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.
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March auto sales: Ford up 5.7%, GM up 6.4%, Chrysler up 5%
General Motors, Ford and Chrysler recorded single-digit-percentage sales increases in March as resilient consumers, gradual economic growth and a recovering housing market powered sales.
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General Motors, Ford and Chrysler post strong March auto sales
March looks to have turned out to be one of the biggest months for auto sales in nearly six years.
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GM To Renew 90 Percent Of North American Lineup From 2013-2016
At a presentation at the New York Auto Show earlier this week, General Motors announced that it will redesign, refresh, or replace roughly 90 percent of its vehicles in the North American market between 2013 and 2016 — officially announcing a product onslaught expected by many a General Motors enthusiast for quite some time.
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Ford C-Max Energi Feels Like the Car of the Future
One of Ford's most technologically advanced products for 2013 is the C-Max Energi, a plug-in hybrid that Ford says gets 43 miles per gallon. I tested one for a couple of weeks, giving me plenty of time to see what it's like to live with the latest electric-car tech.