American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 246 January 2020 | Page 14

WPS/HardDrive Opens New
BRIEFS Georgia Warehouse Ahead of
Schedule
NEWS
VW has 'bet the
farm' on its
electric future,
committing
over € 66bn
($72bn) to an
electric car future.
The group plans to have
introduced up to 75 all-electric
models by 2029, plus some 60
hybrid vehicles. € 33bn of that
will be dedicated to developing
electric cars across its global
brands - Volkswagen, Porsche,
Audi, Bentley, Bugatti,
Lamborghini and its Skoda and
Seat Europe specific brands.
BMW Group, BASF
SE, Samsung SDI
and Samsung
Electronics have
started "Cobalt for
Development" to
promote responsible
artisanal cobalt mining in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The
pilot project intends to improve
working conditions at a pilot mine
site and living conditions in the
surrounding communities.
Yamaha Motor is investing
further in Autonomous Driving
Technology Developer "Tier IV",
strengthening development
capabilities for low-speed
autonomous driving vehicles
through the development of
Autoware (autonomous driving
OS software). Through this
investment, Yamaha Motor aims
to strengthen development
capabilities and acquire
knowledge regarding low-speed
autonomous driving technology.
This additional investment
forms part of "ART for Human
Possibilities, Rethinking
Solutions", one aspect of the
company's long-term vision to
provide multi-use vehicles and
alternative mobility systems to
regions where there are many
elderly and other people with
limited access to transportation.
Harley was in sixth place for a 9.05%
market share in Germany for the
eleven months to November 2019,
having sold 10,052 units, -6.91%
over the same period of 2018.
There's no surprise that BMW is
market share leader in its home
market with 24,447 units sold YTD
for a 22.03% share, followed by
Honda, KTM, Kawasaki and Yamaha.
14
Western Power Sports and HardDrive,
their specialty V-twin parts and
accessory program, have announced
the completion of a new 245,000
square foot warehouse at Midway,
Georgia.
Scheduled to open in late January 2020
(two weeks ahead of schedule), "this
state-of-the-art facility is part of an
ongoing effort to increase support for
its vast dealer network across the south
eastern United States."
Designed and built from the ground up,
this new WPS distribution center
"combines the latest in warehouse
automation and the industry-leading
service WPS is known for. This new
location will fundamentally change
how WPS is able to serve the entire
southern region, opening the door for
one-day shipping to a greater number
of dealers."
"This new warehouse is a great
opportunity to better serve the
powersports dealer network and the
future growth of the company. It
delivers on the latest in automation and
allows us to properly facilitate dealers
who need products quickly. The building
is complete, the four-story pick module
and racking are close, and we have
started filling the warehouse with
product and plan on shipping soon,"
WPS CEO Craig Shoemaker explained.
"This has been in the works for several
years and we are excited to start
shipping orders out as soon as
possible."
Shoemaker said that to maintain
maximum efficiency, the current
109,000 square foot warehouse in
Memphis, Tennessee, will be integrated
into the new Georgia location. All
shipping operations from the Memphis
facility will switch over to Georgia.
"The new warehouse is a vital
component of the continuous growth
WPS has experienced and shows our
continued commitment to supporting
our industry and dealer network. With
recent expansions at two current WPS
facilities in California and Idaho, as well
as an additional warehouse in
Pennsylvania, WPS will continue
delivering its dealer network with the
ultimate in service and speed – all while
offering more brands than ever before."
WPS also has warehouse facilities
Indiana and Texas.
www.wps-inc.com
Corbin Donating 'Sparrow' to
Petersen Automotive Museum
In 1996 the original Sparrow
concept vehicle made its debut
at the San Francisco Auto Show.
Heralded as both "quirky" and
"brilliant", the overall positive
reaction led to the production
of what was then the world's
first single passenger EV.
The project scratched more
than an itch for inventor Mike
Corbin - as an electronic
engineer by training he had
always believed passionately in
the future of electric vehicles
and was many decades ahead
of his time.
The original "Bug Eyed
Sparrow" is being donated to
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JANUARY 2020
the Petersen Museum in Los
Angeles for the viewing
enjoyment of all to see for
generations to come. The
Sparrow is and has been an
inspiration for the modern-day
electric car.
www.corbin.com
www.AMDchampionship.com