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Tag: Automotive Industry

  • Bosch Calls for Reinventing Automotive Semiconductor Supply Chain

    Bosch Calls for Reinventing Automotive Semiconductor Supply Chain

    Bosch, the world’s largest automotive parts supplier, is calling for changes in how the supply chain operates as a result of the semiconductor crisis.

    The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a chain of events that have led to a massive semiconductor shortage. It began with factories shutting down as a result of lockdowns and continued due to pandemic-fueled increases in demand for computers, tablets and gaming consoles. The impact has spread beyond the computer industry and is wreaking havoc on the automotive industry as well. Many automakers have had to close plants, reduce production, delay models or ship vehicles without their usual complement of electronics.

    Bosch’s management believes the inherent nature of the supply chain is a large part of the problem, according to CNBC.

    “As a team, we need to sit together and ask, for the future operating system is there a better way to have longer lead times,” said Harald Kroeger, a member of Bosch’s management board. “I think what we need is more stock on some parts [of the supply chain] because some of those semiconductors need six months to be produced. You cannot run on a system [where] every two weeks you get an order. That doesn’t work.”

    Kroegen also emphasized the fact that cars are becoming even more dependent on semiconductors than in the past, making these issues more likely to occur in the future.

    A company as large and important to the industry as Bosch calling for improvements is sure to get attention, and may very well lead to the kind of changes the industry needs.

  • Alphabet’s Waymo Switches to ‘Fully Autonomous Driving’ vs ‘Self-Driving’

    Alphabet’s Waymo Switches to ‘Fully Autonomous Driving’ vs ‘Self-Driving’

    Waymo has announced it will no longer use the term “self-driving,” embracing “fully autonomous driving technology” instead.

    One of Alphabet’s subsidiary companies, Waymo is a company focused on autonomous driving in what is quickly becoming a crowded industry. Waymo says it is making the distinction in an effort to save lives, highlighting that its software is far different than “self-driving” software that still requires human interaction.

    It may seem like a small change, but it’s an important one, because precision in language matters and could save lives. We’re hopeful that consistency will help differentiate the fully autonomous technology Waymo is developing from driver-assist technologies (sometimes erroneously referred to as “self-driving” technologies) that require oversight from licensed human drivers for safe operation. Regardless of who or what is at the helm, safely operating a vehicle on public roads requires careful execution of all the elements of the driving task. Today, the Waymo Driver makes billions of decisions each day as it safely moves people and goods to their destination in fully autonomous mode.

    The fact that Waymo is taking the time make a distinction between “self-driving” and “fully autonomous” is evidence of what’s at stake in the automotive industry.

    The autonomous driving industry is estimated to reach a staggering $556.67 billion by 2026. As a result, companies like Waymo will be doing everything possible to set themselves apart and gain as big a piece of that market as possible.

  • Stop-Start Vehicles to Sell More in Coming Years

    Though hybrids and fully-electric vehicles are now gaining buzz and being predicted as up-and-coming growth markets for the automobile industry, another energy-saving technology will be rolling out to the market along with them.

    Stop-start vehicles have systems implemented that cut a car’s engine when it is stopped, then re-start it instantly in time to move again. The technology saves fuel in the most straightforward way possible, and could lead to better fuel efficiency in the future.

    Today market research firm Navigant Research set high predictions for stop-start vehicle technology, forecasting that stop-start vehicle sales will hit 55.4 million by the year 2022. That would represent a significant growth from the estimated 8.8 million stop-start vehicles that Navigant estimates were sold this year.

    Though stop-start systems have obvious benefits for consumers, Navigant sees manufacturers readily adopting the technology as well. The technology is seen as a way for manufacturers to inexpensively increase their vehicles’ fuel efficiency by a significant amount. This means that stop-start technology could end up being one of the methods manufacturers use to meet more stringent government fuel efficiency ratings in the future. Other (possibly more expensive) fuel efficiency methods will also be coming to vehicles as they compete alongside battery-powered alternatives.

    “The latest stop-start systems are beginning to adopt some of the features that were first developed for full hybrid vehicles, such as energy recovery through regenerative braking,” said David Alexander, senior research analyst at Navigant Research. “The challenge for automakers is to get the biggest efficiency benefits from the smallest cost increment.”

  • America: Banking Bailout Bad, Auto Industry Good!

    A new Harris Poll released today has found that America’s perceptions on the automotive industry bailout of 2009, and the bank and insurance bailout of 2008, have changed in the over three years since the events. Surprisingly, a majority of tax payers now support the bailout of the auto industry, namely GM and Chrysler.

    The insurance and banking industries did not fair as well unfortunately. A majority of tax payers today see the bailout of the financial sector as a mistake. A number of factors, many political, seem to be shaping our perceptions about the events, and could have an impact on upcoming presidential election.

    Looking back at 2009, 69% opposed the bailout of the automotive industry. 65% opposed the bank bailouts and an overwhelming majority, 77% was opposed to the insurance bailout. People were not on board for spending tax dollars to help these industries get out of trouble.

    Today, pluralities still believe the financial bailout of the banking industry hurt our economy (by 48% to 23%). 42% to 15% believe the insurance bailout also hurt the economy, but the success in the automotive industry has changes people’s minds and they now feel the GM and Chrysler bailout helped our economy (45% to 29%).

    So what implications will this have for voters? I am not really sure. It depends if people blame Obama for the bailouts or praise him. Some of the actions took place under the Bush administration, but will voters remember that? Follow this link to see these approval ratings in graph format and to view breakdowns by political party.