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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Chrysler to debut Fiat 500e, company's first electric car
Chrysler’s first electric car, the Fiat 500e, will make its debut at the American Music Awards on Sunday.
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Marchionne: Chrysler's $250M investment in Michigan a 'milestone'
Chrysler Group LLC announced nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in new investments Thursday and said it would add about 1,250 jobs at three of its Michigan plants to boost production of engines and pickup trucks.
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Volt batteries could light homes during power failures
General Motors Co. and ABB Group on Wednesday showed off a second use for old electric-vehicle batteries: Using them as a way to store electricity that can then light homes in the event of a power failure. Or, they could store electricity from a time of day when power is cheaper, and then deliver that electricity during more expensive peak-demand times.
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GM goal: Build 500K electrics annually by '17
General Motors Co. plans to build 500,000 vehicles a year by 2017 that would be powered in some way by electricity, the automaker's head of global product development said Wednesday.
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Chrysler to trumpet 1,250 new jobs for Michigan
Chrysler will provide more evidence today that its recovery is in full swing as it details plans to invest $238 million in three Michigan plants and add about 1,250 jobs so it can ramp up production of its engines and pickups.