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Day: 25 June 2020

Fully Electric Commercial Vehicle Powertrain

Posted on by David Priestman

Hyliion Inc., a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, announced today the launch of its Hypertruck Electric Range Extender (ERX), a long-haul, fully electric powertrain delivering superior performance, emissions reductions and cost-savings to the global trucking industry. The launch of the Hypertruck ERX is anchored by Agility, one of the world’s leading logistics companies with $5.2 billion in revenue and offices in 100 countries. Agility has confirmed a pre-order of up to 1,000 trucks and has agreed to invest in a private offering of securities to be issued by Tortoise Acquisition Corp. in connection with Hyliion’s recently announced business combination.

“Hyliion is leading the way in electrified trucking. Our practical solution addresses the most important needs of today’s fleets: cost savings, lower emissions and a fueling infrastructure that can support long-haul transportation,” said Hyliion’s CEO and founder, Thomas Healy. “We’re already seeing robust interest in the Hypertruck ERX from fleets like Agility who are looking for electric solutions that can be seamlessly integrated.”

Combined with a fully electric drivetrain and a natural gas-powered onboard generator to recharge the battery, the Hypertruck ERX will provide more than 1,000 miles of range. The powertrain also produces electricity locally at roughly 30 percent less than the average grid cost, which yields a seven-year cost-of-ownership unmatched by any diesel, battery-electric (BEV) or hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) Class 8 truck under development.

“The Hyliion technology is so game-changing that all companies, especially those with consumer-facing brands, will be forced to adapt,” said Tarek Sultan, vice chairman and CEO of Agility. “It’s a triple win: Protect the environment, keep customers happy and benefit shareholders by improving the bottom line. We look forward to bringing significant cost savings and greater efficiency to our customers.”

With more than 700 public stations across the U.S., the Hypertruck ERX leverages a robust natural gas refueling infrastructure. The truck is the only electric Class 8 vehicle that can achieve a net-negative greenhouse gas emissions footprint using renewable natural gas (RNG). It will achieve 25 miles of pure electric vehicle range in compliance with cities adopting “Zero Emission Zones.” The vehicle’s low carbon footprint is further enhanced by the system’s machine learning algorithm, which optimizes energy efficiency, emissions, performance and predictive maintenance schedules.

Continuing Hyliion’s long-standing partner relationship with Dana Incorporated, the Hypertruck ERX will feature Dana’s electric motor, inverter and axle technologies, and Dana plans to provide its state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities to support Hyliion in achieving full volume production of its powertrain systems. Initial Hypertruck ERX fleet demonstration vehicles have already been allocated to customers for delivery in 2021, with volume shipments scheduled in 2022

Fully Electric Commercial Vehicle Powertrain

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Hyliion Inc., a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, announced today the launch of its Hypertruck Electric Range Extender (ERX), a long-haul, fully electric powertrain delivering superior performance, emissions reductions and cost-savings to the global trucking industry. The launch of the Hypertruck ERX is anchored by Agility, one of the world’s leading logistics companies with $5.2 billion in revenue and offices in 100 countries. Agility has confirmed a pre-order of up to 1,000 trucks and has agreed to invest in a private offering of securities to be issued by Tortoise Acquisition Corp. in connection with Hyliion’s recently announced business combination.

“Hyliion is leading the way in electrified trucking. Our practical solution addresses the most important needs of today’s fleets: cost savings, lower emissions and a fueling infrastructure that can support long-haul transportation,” said Hyliion’s CEO and founder, Thomas Healy. “We’re already seeing robust interest in the Hypertruck ERX from fleets like Agility who are looking for electric solutions that can be seamlessly integrated.”

Combined with a fully electric drivetrain and a natural gas-powered onboard generator to recharge the battery, the Hypertruck ERX will provide more than 1,000 miles of range. The powertrain also produces electricity locally at roughly 30 percent less than the average grid cost, which yields a seven-year cost-of-ownership unmatched by any diesel, battery-electric (BEV) or hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) Class 8 truck under development.

“The Hyliion technology is so game-changing that all companies, especially those with consumer-facing brands, will be forced to adapt,” said Tarek Sultan, vice chairman and CEO of Agility. “It’s a triple win: Protect the environment, keep customers happy and benefit shareholders by improving the bottom line. We look forward to bringing significant cost savings and greater efficiency to our customers.”

