Almonty has been mining for over 100 years, but the COVID pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and,of course, opportunities. CEO Lewis Black explains.

As technology in cars evolves, the way we interact with the vehicles will change, too. While holographic interfaces remain fantastical and mostly relegated to concept cars, Altia CEP Mike Juran expects tomorrow’s GUIs to go all in on augmented realty as well as behind-the-scenes adjustments to take advantage of flexible supply chains.

RFID technology isn’t new, but the way it’s being used to track components throughout the automotive building process is constantly growing and changing. Impinj’s Carl Brasek runs us through the way RAIN RFID is being used by automakers today, and how it might be used in the future to simplify vehicle maintenance (think tires).

As Hyundai’s plant in Alabama gets ready to produce the brand’s first open-bed vehicle - the Santa Cruz pick-up - there’s a lot of work to be done to both shift the production line to account for a new vehicle as well as keep tabs on coronavirus safety protocols on site and communicating with suppliers about delays.

UBQ is trying to prove to Daimler, and the rest of the auto industry, that you can take ordinary household trash and turn it into automotive-grade plastic. Tests are being conducted now, and Bigio says the growth potential is huge.

For our first return guest on Transmission, we speak again with AIT’s Alan Votaw about the logistics and shipping realities today and what’s around the corner for the fourth quarter. We also discuss supply chain metrics, and the value of getting the details exactly right.

ECD Automotive Design is a small, bespoke conversion company focused on building customized Land Rovers. The company has always had an unusual method of sourcing the classic and new parts it needs to make its restorations, but COVID has created truly unusual challenges. One solution? Ask mom to help.

With over 35 years of supply chain experience, AIT’s Rich Grant is well suited to explain some of the realities behind the shipping snafus happening around the world. As the station manager for AIT Detroit, he has a front-row seat to how the global challenges are affecting automakers locally, including how the chip shortage could affect the 2021-2022 model year changeover.

Electric vehicle supply chain news never stops, and this week we discuss a few items in the news, including GM’s partnership with Controlled Thermal Resources to harvest lithium from ocean water, Panasonic selling its stake in Tesla for $3.6 billion and how the chip shortage is affecting the supplier landscape

With the auto industry spreading its wings - sometimes literally - into things like making silicon chips and flying taxis, you might need to invest in a wide variety of technologies and industries. That’s the strategy taken by the Trucks venture capital fund, but it’s not the only progressive attitude they take. See also their ban on “manels,” or men-only discussion panels.