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.

 

 

 

  • App Developers Geeked to Engage with GM

    DETROIT – The idea was so simple that even the judges in a hackathon couldn’t believe no one had thought of it before: Why not have a built-in vehicle application with two buttons – one reading Personal and one Business – that a driver could choose from when starting a trip? The Business button would track mileage and fuel consumption for work-related trips that could be used for expenses or tax reporting.

    While a non-business traveler might not care, many other apps being worked on within the GM Developer Portal could be just what another group of drivers are looking for inside their vehicles. App ideas are being developed at a steady rate and could appear in a General Motors vehicle someday. Since January, nearly 2,300 developers have registered on the portal, choosing to engage in a test environment with either GM’s Remote or In-vehicle application program interfaces, known as APIs. 

  • Lucky Breakdown: Fans Take Stranded Dave Matthews To Show

    Imagine:

    You're a huge Dave Matthews fan. As you're going to his band's show Saturday in Hershey, Pa., you see a guy standing by the side of the road next to a bike with a flat tire.

    Do you stop to help?

    Well, when you see that it's Dave himself, you certainly do.

    That's just what happened to Emily Kraus and her boyfriend Joe.

  • Nice Ride. Now Where Does My Phone Go?

    Car makers can design marvels of engineering, like vehicles that self-park and brakes that sense a crash. But creating the perfect spot for a handbag or a cellphone? That is challenging.

    "We realize there does need to be a solution out there and there isn't really a good one," says Chris Shinouskis, an engineer at General Motors Co., GM +0.50% of the bag problem.

    Ms. Shinouskis, whose title is Engineering Specialist for Storage, is one of a handful of engineers and designers in the auto industry whose job is to keep tabs on the ever-growing array of items people bring into their cars, and then carve out cubbies and compartments to hold them.

     

  • Silverado Has ‘Strong’ Presence in Home Run Derby

    DETROIT – A special long-form ad for the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, featuring an original song by Grammy-nominated recording artist Will Hoge, will air near the final round of the Chevrolet Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15 on ESPN. “Strong,” which debuted July 4 in Texas, and a new spot, “Her Horse” will be shown during the Major League Baseball® All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 16 on FOX.

    Chevrolet has been the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball since 2005 and is a first-time sponsor of the Home Run Derby pitting sluggers from the American and National leagues against each other to benefit designated charities with the winning hitter receiving a new Silverado full-size pickup.