With more than 700 public stations across the U.S., the Hypertruck ERX leverages a robust natural gas refueling infrastructure. The truck is the only electric Class 8 vehicle that can achieve a net-negative greenhouse gas emissions footprint using renewable natural gas (RNG). It will achieve 25 miles of pure electric vehicle range in compliance with cities adopting “Zero Emission Zones.” The vehicle’s low carbon footprint is further enhanced by the system’s machine learning algorithm, which optimizes energy efficiency, emissions, performance and predictive maintenance schedules.

Continuing Hyliion’s long-standing partner relationship with Dana Incorporated, the Hypertruck ERX will feature Dana’s electric motor, inverter and axle technologies, and Dana plans to provide its state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities to support Hyliion in achieving full volume production of its powertrain systems. Initial Hypertruck ERX fleet demonstration vehicles have already been allocated to customers for delivery in 2021, with volume shipments scheduled in 2022

Increased Road Freight Transport Demand

Posted on by David Priestman

“In the first two weeks of June we can see that increased industrial output is having an impact on available transport capacity and also prices,” said Oliver Kahrs, Managing Director of Tim Consult, a Transporeon subsidiary. “Assuming that output continues to increase over the coming weeks this should have an effect on available capacity and could contribute towards further price stabilization. Nevertheless, depending on further pandemic developments, we would expect prices to remain well below pre-crisis levels at least for the next couple of months.”

• Compared to May, 22.5% less road transport capacity was available in the first two weeks of June on the European spot market.
• During the same period, spot prices saw a slight increase of 3%.
• Year on year, however, surplus capacity remains at a high level, +30.1% compared to June 2019, with prices remaining at a depressed level at -14.3% over the same timeframe.
• Reduced capacity surplus and improved prices in early June are mainly the result of increased industrial output.
• In the automotive industry surplus transport capacity fell by -22.4% while prices rose by +8.5% compared to May.
• Over the same period, surplus capacity fell by -21.5% while prices rose +11.3% within the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

This is the result of the current evaluation of the transport market monitor (TMM). The online service is provided by Tim Consult on the basis of transport data of more than 1.8 million freight loads per year, processed on the spot market by Transporeon, the European market leader for cloud-based platforms in transport logistics.

 

Increased Road Freight Transport Demand

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

“In the first two weeks of June we can see that increased industrial output is having an impact on available transport capacity and also prices,” said Oliver Kahrs, Managing Director of Tim Consult, a Transporeon subsidiary. “Assuming that output continues to increase over the coming weeks this should have an effect on available capacity and could contribute towards further price stabilization. Nevertheless, depending on further pandemic developments, we would expect prices to remain well below pre-crisis levels at least for the next couple of months.”

• Compared to May, 22.5% less road transport capacity was available in the first two weeks of June on the European spot market.
• During the same period, spot prices saw a slight increase of 3%.
• Year on year, however, surplus capacity remains at a high level, +30.1% compared to June 2019, with prices remaining at a depressed level at -14.3% over the same timeframe.
• Reduced capacity surplus and improved prices in early June are mainly the result of increased industrial output.
• In the automotive industry surplus transport capacity fell by -22.4% while prices rose by +8.5% compared to May.
• Over the same period, surplus capacity fell by -21.5% while prices rose +11.3% within the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

This is the result of the current evaluation of the transport market monitor (TMM). The online service is provided by Tim Consult on the basis of transport data of more than 1.8 million freight loads per year, processed on the spot market by Transporeon, the European market leader for cloud-based platforms in transport logistics.

 

Vietnam, Mexico and India All Benefit From China Supply Chain Flight

Posted on by David Priestman

A Gartner, Inc, survey of 260 global supply chain leaders in February and March 2020 found that 33% had moved sourcing and manufacturing activities out of China or plan to do so in the next two to three years. Survey results show that the COVID-19 pandemic is only one of several disruptions that have put global supply chains under pressure.

“Global supply chains were being disrupted long before COVID-19 emerged,” said Kamala Raman, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain Practice. “Already in 2018 and 2019, the U.S.-China trade war made supply chain leaders aware of the weaknesses of their globalized supply chains and question the logic of heavily outsourced, concentrated and interdependent networks. As a result, a new focus on network resilience and the idea of more regional manufacturing emerged. But this kind of change comes with a price tag.”

