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Revitalized US Auto Industry Focuses on Technology
at Detroit Auto Show |
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The biggest news
at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit
is not about the autos at all.
It's what manufacturers are planning
to put in them.
"Every automaker here at the show
is launching some form of cool technology
inside the vehicles,
whether it's adaptive cruise control
or Smart Stop Technology,
or even utilizing 3-D printing
to print out and create the interior of your vehicle."
"My great-grandfather changed the way
the world moved
with the Model T
in very fundamental ways.
So we have the same opportunity now
in a very different era
with very different challenges
in front of us."
Technology and "mobility" were the themes of Ford's presentation
during the press preview this year.
"And Ford's smart mobility is our plan
to be a leader
in connectivity and mobility,
autonomous vehicles, the customer experience,
and data and analytics."
Ford is testing autonomous vehicles
in various weather conditions
with the hopes
of having driverless cars on the road
by 2020.
It also is opening retail stores throughout the world
where customers can interact with new technological offerings,
including an app
and a customer loyalty rewards program.
Ford's efforts to keep customers engaged, and returning,
comes at a time when overall U.S.sales reached 10-year highs in 2015.
"Numbers are up for automakers.
If you think about it actually,
the compact SUV market is up 11 percent over last year,
actually beating out sedans,
so consumers are looking for affordability."
To meet the increased demand,
production in the hemisphere has ramped up.
"For North America,
it will be about 17-and-a-half million for 2015,
and upwards of 18 million in 2016."
Much of what customers will find
in dealer showrooms this year
is on display at the auto show,
including more fuel efficient, but larger, vehicles.
"That's simply about maximizing your miles per gallon.
It's a big part of what automakers are doing
on the gas side of the business.
How many miles can I get
on one tank of gasoline?"
That tank of gasoline is cheaper today -
less than $2 a gallon
in many parts of the U.S.
Even so, highly fuel-efficient and electric-powered vehicles
are still a dominant presence
on the show floor.
Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Detroit, Michigan |
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