Latest automotive interviews

Delphi Technologies CTO talks powertrain and power electronics

16 Aug 2018 | Dave Leggett

When Delphi split earlier this year, the greater part of its operations were renamed Aptiv. However, the powertrain tech division retained the Delphi name. Dave Leggett recently caught up with Delphi Technologies CEO Mary Gustanski at the company's new London headquarters.

Williams revs up the EV market

13 Aug 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Williams Advanced Engineering is the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group. It specialises in advanced lightweight materials, hybrid power systems and electronics, aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, and holistic integration capabilities. We caught up with company executives to learn more about its latest projects, advances in hybrid battery systems, electric vehicles and lightweight solutions.

Adient's CTO on megatrends and cutting development time

10 Aug 2018 | Calum MacRae

At the CAR Management Briefing Seminars held in Traverse City, Michigan recently just-auto's Calum MacRae met with Dr Detlef Juerss, Vice President Engineering & Chief Technology Office, Adient to discuss the changing automotive environment, future seating requirements and how Silicon Valley is helping Adient reduce product development times.

Yanfeng on adapting to new industry challenges

9 Aug 2018 | Calum MacRae

At the CAR Management Briefing Seminars held in Traverse City, Michigan recently just-auto's Calum MacRae met with Yanfeng Automotive Interiors’ Executive Director Research, Technology & New Mobility Jeff Stout and Vice President and General Manager Nathan Bowen to discuss the changing automotive environment and Yanfeng's role in it. 

ZF VP on tomorrow’s electronic braking systems

8 Aug 2018 | Matthew Beecham

The apparently simple issue of braking continues to be a major issue for chassis system designers. Drivers are, of course, concerned that in an emergency their semi- and ultimately fully-automated vehicle should stop as quickly as possible. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one component suppliers, we spoke to Manfred Meyer, Senior Vice President global braking systems for ZF Active and Passive Safety Technology Division, to learn about tomorrow’s electronic braking systems.

Deloitte on the risks facing suppliers in the CASE world

7 Aug 2018 | Calum MacRae

At the CAR Management Briefing Seminars held in Traverse City, Michigan recently just-auto's Calum MacRae met with Neal Ganguli Deloitte's US automotive practice leader to discuss how suppliers can maximise their portfolios and the effect that CASE will have on overall industry volumes. 

Valeo VP on future mobility solutions

6 Aug 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Partial driver autonomy already exists in the form of automated parking systems and advanced driver assistance features. For its part, Valeo is pushing back the technical boundaries of automation to address increasingly complex urban driving situations. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one component suppliers, we spoke to Guillaume Devauchelle, Group Vice President Innovation & Scientific Development, Valeo about its driver assistance and mobility solutions.

Interview - ex-Renault CEO Louis Schweitzer

31 Jul 2018 | Simon Warburton

Among a long list of French industrialists treading a familiar path through Paris' elite business universities, is Louis Schweitzer, whose storied and glittering career takes in a breathtaking canter through the rarefied air of the country's very top jobs. Simon Warburton spoke to him on the fringes of the recent Forum on the European Automotive Industry (FEAL) in Lille.

Could this ‘breakthrough’ in energy storage disrupt the EV market?

30 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

A French startup, spun off from the nuclear industry, is using nanotechnology to make the next generation of battery. NAWA Technologies’ Ultra Fast Carbon Battery is a carbon-based ultracapacitor that is claimed to be five times more powerful than existing ultracapacitors. Based near Marseille, the company is also developing 'structural batteries’, using the same nanotechnology to turn ordinary items into objects that can hold charge e.g. a smartphone case or a window frame. To learn more about how this green and clean tech could rapidly charge an EV, we spoke to Ulrik Grape, CEO of NAWA Technologies and Pascal Boulanger, COO and Founder of NAWA Technologies. 

Webasto on development of sunroofs and convertible roof systems

19 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Webasto’s core competencies include development, production and sales of sunroofs, panoramic roofs, convertible roofs and parking heaters. With electric heating systems, charging solutions and battery systems, the supplier is also addressing the growth market of electromobility. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one suppliers, we spoke to Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board, Webasto SE about the company’s roof systems business.

Magna Exteriors makes an impact with front-end modules

18 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

What is a front-end module? It depends on who makes it and for whom. Front-end modules (FEMs) typically encompass the bumper, headlights, radiator and various others parts. The benefits to the automaker from sourcing complete FEMs are clear: they can help cut the number of operations on the assembly line, reduce vehicle weight, cut tooling costs and improve working capital. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with component suppliers, we caught up with Rob Selle, Global Product Line Director, FEM, Fascia & Trim, Magna Exteriors, a front-runner serving the FEMs market.

