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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Why the 2013 Ford Fusion is Ford's most important new vehicle
Today, Ford executives are fanned out across the country for the launch of the most important car in its lineup: the 2013 Ford Fusion, which goes on sale this fall.
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Mark Phelan: Natural gas gets nod from auto analysts as vehicle fuel of future
Natural gas got a strong vote of confidence as a future vehicle fuel at the Society of Automotive Analysts Strategic Planning Summit in Southfield on Friday.
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GM CIO: Why We're Hiring Recent College Grads
General Motors is hiring thousands of IT pros as the automaker shifts away from outsourcing, and around 25% to 35% of those new jobs are likely to be filled with people coming right out of college, GM CIO Randy Mott told attendees at the InformationWeek 500 conference Monday in Dana Point, Calif.
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Ford reducing rare earth metal use in 2013 electrified cars
Ford Motors is coming out with a range of "electrified" cars this year, ones that have either hybrid, or plug-in hybrid or all electric drive trains. The cars have high fuel efficiency, but they also reduce use of rare earth metals.
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Solar Energy Industries gives General Motors #1 ranking
Pigs have officially flown and hell is frozen over - who would ever have guessed the company responsible for manufacturing the gas-suckin’ Suburban and the road-hoggin' Hummer would end up being praised for its use of solar energy? But that’s just what GM’s managed to do recently when it was voted the #1 user of solar power in the U.S.A., according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA. GM also ranks #13 of the top solar-powered companies in the United States.