Industry Spotlight Posts
The latest automotive industry analysis from veteran commentator and former engineer, Peter Els
Could the father of social commentary, Bob Dylan, have been thinking of the motor industry when he penned these thought provoking words in the ‘60’s? Looking at events unfolding across the globe o...
Since Ralph Nader's controversial book "Unsafe at Any Speed" was published over 40 years ago, seat belts, padded dashboards, collapsible steering columns, improved bumpers and other safety features have become standard fitment. After seat belts,...
Since the latter half of the 19th Century, the technology of choice to propel the motor car has been the reciprocating piston, spark-ignition Otto-cycle engine, followed by the compression-ignition diesel. After more than a century of...
In 2013, for the first time in history, China led the world in domestic vehicle sales. However in contrast to soaring domestic demand, overseas orders for China-made vehicles fell, thwarting the country’s plans to become a major auto expor...
A year after the NHTSA awarded the Tesla Model S a Five-Star safety rating, and 11 months after the first fiery images appeared on YouTube in October 2013, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the state of the nation down in Fremo...
Market research company IHS Automotive recently released a report indicating that global light vehicle production increased by 25 million units between 2009 and 2013. This is expected to increase by a further 21 million vehicles before 2021....
It’s not unusual for fledgling motor manufacturers to indulge in a bit of creative reverse engineering when starting out along the long road to success: Remember Nissan’s evolution from their license agreement to produce the Austin A...
With a 10% reduction in vehicle weight achieving a 3-4% fuel saving, or as much as 5-7% if the power train is also downsized, it was only a matter of time before an OEM took the plunge with a radical approach to weight reduction on a high volume...
According to "Commuting in America 2013", the national report on commuting patterns and trends, the number of zero-car families has been on the rise since 2007. Today, the rate of people bypassing vehicle ownership in favor of a shared commuting...
In 2013 twenty two million cars were recalled in the United States, with seven manufacturers recalling more vehicles than they sold that year!
How is it possible that a company, recognized as a leader in quality vehicle production...
For decades, the focus of vehicle safety was on passive protection but with the introduction of the modern Anti-lock Braking System in the 1970’s a new dimension in vehicle safety was born; namely active safety, in which accident avoidance...
Due to rapid industrialization and increased demand for personal mobility China is facing unprecedented air pollution, whilst grappling with growing energy demands.
Since 2009, China’s coal imports have exceeded coal exports; wi...
Autonomous cars came under the spotlight in November when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took to the streets of Tokyo in an autonomous Nissan Leaf.
Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga explained: "With the public road demonstratio...
