Wagon Wheels
A Tale of Two Vehicles: The Station Wagon and the Minivan
For as long as the modern automobile has existed, automakers have innovated new methods for carrying greater amounts of passengers and cargo in increasing comfort and style. Not completely satisfied with the capability of pre-WWI American cars, early aftermarket coach builders set to work creating the first vehicles modified to fulfill these evolving needs. Known as depot hacks upon introduction, these custom wood-bodied Model Ts fulfilled commercial uses mainly carrying passengers between platforms at train stations. After the post-WWI military drawdown, production refocused on civilian needs, and Star, a division of the obscure Durant Motors, introduced the first ever factory built station wagon in 1923. Throughout the rest of the interwar period, the majority of America’s OEMs caught on to the station wagon trend…
US Auto’s EV Moment
“While well established OEMs have gradually introduced new lineups of electric cars to the market, Chinese auto OEMs are seeking to make their debuts into the US EV market with flashy lineups of very inexpensive cars. Chinese companies such as BYD, Geely, and XPeng are aiming to launch their products in the United States within the next few years, sparking fears of a hostile takeover of the American EV market. “
Insurance – The Next Generation
April 25, 2024
In an accident? Pelted by a freak hailstorm? Hit a deer? The universal answer to all of these problems has for over a century been car insurance. The first car insurance policy was taken out by a Dayton, Ohio resident in 1897, covering the owner in case the vehicle damaged property or hurt/killed an individual. Since then, the car insurance market has ballooned into an enormous industry, with the US car insurance market valued at nearly $400 billion in 2023. Car insurance rates have grown steadily with the increasing price and complexity of new vehicles. With average new car prices reaching a staggering $47,000 in 2023, it is no secret that premiums are on the rise. Cars now have hundreds of sensors collecting the data required for advanced mobility and connected car features. No longer does a simple fender bender cost a few hundred dollars to repair.
Auto’s Duty To Data Details
As our world has grown increasingly interconnected over the last three decades, more and more of our time is spent online. Online transactions and interactions all involve the exchange of differing amounts of data, whether it’s credit card information to make an online purchase, or a live information feed from a connected car.
Classic Mobility
One of the greatest joys of working with cars is having the opportunity to enjoy the collections that have been expertly curated by connoisseurs over the last century of automotive enthusiasm.
The Nada way
Every year, dealers and other industry attendees from across the United States converge for a week in February to discuss the latest trends and business opportunities on the dealership side of the automotive industry.
CES 2024 – It’s an Auto Show!
AutoMobility Newsletter CES 2024 – It’s An Auto Show! January 25, 2024 This past week marked the 56th annual Consumer Electronics Show and the 100th anniversary of the Consumer Technology Association. From January 9-12, thousands of exhibitors and around 140 thousand attendees from across the world flocked to Las Vegas to see the cutting edge of technology. At the event the AMA team set about facilitating dozens of meetings and walked nearly 200 total miles across the bustling Las Vegas Strip and Convention Center complex. So with another successful event all done, there are a few key themes and takeaways that dominated the show and captured significant buzz, fascination, and praise. From Artificial Intelligence to Sustainability, CES innovators showed up in force this year, solidifying the post-pandemic rebound into 2024. Once more, the automotive sector took center stage at CES, stealing the spotlight with its innovative presentations and groundbreaking advancements. Focusing on electric vehicles, their infrastructure, and sustainability processes, the industry solidified its commitment to driving forward a greener and more technologically advanced future. Companies such as Hyundai-Kia, Honda, VinFast, and Mercedes-Benz dedicated a great deal of time, money, and effort to show off the newest in EV technology. For example, Kia unveiled a massive new line of EV vans called the PBV. These all-electric vans were shown in both consumer and commercial configurations, and fostered great excitement for the future of the Korean manufacturer. PBV, stands for “Platform Beyond Vehicle”, and aims to take the software-defined vehicle experience to the next level, utilizing this platform for a variety of services from rideshare and delivery, to family transportation usage. These vehicles all