What CAR is Checking Out

Check out what CAR has been checking out! We asked some members of the Center for Automotive research team to share what they have been reading, watching, or listening to recently.

What A is Checking Out: 

• General Motors Accelerates Into Silicon Valley With New Mountain View Tech Hub
• General Motors opens Silicon Valley office
• Michigan Central Station Reopens as Heart of a Culture & Tech Hub
• Ford Opens Mobility Tech Hub in a Detroit Landmark
• The Software-Defined Vehicle

Alan’s Thoughts:

GM recently announced a technical center in Mountain View, CA. GM hopes to attract new software talent from the Bay area to join their team. This move is consistent with GM’s effort to expand software and services, targeting future revenue streams from non-traditional consumer services.

On the other hand, Ford is placing their bets on the Detroit area, having recently re-opened Michigan Central Station and the nearby Newlab, a startup accelerator. Ford’s strategy is to offer interesting projects and outstanding facilities to entice talent to either remain in the area or move to Detroit.

Nearly all automakers are working on the so-called Software Defined Vehicle (SDV), a concept that places software as the primary driver of the vehicle’s characteristics. Prior designs have been hardware-centric with software supporting the mission of the hardware.

This new approach offers flexibility and the ability to keep consumer’s vehicles up to date with the latest features and upgrades, much like cell phone technology. The task in front of automakers is daunting as OEMs are bringing software development in-house while defining and designing the architecture, infrastructure, and specifications to make SDV a reality.

What John is Checking Out: 

• How Volvo landed a cheap Chinese EV on U.S. shores in a trade war
• Europe wants affordable electric vehicles from China. But not at the cost of its own auto industry
• China’s Auto Export Wave Echoes Japan’s in the ’70s
• Will the U.S. Tariff on Chinese EVs Hurt EV Adoption?

John’s Thoughts:

The prospects of the entry of inexpensive Chinese-made electric vehicle imports into major motor vehicle markets such as North America and the European Union calls to mind the early phase of Japanese vehicle imports into these markets in the 1970s-80s. Auto industry executives and policymakers once again find themselves navigating the complexities of major socioeconomic and geopolitical developments all occurring within the context of the seismic, often confounding transition to new forms of vehicle propulsion and the required infrastructure to support the transition. As my principal mentor in the automotive industry Dr. David Cole, was fond of observing during his tenure at the Center for Automotive Research, “The automotive industry is not yet in its final form.” Indeed, rarely has the automotive sector seen turbulence of this magnitude.

Just as the current situation for industry executives is fraught with risk and uncertainty, economic development practitioners across North America are grappling with how to most effectively attract, retain, and support investments in the new mobility sector, noted for its industry-leading job creation multiplier impact. Identifying which vehicle producers, suppliers, and technology developers are best positioned for future growth challenges even the most sophisticated, well-resourced economic development organizations. The stakes are high, with data and objective trend analyses as the key to success.

CAR’s research team is tracking a broad range of key drivers of investment in the mobility sector, from technology trends, raw material supply/accessibility, workforce requirements, regulatory/trade policies, consumer behavior, infrastructure development, and others. Rely on the Center for Automotive Research to deliver scrupulously objective, data-driven analyses to support decision makers in the automotive industry, government policymakers, and economic development organizations.

What the Center for Automotive Research Team is Checking Out:

• Auto Tech Showcase 2024

CAR’s Thoughts:

Center for Automotive Research was an exhibitor this week at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s Auto Tech Showcase in Washington, D.C. President & CEO Alan Amici had a chance to speak with automakers and federal policymakers and regulators about some of the research projects that CAR has been working on. We had the opportunity to check out some of the transformative automotive technologies that are delivering on cleaner, safer, and smarter vehicles. In addition to the physical demonstrations, they had great thought leadership presenters on Vehicle Safety, Digital Safety, and Reimaging Automotive Safety.