I think it ’ s important to take a step back and recognise how far the automotive sector has come . Since the days of Henry Ford and his pioneering initiative to produce the Ford Model T at scale , the industry has taken on board these ideas of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement .

It ’ s also important to recognise the feats of Toyota in the modern car-making era as its Kaizen approach made it one of the most successful manufacturers globally , and how these principles echoed across the industry . But now is the time for a major shift . Contrary to the hoisting of engines into the front end of vehicles and assembly of gas exhausts , car makers and commercial fleet vehicle manufacturers are working with battery-electric components and revamping the process to meet sustainability demands and EV output requirements .

The process is being automated , because to meet a large scale demand , the output must be consistent and delays kept to a minimum . However , the process is simplified and able to evolve as manufacturers purpose-build vans and trucks to suit multiple applications .

“ The automotive industry is going through an unprecedented time of change and challenge with the transition to newer forms

60 [ Aug 2023 ] EVMAGAZINE . COM