share a common platform, and Kia plans to have several of the models ready to enter the market over the next few years. Hyundai’s exhibits focused on in-vehicle advanced mobility technologies, including hydrogen power, and moved away from specific vehicle announcements. Overall, CES was an impressive showing from the Korean conglomerate. VinFast from the Vietnamese VinGroup revealed an interesting variety of new technologies and new vehicles. In a widely publicized and well-attended press release, VinFast revealed two new EVs, the VF-3 and the VF Wild. The VF-3, which has a similar appearance to the iconic Suzuki Jimmy, boasts a significantly smaller profile and price range compared to its inspiration counterpart. More akin to the size of a Mini or Smart, the VF-3 is a small and economical addition to the entry-level electric SUV market. The VF Wild stole the show, with its avant-garde styling, clamshell doors, and fully foldable rear bench seating. The radical pickup truck design of the VF Wild positions it to compete with other unorthodox EV trucks such as Tesla’s Cybertruck. Hoping to offer a more affordable option than the F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, and Rivian R1T, the Wild will start at around $45,000 when it goes on sale in 2026. VinFast’s sister company (and fellow VinGroup subsidiary), VinAi unveiled several revolutionary new in-car features that were exhibited in their VF-8 test demo vehicles. “Mirrorsense,” an all-new safety feature created by VinAi, has the ability to track where drivers are looking and automatically adjust in-car mirrors to provide for optimal positioning. This new feature even received “Honoree” status from the show’s CES Innovation Awards. Other cool tech such as their system of cameras which allow drivers to see through the floor of the car in any situation in which a camera may be required were highly impressive, and demonstrated a new push by VinGroup to take the lead in smart in-vehicle technology. VinFast and VinAi’s concerted efforts to widen brand appeal and offer impressive new features unique to the brand were noticeable at CES, making for an outstanding showing by this new automotive innovator. Mercedes-Benz was the only German OEM with an exhibition space at CES this year. Taking up a large space in the West Hall, M-B showed off their top of the line EQE and EQS models accompanied by a radically designed electric CLA concept car. Mercedes-Benz also spent much of the show showing off their redesigned MBUX platform, which is aimed at providing Mercedes owners a next-generation in-car experience via a new wall-to-wall touchscreen display with built-in artificial intelligence features. MBUX will allow users to play classic arcade games from Sega, Atari, and Nintendo, among a slew of other features. Mercedes’ new head unit caused quite a buzz at CES, drawing attention from OEMs, suppliers, and regular showgoers alike. Honda took the lead among Japanese OEMs this year. Like Mercedes, it was the only Japanese manufacturer to have a floor exhibit. Honda revealed a new lineup of EVs called the 0 Series, showing off two all-new concept cars named the “Saloon” and “Space Hub.” Aimed at bringing elegance, safety, and a driver-focused experience to the EV market, Honda hopes to have the 0 Series vehicles ready to launch in 2026. Boasting AD/ADAS based safety features, the Saloon and Space Hub will be capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, on the same level as competitors such as Tesla. As yet another OEM launching a slew of new EVs in the next couple of years, Honda is poised to make its mark in the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. One exciting event at CES was the live interview with George Ayres at the Sonatus booth. Dr. John Heinlein, Ph.D., Chief Marketing Officer of Sonatus, conducted an insightful conversation with George Ayres, Founder and Managing Director of AutoMobility Advisors, for their podcast called The Garage. The interview delved into topics such as software-defined vehicles, vehicle electrification, fleet management, and vehicle personalization. If you missed the live session, you can watch it here: Sonatus Garage Podcast @ CES 2024 Featuring George Ayres In addition to the automotive highlights, AWS showcased its cutting-edge cloud computing solutions at CES. With a booth focused on automotive solutions that attracted tech enthusiasts and industry professionals alike, AWS demonstrated the power of cloud services in enabling innovation across various sectors. From artificial intelligence and machine learning applications to sustainable
Truck Truck Go!
With the holiday season upon us, millions of Americans look to purchase their next vehicle. As environmental consciousness and government incentives continue to increase, many will decide that their next vehicle will be all electric.
