The series of interviews we conducted and published together in this edition have a common thread. All the interviewees were talking about the future. Not a shocking revelation given the period of adjustment the industry is going through, but any changes to models, production, technology, etc are always of great interest, the bigger the change, the better the story for AMS. But it must be said that change isn’t always a welcome thing for the OEMs and tier suppliers, at a very basic level production operations prefer stability, standardisation and consistency. So, it was very interesting and enjoyable to note that our subjects are relishing these changes, big challenges, yes, but also big opportunities.

In this edition of AMS, we have a great insight into how BMW’s Munich plant is being prepared for an all new, electric vehicle platform. It is always a complex process integrating a new model into existing production and at this plant the footprint is constrained due to its city location. However, this challenge becomes a great opportunity to further optimise the layout and operations. The same approach can also be seen in the interview with ZF. With the company’s shift to the electrification of its product development and output, it’s about the people, ensuring that the everyone is involved and engaged with the changes, that the transition is a positive move.

Following this thread, our interviews with Britishvolt and the Faraday Battery Challenge also highlight how important planning and investing in the future is now becoming. For Britishvolt it’s not only the huge task of planning and building a new battery cell production plant from scratch, but also ensuring its long-term viability as the markets grow and technologies shift and mature. While the development of battery cell formats and chemistries continues at pace, these need to adapt to both the requirements around cost and performance from the carmakers, and the need for sustainability in the materials and supply chains. This is something that the Faraday Battery Challenge is deeply immersed in, supporting the development of innovative technologies from the laboratory to production.

You can join us to watch live discussions on future trends and innovations on our upcoming livestream, which will focus on how EV powertrains will reshape automotive production.

Register here

Editor Nick Holt nick.holt@ultimamedia.com

Assistant editor Peter Murphy peter.murphy@ultimamedia.com

Senior Content Producer Ahmo Saric ahmo.saric@ultimamedia.com

Contributors Mike Farish, Michael Nash

Senior digital media & UX executivee Andrew Randall - andrew.randall@ultimamedia.com

Head of commercial development Andrew Fallon andrew.fallon@ultimamedia.com

Senior designer Gemma Wood gemma.wood@ultimamedia.com

CRM and data manager Alistair Hankey alistair.Hankey@ultimamedia.com

Circulation and database Justyna Wanczyk justyna.wanczyk@ ultimamedia.com

Head of finance Kanokkan Durrant kanokkan.durrant@ultimamedia.com

Commercial director Mark Buller mark.buller@ultimamedia.com

Head of product and marketing Neemish Ladwa neemish.ladwa@ultimamedia.com

Editor-in-chief Christopher Ludwig christopher.ludwig@ultimamedia.com

Managing director Moritz Warth moritz.warth@mi-connect.de

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