The U.S. Auto Industry is a Leader in Research & Development

Automakers and their suppliers are the world’s third biggest investor in R&D. 

Designing and producing autos is a massive engineering challenge, which is why automakers and their suppliers invest approximately $130 billion in R&D each year – behind only pharmaceuticals and technology hardware.

 

 

American Automakers are Leaders in Research & Development and Innovation

In the U.S., automakers and their suppliers invested approximately $23 billion in 2018, representing approximately $1,333 of R&D for each car sold here that year, on average.

Over the past decade, automaker R&D has driven braking technology from anti-lock brakes (which help a driver brake faster) to electronic stability control (which keeps a vehicle moving safely when the driver has lost control), to automated emergency steering systems (which control braking, steering, and throttle functions)

Meanwhile, research into the use of new materials, better joining (welding, fasteners, adhesives), and fabrication could reduce a vehicle’s body weight by 10% to 20% from 2014 through 2020.

FCA, Ford, and General Motors each spend more per year than General Electric, Boeing, AT&T, and Tesla.

 

 

 

  • 2014 Chevrolet Malibu Offers Hands-Free Texting

    DETROIT – New technologies help the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu deliver greater efficiency and connectivity, two of the most important considerations for customers of midsize sedans.

    “The midsize sedan segment is one of the most competitive in the industry and by improving the Malibu so quickly, we’re proving to our customers that we’re listening and acting on their needs,” said Chevrolet Global Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney. “The new and enhanced features make the 2014 Malibu a smarter choice, putting it at the heart of the strongest Chevrolet passenger car lineup in our history.”

    A new Ecotec 2.5L four-cylinder engine is the first standard engine in the segment with stop/start technology. It helps owners conserve fuel by automatically shutting off the engine when the car comes to a stop, such as at stoplights, contributing to EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway – a 14-percent improvement in city mileage and 6 percent greater highway efficiency.
     

  • Turbocharged Ford engine sets Daytona records

    A prototype race car with a new 3.5-liter, V-6 Ford EcoBoost race engine set a new Daytona single lap speed record of 222.971 miles per hour during a special record run attempt today, Ford says. The old record, set 26 years ago, was 210.364 mph set by Bill Elliott in a Ford Thunderbird during qualifying for the 1987 Daytona 500.

    The records were engineered to show that Ford's huge bet on turbocharging, which adds power while saving gas, doesn't result in any sacrifices. Ford has applied EcoBoost engines across almost its entire line, from its smallest engines for its subcompacts to big V-6 turbos for its F-Series pickups.