Sustaining the Auto Industry
AutoMobility Roadmap Newsletter Sustaining the Auto Industry November 8, 2023 November 8, 2023 Since the Second World War, every decade of American automotive culture has had a defining characteristic. The 1950s were defined by chrome and fins, the 60s by muscle cars, the 70s by the malaise, and so on and so forth. While it is only 2023, a fairly clear pattern has emerged that will most likely be the single defining characteristic of this decade: sustainability. Sustainability can mean a variety of things in the world of automotive, from better materials used in manufacturing to increasing the market share of electric vehicles. The definition of sustainability according to the EPA is “creating and maintaining the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.” Unfortunately, for many of these prior decades, the acts required to pursue sustainability were accidentally or purposefully ignored by many segments of the automotive industry and American society. However, with increasingly dangerous environmental consequences forecasted by the world’s top scientists, sustainability is now at the forefront of global conversation. Automakers, whether out of a motivation for increased profits or mandates from the federal government, are attacking the issue of sustainability from a variety of angles. The sum total of this effort will in theory transform an industry known for damaging the environment to an industry that actively works to sustain it, ensuring that vehicles continue to be a net positive far into the future. One of the biggest questions surrounding widespread EV adoption is the sustainability of material sourcing. EVs require significant amounts of rare earth minerals (REMs) which are often sourced from less-developed countries. EV batteries are made up of materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel, with the vast majority of lithium mining taking place in Australia, Zimbabwe, and Brazil. Popular mechanics reports that the average EV requires 8 kg of lithium to manufacture. With the global available lithium reserve at 22 million tonnes, there is no apparent shortage of material required to construct an enormous amount of electric vehicles. However, as of 2021, the total world production of lithium was 105 tonnes, and by 2030, it is possible that manufacturers will need to acquire up to 450,000 tonnes of lithium per year. More problematic still, lithium mines are extremely water intensive and are notorious for polluting water sources while causing significant damage to local biospheres. As a part of making EVs sustainable, new methods must be devised to reduce the impacts of lithium mining. Luckily, a lithium mine in Snow Lake, Manitoba is taking the lead on the future of EV sustainability. The idea behind the Snow Lake lithium mine is to create an all electric mining operation. Positioned next to a hydroelectric power station, Snow Lake Lithium hopes to draw 98% of their power from the dam while similarly not using any diesel burning vehicles to extract or haul materials. Lithium is currently extracted using two methods: hard rock and brine. The hard rock mining process requires less water than brining, and the Snow Lake mine plans to employ this method to save water and reduce contamination of the local environment. In theory, this mine could produce up to 160,000 tonnes of 6% lithium spodumene every year, providing OEMs a sustainable and local source of materials so essential for the next generation of electric technology. Assuming Snow Lake Lithium is able to reach its expected potential, it is not unreasonable to extrapolate that more mines will follow suit, leading towards an overall marked improvement in the sustainability of car battery production and compliance with the Inflation Reduction Act. Going beyond the obvious issues with battery sourcing, OEMs have a variety of other unsustainable practices surrounding material acquisition. An example of this is the amount of leather used for car interiors. In Brazil, the auto industry uses over 30% of all leather hides produced from the country’s cattle ranches, a side effect of the meat industry driving rampant deforestation and destroying millions of acres of the Amazon rainforest. Environmentally sustainable leather could look like buying from more ethical and regulated domestic sources or improving the quality of synthetic materials. Along the same lines, keeping parts manufacturing close to the location of final assembly will drastically reduce the emissions caused by international shipping. Maritime shipping alone accounts for about a billion tons of greenhouse gasses per year and make up 3% of all global emissions by themselves. This does not account for air cargo, trucking, rail or any other way of moving goods across the world. A concerted effort by OEMs and mobility providers to move their supply chains physically closer together is essential to sustainability in the long term and will likely reduce costs as federal regulations around parts sourcing tightens. OEMs have a myriad of different ways to attack their chronic sustainability issues. Nearly every part of the industry could be made more environmentally conscious in some way without a long term increase in costs. Investment in things like supply chain integration and advanced mining may seem like an undue financial burden now, but by the end of the decade, the payoffs – both financial and environmental – will be abundantly clear. Working towards a sustainable future will be the primary mission for the auto industry for the foreseeable future, and if the right decisions are made, the 2020s will be remembered as the decade of sustainability for generations to come. Learn more about how the AutoMobility Advisors team can help you and your business seize the amazing opportunities to serve the new mobility market. Click on the link below and get in touch, we’d love to talk with you! Home Let us help you succeed in AutoMobility! 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Turning EV Dreams Into Reality: Fleet Edition
EVs are solidifying their place as the future of automotive technology. With billions of dollars of investment pouring in from national governments and the private sector, it is abundantly clear that electric technology is here to stay.