For decades, China has been the go-to destination for high-quality, low-cost manufacturing, and it has established itself as a key source of supply for almost all major industries including retail and pharmaceutical. However, Gartner research showed that the margin between those companies planning to add jobs in China versus taking them away narrowed sharply in 2019. The primary reason is the increase in tariff costs.

“We have found that tariffs imposed by the U.S. and Chinese governments during the past years have increased supply chain costs by up to 10% for more than 40% of organizations. For just over one-quarter of respondents, the impact has been even higher,” Raman said. “Popular alternative locations are Vietnam, India, and Mexico. The second main reason for moving business out of China is that supply chain leaders want to make their networks more resilient.”

Only 21% of survey respondents believe that they have a highly resilient network today – meaning that they have good visibility and the agility to shift sourcing, manufacturing and distribution activities around quickly. However, 55% expect to have a highly resilient network in the next two to three years – a reaction to disruptions such as Brexit, the trade war and COVID-19. However, resilience has a price. Fifty-eight percent of respondents agree that more resilience also results in additional structural costs to the network.

“We are at a crossroads in the evaluation of global supply chains that pits just-in-time systems designed to improve operational efficiency against just-in-case plans that emphasize planning and preparing for a range of plausible scenarios,” Raman added. “To find balance, supply chain leaders must engage in risk management to assess their organization’s willingness to take risk onboard and decide how to quantify that risk against other network objectives such as cost effectiveness.”

One-quarter of survey respondents stated that they have already regionalized or localized manufacturing to be closer to demand. Despite the cost of adding more players to the ecosystem and increasing the overall network complexity, regional supply chains can ease delays and shortages in times of disruption – if the model is economically viable.

“Many Western organizations will have to explore new forms of automation on the factory floor to decrease the costs of near- or onshore production. Some also favour a partial option, such as manufacturing in Asia and moving only the final assembly closer to the customer,” Raman concluded.

 

Posted in Uncategorised

Vietnam, Mexico and India All Benefit From China Supply Chain Flight

Posted on by Paul Hamblin

A Gartner, Inc, survey of 260 global supply chain leaders in February and March 2020 found that 33% had moved sourcing and manufacturing activities out of China or plan to do so in the next two to three years. Survey results show that the COVID-19 pandemic is only one of several disruptions that have put global supply chains under pressure.

“Global supply chains were being disrupted long before COVID-19 emerged,” said Kamala Raman, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain Practice. “Already in 2018 and 2019, the U.S.-China trade war made supply chain leaders aware of the weaknesses of their globalized supply chains and question the logic of heavily outsourced, concentrated and interdependent networks. As a result, a new focus on network resilience and the idea of more regional manufacturing emerged. But this kind of change comes with a price tag.”

For decades, China has been the go-to destination for high-quality, low-cost manufacturing, and it has established itself as a key source of supply for almost all major industries including retail and pharmaceutical. However, Gartner research showed that the margin between those companies planning to add jobs in China versus taking them away narrowed sharply in 2019. The primary reason is the increase in tariff costs.

“We have found that tariffs imposed by the U.S. and Chinese governments during the past years have increased supply chain costs by up to 10% for more than 40% of organizations. For just over one-quarter of respondents, the impact has been even higher,” Raman said. “Popular alternative locations are Vietnam, India, and Mexico. The second main reason for moving business out of China is that supply chain leaders want to make their networks more resilient.”

Only 21% of survey respondents believe that they have a highly resilient network today – meaning that they have good visibility and the agility to shift sourcing, manufacturing and distribution activities around quickly. However, 55% expect to have a highly resilient network in the next two to three years – a reaction to disruptions such as Brexit, the trade war and COVID-19. However, resilience has a price. Fifty-eight percent of respondents agree that more resilience also results in additional structural costs to the network.

“We are at a crossroads in the evaluation of global supply chains that pits just-in-time systems designed to improve operational efficiency against just-in-case plans that emphasize planning and preparing for a range of plausible scenarios,” Raman added. “To find balance, supply chain leaders must engage in risk management to assess their organization’s willingness to take risk onboard and decide how to quantify that risk against other network objectives such as cost effectiveness.”

One-quarter of survey respondents stated that they have already regionalized or localized manufacturing to be closer to demand. Despite the cost of adding more players to the ecosystem and increasing the overall network complexity, regional supply chains can ease delays and shortages in times of disruption – if the model is economically viable.

