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: CNG a 'viable option' for reducing petroleum fuels dependency
In late-October, Chrysler announced the first bi-fuel Ram 2500 CNG pickup trucks were rolling off the line in its Satillo Truck Assembly Plant in Mexico. Before this year, the vehicle was formerly only available to fleet customers.
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Ford's EV+ Thinks Of Where You Are Going
There is no doubt any one of us could get more efficiency out of our cars, EV or not, by learning to drive them in an optimized way.
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'Connected' cars would keep drivers safer
While Google's self-driving car is getting heaps of attention, a lesser-known effort that would employ cutting-edge technologies to make regular automobiles safer is fast gaining traction.
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GM powers do-it-yourself virtual cars
Visitors to Walt Disney World Resort soon will be able to design their own virtual concept cars. They can then test them against a computer model or a companion as they zoom in a theme-park car on a track at 65 miles per hour.
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Local GM plant makes bi-fuel trucks
General Motors Co. announced Thursday that local workers have started building bi-fuel pickups at the Allen County assembly plant.