Slice Of Warburton
By: Simon Warburton
just-auto business editor Simon Warburton offers up a wide range of views in his distinctive style, informed by daily contact with the global auto industry
ANE CONGRESS 2013: Quotes of the week
14 June 2013
Shrugging off French air traffic controllers' strike action, this week saw many of the industry's top executives gather for Automotive News Europe's Congress in Paris. Here is a brief snapshot of what they said.
INTERVIEW: Russian Machines CNG director, Peter Zolotarev
7 June 2013
GAZ Group parent Russian Machines, claims CNG is the cheapest of commonly used motor fuels, with costs per 100km almost 60% lower than for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It also says CNG is more than twice as cheap as a diesel-powered car and 2.5 times lower price than a gasoline vehicle. Russian Machines CNG project executive director, Peter Zolotarev, spoke to Simon Warburton from the company's Yaroslavl plant about the possibility of using the gas in the country and some of the infrastructure challenges associated with it.
COMMENT: Detroit to Johannesburg - Danny Glover's campaign continues
31 May 2013
Hot on the heels of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa's (NUMSA) claim for a 22% pay increase and the union finds itself in the spotlight for the second time in a week with the visit of Hollywood actor, Danny Glover, to Johannesburg.
COMMENT: Will 'outrageous' 20% pay rise keep South Africa lights on?
24 May 2013
Here we go again. In 2010, South Africa was convulsed by a wave of industrial unrest as pay bargaining talks lumbered into action and three years later, hey presto, the same actors seem to be going through the same painful process once more.
COMMENT: Bochum union factionism a voice from the past
17 May 2013
What are Opel's 3,000 odd workers at its Bochum plant in the heavily-industrialised region of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) thinking today?
Quote unquote from Automotive Supply Chain's Silverstone Congress 2013
17 May 2013
Automotive Supply Chain Magazine recently held its 2013 Congress at the home of British Formula 1 racing at Silverstone. Here's a round-up of some speakers' quotes.
QUOTES: Russian Automotive Forum - Moscow
3 May 2013
This year's Russian Automotive Forum in Moscow organised by Adam Smith Conferences produced some lively debate and interesting comments. Here's a snapshot of what some of the speakers said.
INTERVIEW: Purchasing director General Motors Russia: Peter Layer
23 April 2013
Purchasing director General Motors Russia, Peter Layer, recently spoke at the Russian Automotive Forum in Moscow, organised by Adam Smith Conferences, as well as talking to Simon Warburton on the sidelines of the event.
COMMENT: Russia comes in from the cold
19 April 2013
All this week's pomp and circumstance of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's funeral has rekindled myriad memories of what it was like growing up in the 1980s in the UK - and just how much the political landscape has changed.
INTERVIEW: PCMA-Rus general manager Jean-Christophe Marchal
12 April 2013
PCMA-Rus is a joint venture between PSA Peugeot Citroen (70%) and Mitsubishi Motors (30%) in the Kaluga region of Russia, some 100 miles south west of the capital. PCMA-Rus general manager, Jean-Christophe Marchal, spoke to Simon Warburton at this week's Russian Automotive Forum in Moscow.
INTERVIEW: Agromash Holdings on PSA partnership in Kazakhstan
26 March 2013
PSA Peugeot Citroen recently inked a partnership with Agromash Holding, for the assembly and distribution of the French automaker's passenger cars and LCVs in Kazakhstan. Simon Warburton was in contact with the trailer and agricultural machinery manufacturer based in the huge country on Russia's southern border.
INTERVIEW: SMMT interim chief executive Mike Baunton
25 March 2013
Mike Baunton is interim chief executive at the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and has worked in manufacturing for 40 years with global experience in engineering and production. He talked to Simon Warburton at the SMMT's recent Open Forum event near the UK Midlands city of Coventry.
COMMENT: Minister backs non-signing renegade Renault union?
15 March 2013
PSA Peugeot Citroen must be casting some fairly envious eyes from its exclusive eyrie on the Avenue de la Grande Armee, just down from the Arc de Triomphe and across the City of Light to Boulogne-Billancourt and Renault's HQ.
INTERVIEW: Ivan Hodac - ACEA secretary general
4 March 2013
Ivan Hodac has been Secretary General of ACEA since 2001. Building on large experience in EU affairs, he maintains close relationships with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the representatives of the EU Member States. Representing the 15 major European automobile manufacturers at EU level, he is also counterpart for other industry associations, NGOs and consumer organisations. He talked to Simon Warburton in Brussels about FTAs, overcapacity and alternative mobility.
COMMENT: Oleg Deripaska: Basic Element and GAZ Group
1 March 2013
GAZ Group - part of Russian Machines - the machinery and engineering holding of Basic Element - recently started Chevrolet Aveo production at its Nizhny Novgorod facility 250 miles east of Moscow and also produces vehicles for Volkswagen and Skoda.
COMMENT: Titan CEO firestorm smokes out French friends
22 February 2013
There is one topic that has leapt out of the many automotive headlines this week, a topic which has scandalised many, but left others surprisingly nodding in agreement.
INTERVIEW: Andrew Brown - Delphi chief technologist
19 February 2013
Andrew Brown is vice president & chief technologist for Delphi Automotive, representing the supplier globally in outside forums such as innovation and technology including government and regulatory agencies, customers, alliance partners, vendors, contracting agencies and academia.
COMMENT: French battlefield smoke clears as sides retreat to reflect
15 February 2013
Just another quiet week in the French auto business?
ANALYSIS: Credit Suisse analyst urges caution on Renault results
14 February 2013
A leading analyst says Renault is "betting the house" on recovery this year despite conceding the automaker has posted better than expected cash generation.
ANALYSIS: Renault deal could slash €300 cost per car if unions ratify
13 February 2013
Renault's CFDT union says it has secured several of its demands "for the moment" as more than 12h of restructuring negotiations finally came to an end last night (12 February) in Paris that could see the automaker slash EUR300 (US$405) per car in production costs.
