WardsAuto Intelligence |
| Dear Reader:
Welcome to WardsAuto Intelligence, a bi-monthly compilation of WardsAuto content that highlights important trends in Forecast Sales, Inventory, New Mobility, Smart Technology and 48V Electrification.
Note: Some content requires subscription rights or free registration (login or use the REGISTER link at the top). We trust you'll find WardsAuto Intelligence to be a valuable resource. Contact us with questions or comments any time at http://intelligence.wardsauto.com
Regards,
Denis Ulicny
Senior Industry Analyst
WardsAuto
dulicny@wardsauto.com |
|
|
|
| |
|
| | |
 | | | | A WardsAuto forecast calls for U.S. automakers to deliver 1.51 million light vehicles in August. The forecasted daily sales rate of 56,081 over 27 days is a 3.2% decline from same-month 2016 (26 days). The forecast 0.5% DSR downtick from July (25 days) contrasts with the 3-year average increase of 2.7% between the two months. The report puts the seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales for August at 16.5 million units, below the 17.1 million SAAR in same-month 2016 and 16.7 million in ... Read More |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
 48V Market Outlook A WARDSAUTO INTELLIGENCE REPORT ON THE EMERGING ROLE OF 48-VOLT TECHNOLOGY IN THE GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY As the automotive industry strives to meet fuel-economy and emissions targets, hybrids and fully electric vehicles struggle to gain a foothold in the market, while the cost of building those vehicles remains high. Looking for less expensive, less disruptive ways of increasing powertrain efficiency, OEMs have turned their attention to 48V mild-hybrids. A partial electrification option that is more affordable than hybrids or EVs, 48-volt hybridization offers many of the benefits associated with more robust powertrain electrification. Why and where can 48-volt technology be applied? When will it gain traction? What is the total automotive market for 48-V systems? WardsAuto’s 48-V: Market Outlook offers an in-depth analysis of the exploding global market for 48-volt mild hybrid systems. The special intelligence report provides a close look at the 48-V strategies of key OEMs and suppliers working on the technology, exclusive results from our survey of the automotive community on the future of 48-V, and a comprehensive regional forecast of 48-volt adoption in 2025. Learn more... Read More |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
 | | | | After several months when sales expectations failed to dent bloated inventory on dealer lots, there was a sign in July that slowdowns in North American light-vehicle production were beginning to have a positive effect in paring stocks. WardsAuto estimates July 31 LV inventory still to be about 15% higher than necessary to meet current demand. Each of the major categories inside the LV total, including car and truck, and the splits between domestically made and imports all could use some ... Read More |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
|
 Survey Shows Smart Technology Clicks With Customers The Cooper Solutions poll finds 56% of vehicle buyers surveyed believe dealers who use smart technology make car buying more efficient. On the flip side, 73% say dealers who don’t use technology for the customer’s benefit are not being as professional as they could be. Read More |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
 | | | WardsAuto has published its “2017 U.S. Light-Vehicle Equipment Report” a look at five-year trends in factory installation rates in multiple areas of the vehicle, segmented by vehicle type, segment, company and brand. Highlights include:
Powertrain
• 3-cylinder engines have gained acceptance after largely being rejected 2 decades earlier.
• Increased demand for large pickups and full-size SUVs has breathed new life into a new generation of more fuel-efficient V-8 engines.
• Demand for hybrids has weakened as lower fuel prices have given the consumer other options.
• Forced-induction intake systems have grown dramatically on gasoline engines, increasing from 9.3% in 2012 to 21.7% in 2016.
Comfort and Convenience
• Automatic air conditioning continues to grow in popularity, up from 44.5% in 2012 to 62.4% in 2016.
• Power, memory, leather and heated seats all witnessed modest increases in the 2012-2016 timeframe, and now account for 62.6%, 24.1%, 43.9% and 40.1% of the light vehicle market respectively.
• Remote start remains at a relatively low installation rate, growing from 19.8% of the LV market in 2012 to 2016’s level of 26.3%.
• Keyless enter/go and keyless entry installations were found on 45.2% and 51.7% of light vehicles respectively in 2016. This resulted from a growth in keyless enter/go systems from 25.4% in 2012, but a sharp drop in keyless entry systems from 94.3% in 2012.
Safety and Other Technology
• Rearview cameras, which will become standard during the 2018 calendar year, can now be found on 86.9% of all LVs produced, up from 22.2% in 2012.
• Front cameras, which WardsAuto didn’t track until the 2015 model year saw its installation rate increase to 5.6% from 2.3%
• Similarly, the 360 degree camera was installed on 5.5% of all light vehicles for 2016.
• Blind spot monitoring continues to gain in popularity, increasing from 9.8% in 2012 to 31.1% in 2016.
• Lane-departure warning systems more than tripled in installation rates from 2013, now totaling 19.8% of all LVs, up from 6.1% WardsAuto’s new report provides much more detail among systems which are largely mature to new safety technology, much of which is very recent. For more information, please follow the attached link. Learn More |
| |
| |
|
|
|
