Publications
The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry. As a nonprofit research organization, and in cooperation with study funders, most CAR research is released publicly through this website.
China Speed: Mapping the Product Development Race and North America’s Response
China’s automotive industry has rapidly evolved from a domestic manufacturing base into a global force that is impacting vehicle production, supply chains, technology development, and competitive dynamics across every major automotive market. At MBS 2026, CAR’s “China Speed: Mapping the Product Development Race and North America’s response” roundtable convened automotive…
Impact of Automotive Tariffs: Understanding the Effects on Parts, Tooling, and Vehicles
The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) MBS 2026 roundtable series convened automotive leaders from the U.S. and Canada to discuss one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: how tariffs are redefining manufacturing, supply chains, and the future of North American competitiveness. Participants included automakers, suppliers, researchers, and representatives from Canada…
Michigan Automotive Workforce Needs Assessment – Part F Interim Report
Michigan Automotive Workforce Needs Assessment Part F Interim Report As the automotive industry navigates transformative shifts in manufacturing, propulsion technologies, and increasing vehicle complexity, it is essential to assess how these changes are redefining workforce skill demands. CAR completed a three-part study in 2025 in collaboration with Michigan’s Department of…
Smart Manufacturing in Automotive: Deployment and Impact
Smart Manufacturing in Automotive: Deployment and Impact The automotive industry is entering a new phase of AI/machine learning (ML) and automation. The question for manufacturers serving the automotive, tire, and battery markets is no longer whether to adopt, but how quickly and where to put smart manufacturing to work, according…
Tariff Impact Analysis on Automakers in the United States: 25% Tariffs – Imported Auto Parts and Light Vehicles
CAR developed a tariff modeling framework for AAPC to assess the impacts of initially proposed tariffs on automobiles and auto parts. The analysis combined unique top-down and bottom-up approaches to estimate cost exposure across the industry, enabling detailed assessment by automaker, region, and vehicle model to support data-driven policy and…
Indiana Automotive Manufacturing Transition Analysis
As the automotive industry undergoes shifts as a result of changing propulsion technologies including electric vehicles, it is key to examine opportunities for businesses to understand potential strategic pathways to expand or diversify their product and service offerings. In 2025, CAR conducted an analysis of Indiana’s automotive manufacturing businesses across…
Plant Risk Assessment
In 2025, CAR conducted a comprehensive plant risk analysis covering vehicle assembly plants, propulsion facilities (engines and transmissions), and light-vehicle battery cell plants (existing and planned). Building on more than a decade of risk-scoring and benchmarking automaker plants across North America, the analysis provided actionable, data-driven insights to support state…
Michigan Semiconductor Supply Chain Assessment
As domestic semiconductor fabrication capacity expands, it is essential to identify oportunities for the broader industrial base to its diversify products and services to support sustained industry growth. In 2025, CAR conducted an assessment of Michigan’s semiconductor supply chain, highlighting strategic opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in…
Connected Vehicle Ecosystem Assessment
Connected vehicle or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology is designed to enable vehicles to communicate with one another, along with surrounding infrastructure, pedestrians, and other road users. V2X technology is critical for reducing crashes, improving safety, and traffic management, and coincides with advancements in automated driving systems. CAR completed a study in…
Automotive Suppliers and the Revenue Acquisition Process – Then and Now: 2025 Update
Automotive Suppliers and the Revenue Acquisition Process – Then and Now: 2025 Update The comparison shows that the RA process remains at the core of supplier performance but has not become more efficient. Suppliers are now processing more RFQs each year — typically over 800 according to 2025 study respondents,…