Valeo on tomorrow’s climate control systems

16 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Cabin comfort is a given for motorists nowadays. The trend for multizone air-conditioning systems enables automakers to offer more comfort features. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one component suppliers, we spoke to executives of Valeo’s Thermal Systems division to learn more about such trends, regulatory drivers and its recent climate control system innovations.

The science of sound - How Harman is striking a chord in the small car segment

11 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Designing and developing a car audio system for a certain model is a complex process. Hitting the right note in the small car segment is particularly challenging for acoustic engineers with lots of things to consider. Changing the seat material alone can alter the acoustics in an otherwise identical cabin. Audio specialist Harman has worked closely with Ford to develop a premium sound upgrade for the new Fiesta. To learn more, we spoke to Greg Sikora, Harman ‘Golden Ear’ and Senior Manager, Head of Acoustic Systems Engineering Europe, Car Audio, and Stefan Varga, Harman ‘Golden Ear’ and Senior System Engineer Acoustic, Car Audio at Harman International.

Magna lifts the lid off the car roof systems market

9 Jul 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Magna covers the entire spectrum of vehicle roof systems. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one component suppliers, we caught up with Uwe Behrendt, Director Sales, Magna Closures & Magna Car Top Systems to discuss trends in sunroofs, convertibles, solar technology and alternative lightweight glazing.

Faurecia VP on tomorrow’s cockpit and smart interiors

29 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

The car - integral to the daily lives of millions of people – is being transformed into a living room on wheels. Motorists’ insatiable appetite for comfort and connectivity, all within a customised environment, is driving innovation. As a global leader in vehicle interiors, Faurecia is developing solutions that meet those desires. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier one suppliers, we spoke to Andreas Wlasak, Vice-President Industrial Design at Faurecia Interiors.

Faurecia Seating on Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electrified

14 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Seats account for five per cent of a vehicle’s total cost and six per cent of its weight. As a result, they represent the second largest expense for automakers. Faurecia Seating is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of automotive seating. Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier 1 suppliers, we spoke to Nik Endrud, Vice President Strategy and Innovation at Faurecia Seating.

YFAI on auto interior surfaces, natural fibres and personalisation functions

6 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI), a joint venture between Yanfeng and Adient, is a pioneer in the development of new materials for vehicle interiors. With its activeSkin concept, for example, the company presents a vision of integrating intuitive controls into vehicle interiors, which blur the boundaries between the digital and analogue worlds. This new development concept enables the display of data on soft surfaces. YFAI expects that functional and decorative surfaces in vehicle interiors will increasingly merge in the future. To find out more about this trend and other innovations, we spoke to Volkhard Wick, Executive Director, Innovation and Product Management Europe & South Africa at YFAI.

IAC on upscaling interiors and automated driving

5 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Designers are continually reinventing the interior to appeal to occupants of all shapes, sizes, ages, and cultures.  Continuing just-auto/QUBE’s series of interviews with tier 1 suppliers, we spoke to Mike Clowry, Vice President Advanced Development & Materials Engineering, Europe, International Automotive Components (IAC) Group about the continually evolving car interior as we move closer to the age of autonomous driving. Headquartered in Luxembourg, IAC Group is a global supplier of automotive components and systems, including instrument panels, console systems, door panels, headliners and overhead systems to automakers around the world.

EVs to drive demand for steel, says Tata Steel

4 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Increasing demand for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) will drive growth in steel supply to the European automotive industry by 4.2 million tonnes, according to a study by Tata Steel. The study predicts production of steel for vehicle structure will see a sharp increase if all new vehicles are to have zero emissions by 2050. To find out why steel will be more relevant to the automotive industry than it is today, we spoke to Paul Cremers, Marketing Manager Chassis and Suspension, Tata Steel.

Continental Powertrain on electric mobility, challenges and solutions

1 Jun 2018 | Matthew Beecham

Continental generated sales of some €44 billion last year, up 8 percent on 2016. One driver of growth is clean-air technology, which includes hybrid and electric drive systems, more efficient combustion engines, and systems for cleaner emissions. The supplier forecasts that 110 million vehicles will be manufactured in 2025 worldwide. About one in ten of those vehicles will be all electric and one in four will be a hybrid. And by that time, one in five will feature drive solutions from Continental. To learn more, we caught up with Nirad Pandya, Head of Strategy, Marketing and Communications Head of E-Mobility Programs, Engine Systems Business Unit, Powertrain Division, Continental Automotive.