“Many Western organizations will have to explore new forms of automation on the factory floor to decrease the costs of near- or onshore production. Some also favour a partial option, such as manufacturing in Asia and moving only the final assembly closer to the customer,” Raman concluded.

 

Advanced Billing Software for 3PLs

Posted on by David Priestman

WMS innovator SnapFulfil is ‘snapping up’ 3PL clients with its new multiple billing software that offers the highest levels of detail, accuracy and clarity. With margins ever tightening, there’s the option of setting different rates for quantities shipped and charging accordingly, offering greater economies of scale. The software also helps with better data quality, resources allocation and process flow – critical at the best of times, but certainly during the present Covid-19 pandemic.

Value added services can be recorded on RF (either adhoc or against shipments and receipts) and charged onto the customer. Improved flexibility also means more focus on storage and tenure charges – with 3PLs now able to bill for occupancy of an entire section, bay or zone, as well as by SKU per location and by product volume (cm3) for storage in STU and non STU controlled slots.
Additionally, with charges increasingly itemised, the enhancements provide extra ways and means to bill by manifest and for dispatch note, bill of lading and goods received note document generation.

Other functionality enhancements include pick surcharges and the ability to bill for oversized products using the STT type; passing on shipping carrier and consumables charges; specific shipment cost and invoice breakdown; generating recurring support charges, as well as invoices for a priority shipment or receipt where additional labour has been used to rush through the processing.
SnapFulfil’s managing director UK & Europe, Tony Dobson, said: “We’ve worked closely with a number of 3PL customers to develop these advancements because all businesses are different, and we understand the need for arriving at workable solutions together. The feedback has been excellent, with clients also benefitting from tiered rates of charging for the likes of split and smaller pallets.”

Wigan based business 3PL – which specialises in multichannel fulfilment for fast growing brands in the e-commerce, retail, and wholesale sectors, via 250,000 sq.ft of high-quality warehouse accommodation – is a recent SnapFulfil WMS client taking advantage of all the new software. 3PL managing director, Ian Walker, added: “We chose SnapFulfil because it’s scalable, stable, configurable, affordable and API friendly, plus it has a range of functionality specifically tailored to the needs of 3PLs. It has allowed us to really sharpen up our warehouse management efficiencies, providing greater accuracy and transparency, as well as cost and resource savings.”

Advanced Billing Software for 3PLs

Posted on by David Priestman

WMS innovator SnapFulfil is ‘snapping up’ 3PL clients with its new multiple billing software that offers the highest levels of detail, accuracy and clarity. With margins ever tightening, there’s the option of setting different rates for quantities shipped and charging accordingly, offering greater economies of scale. The software also helps with better data quality, resources allocation and process flow – critical at the best of times, but certainly during the present Covid-19 pandemic.

Value added services can be recorded on RF (either adhoc or against shipments and receipts) and charged onto the customer. Improved flexibility also means more focus on storage and tenure charges – with 3PLs now able to bill for occupancy of an entire section, bay or zone, as well as by SKU per location and by product volume (cm3) for storage in STU and non STU controlled slots.
Additionally, with charges increasingly itemised, the enhancements provide extra ways and means to bill by manifest and for dispatch note, bill of lading and goods received note document generation.

Other functionality enhancements include pick surcharges and the ability to bill for oversized products using the STT type; passing on shipping carrier and consumables charges; specific shipment cost and invoice breakdown; generating recurring support charges, as well as invoices for a priority shipment or receipt where additional labour has been used to rush through the processing.
SnapFulfil’s managing director UK & Europe, Tony Dobson, said: “We’ve worked closely with a number of 3PL customers to develop these advancements because all businesses are different, and we understand the need for arriving at workable solutions together. The feedback has been excellent, with clients also benefitting from tiered rates of charging for the likes of split and smaller pallets.”

Wigan based business 3PL – which specialises in multichannel fulfilment for fast growing brands in the e-commerce, retail, and wholesale sectors, via 250,000 sq.ft of high-quality warehouse accommodation – is a recent SnapFulfil WMS client taking advantage of all the new software. 3PL managing director, Ian Walker, added: “We chose SnapFulfil because it’s scalable, stable, configurable, affordable and API friendly, plus it has a range of functionality specifically tailored to the needs of 3PLs. It has allowed us to really sharpen up our warehouse management efficiencies, providing greater accuracy and transparency, as well as cost and resource savings.”

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