept-Car was presented as a model for the future of sustainable mobility. Likewise, a car made of cellulose nanofiber was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2019. Various additional automotive applications for bio-based materials have been developed, some of which are already in use in cars. However, supportive measures for stimulating their market acceptance are needed. Based on a mix of research methods, this article describes how ecolabels, sustainability standards, and regulations might support the market uptake of bio-based car components. In addition, comparison with three other types of bio-based products are provided. The article ends with suggestions for future market development activities.

Author(s):  
Robert Bogue

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a European perspective on the collaborative robot business and to consider the factors governing future market development. Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction, this first describes the collaborative robots launched recently by European manufacturers and their applications. It then discusses major European research activities and finally considers the factors stimulating the market. Findings – This article shows that collaborative robots are being commercialised by the major European robot manufacturers as well as by several smaller specialists. Although most have low payload capacities they are inexpensive and offer a number of operational benefits, making them well suited to a range of existing and emerging applications. Europe has a strong research base and several EU-funded programmes aim to stimulate collaborative robot development and use. Rapid market development is anticipated, driven in the main by applications in electronic product manufacture and assembly; new applications in the automotive industry; uses by small to medium-sized manufacturers; and companies seeking robots to support agile production methods. Originality/value – This paper provides a timely review of the rapidly developing European collaborative robot industry.


Author(s):  
Patricia Leavy

The book editor offers some final comments about the state of the field and promise for the future. Leavy suggests researchers consider using the language of “shapes” to talk about the forms their research takes and to highlight the ongoing role of the research community in shaping knowledge-building practices. She reviews the challenges and rewards of taking your work public. Leavy concludes by noting that institutional structures need to evolve their rewards criteria in order to meet the demands of practicing contemporary research and suggests that professors update their teaching practices to bring the audiences of research into the forefront of discussions of methodology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1962
Author(s):  
Timo Liljamo ◽  
Heikki Liimatainen ◽  
Markus Pöllänen ◽  
Riku Viri

Car ownership is one of the key factors affecting travel behaviour and thus also essential in terms of sustainable mobility. This study examines car ownership and how people’s willingness to own a car may change in the future, when considering the effects of public transport, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and automated vehicles (AVs). Results of two citizen surveys conducted with representative samples (NAV-survey = 2036; NMaaS-survey = 1176) of Finns aged 18–64 are presented. The results show that 39% of respondents would not want or need to own a car if public transport connections were good enough, 58% if the described mobility service was available and 65% if all vehicles in traffic were automated. Hence, car ownership can decrease as a result of the implementation of AVs and MaaS, and higher public transport quality of service. Current mobility behaviour has a strong correlation to car ownership, as respondents who use public transport frequently feel less of a will or need to own a car than others. Generally, women and younger people feel less of a will or need to own a car, but factors such as educational level and residential location seem to have a relatively low effect.


Author(s):  
J McKnight

After briefly reviewing the progress of the motor industry from its inception, the paper describes how the major markets have changed in response to various pressures in an effort to remain competitive. Suggestions are then made as to how engineers can prepare for the future in a changing market.


2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (09) ◽  
pp. 611-616
Author(s):  
S. F. Schäfer ◽  
U. Bracht

Zukünftige Antriebstechnologien sowie neue Fabrik- und Logistikkonzepte verändern die Rahmenbedingungen der Automobilproduktion grundlegend. Schon heute muss die Strukturlayoutplanung Innovationen und Unsicherheiten in Form von mehr Varianten, abgestimmt in sehr kurzer Zeit, durch die Einbeziehung von weiteren Know-how-Trägern berücksichtigen. Neue Herausforderungen, wie die Planung der Batteriefertigungen, müssen schnell und intuitiv gelöst werden. Einen Beitrag dafür liefert dieser Artikel.   Future technologies in automotive mobility as well as new factory and logistic concepts are changing the framework in car production. Innovations and uncertainties (e. g. the impact of new technologies) have to be taken in consideration for the factory of the future. New tasks, such as planning the assembly of batteries, need to be solved fast and intuitively. This paper presents an approach to this topic.


Author(s):  
S. Afanas'ev ◽  
V. Kondrat’ev

For the next decade, the future of the automotive industry lies in BRIC’ countries. Together, Brazil, Russia, India, and China will account for some 30 percent of world auto sales in 2014 while also offering significant opportunities for cost-effective R&D, sourcing, and manufacturing. The authors analyze the degree of localization of leading TNC and supplies in each BRIC country, for each function, compare localization across BRIC countries, assess the future development of these markets, compare local capabilities and resources, and identify particularly promising combinations of functions and countries. Key trends in developing countries include continuing liberalization and globalization, increased foreign investment and ownership, and the increasing importance of follow-source and follow-design forces. The article concerns the trends and factors of national automotive industry formation in BRIC countries. Special emphasis is made on localization of R&D activities, final assembly operations and components production by global automotive companies in BRIC countries. It systemizes the factors of investment opportunities of different developing markets. It is concluded that active state regulation is playing the principle role in localization and catching-up process in automotive industry in developing countries. The comparison of the automotive industry in BRIC countries allows shedding light on the economic processes of emergence at large. There is a stark contrast in the capacities of development of the sector in these countries. This contrast serves as an analyzer between the modes of sector opening and the paths of technological catching-up that is the core of the phenomenon of emergence. The analysis and best practices presented in the topic, while focusing on the BRIC countries, are applicable also to other rapidly developing economies.


2021 ◽  

Foreword Start-up future It has felt like Covid-19 had a stranglehold on us. But we haven‘t allowed ourselves to be defeated. On the contrary, we are taking advantage of the opportunities that arise as a result. Not only the long-overdue push towards digitalization, for example, but also the time gained by making fewer journeys. Those who show strength now and position themselves for the future will win. And that is exactly the reason why we have been preparing ELIV 2021 with such a lot of enthusiasm. As usual, we have prepared an up-to-date program with the familiar mixture of technically demanding and strategic papers and are sure that the ELIV platform will once again be a trendsetter for the automotive industry. The CASE megatrends (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric) continue to disrupt the industry. In the Connect environment, there is still a struggle for user-friendly services and competition amongst digital ecosystems is in full swing. The entry of powerful central computers into electronic architectures poses major challenges for all parties involved. On the way from Level 2 to Levels 3, 4 and 5 all manufacturers are cur...


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