Discussing C.A.R. Hot Auto Topics With Alan Amici

From Alan Amici
President and CEO
Center for Automotive Research

Auto industry Q3 Earnings made headlines this last week as many continue to watch for signs of potential weakening of consumer demand. We also saw significant developments in the global EV space as investments and international expansion persist. Lastly, we review interesting automotive innovations and new technologies.

As microchip shortages and other supply chain struggles continue to plague the industry, we have migrated all news updates related to supply chain disruptions to our website. You can stay informed on the various supply chain issues affecting the global auto industry here.

If you missed the previous Hot Topics email, you can read it here.

We would love to hear from you and welcome your questions at any time. If you're interested in sharing your thoughts with us on hot topics, or if you would like to ask us a research question, please reach out to Sara Bozer.

Hot Topics of 11/1/2022

Q3 Earnings

My thoughts:

Automakers continue to earn profits even as supply chain issues, likely to continue into 2023, constrain production. On the demand side, we're seeing the effects of a trifecta of elevated fuel prices, rising interest rates, and high vehicle prices damping demand. Will cooling demand bring sticker shock relief to potential new car buyers? There is a dearth of new products at the low end as OEMs allocate constrained parts to high-profit vehicles. Perhaps an OEM will seize the opportunity and offer more entry-level vehicles. Or, we may see the return of incentives.

Regarding autonomous vehicle development, a Ford and VW joint release sent shock waves across the industry by announcing the shuttering of Argo AI. This closure is another sobering indicator that AV levels 4/5 prove to be especially difficult to achieve. Look for Ford and VW to integrate the Argo engineers into their respective ADAS teams.

Global EV Landscape

My thoughts:

EVs continue to gain traction in Europe as the Tesla Model Y is Europe's sales leader. Expect this to accelerate as the EU contemplates a ban on the sale of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles beginning in 2035. Even hybrid stalwart Toyota is introducing an EV for the China market. While the US lags behind Europe and China in EV sales, expect sales to accelerate as the charging infrastructure is built out.

New Innovations and Technologies

My thoughts:

We're very early in the evolution of EV design, and there are many potential opportunities for technical innovation to reduce cost, improve performance, and increase efficiency. For example, Toyota's hybrid synergy drive is now in its 5^th generation. Through design and manufacturing innovation and iteration, Toyota has developed a very cost-effective hybrid system, deploying the architecture across many vehicles globally. Likewise, EV innovation will not be limited to battery cell technology. We already see integrated drive/inverter units, and more innovation will come in EV chargers, contactors, circuit breakers, cooling systems, wiring, and other technologies. As a larger percentage of OEM's operating income will be derived from EVs, expect continued investment in incremental and radical innovation to make EVs more affordable, improve reliability, and more profitable.

Best Regards,

Alan Amici
President and CEO
Center for Automotive Research

Don't miss this upcoming event:

Experience Innovation Series - ADAS & AD Vehicle Engineering Technology

November 30, 2022 | Online

Experience Innovation - ADAS & AD Vehicle Engineering Technology, is brought to you by the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, Michigan Economic Development Corporation and our partners at Center for Automotive Research (CAR). Join us and hear multiple rapid-fire pitches of cutting edge Autonomous Vehicle Engineering Technology solutions!

Alan Amici, President & CEO of Center for Automotive Research, will provide opening remarks.

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Presenters:

Cognata: Autonomous Robotics Simulation Platform. Cognata's ADAS simulation platform accelerates testing and validation time to market of automated driving systems (AV) by supporting the entire development process: training, testing, validation and certification – all the way to commercial deployment.

Brodmann17: Revolutionizing safety in mobility with Vision-AI. Brodmann17's computer-vision-centered technology saves 95% of compute power. This huge saving in cost has brought AI for the very first time to new verticals including mass-market passenger vehicles, video telematics and micro mobility.

Foretellix: Verifying Automated Driving Systems for Safe, Large-Scale Deployment. Foretellix provides a product development testing, verification, and validation platform enabling the mass deployment of autonomous driving systems.

Hailo: Specializes in Artificial Intelligence processors to deliver data-center class performance to edge devices. Hailo’s mission is to enable smart edge technologies reach their full potential. Their solutions bridge the gap between existing and future AI technologies, providing the compute capacity needed to power these applications.