Innovative Technology that keeps the Automobile Industry in Business
The automobile industry has, since its inception, been a technological leader both in the end product and in the manufacturing methods used. Replacing the horse as the means of powering a vehicle was an innovation in its day. The electric starter, windshield wipers, automatic transmissions, power steering and brakes, air conditioning etc. means the list of innovations and improvements goes on.
In production, the moving assembly line was as innovative in its day as the robotic welding and painting of today. Computer controlled machines are machining components to great accuracy and repeatability; the auto companies demand more from the machine tool manufacturers and they respond with better machines and industry in general benefits.
There was a time, especially in the northeast and coastal United States where cars were considered “bio-degradable”. Salt air on the coast and salted roads in the winter accelerated oxidation of car bodies and components. Clad steel and electrostatic prime and paint have virtually eliminated the need for body undercoating and extended the life of automobiles in these areas.
Fifty years ago it was assumed that a car’s useful life was about 100,000 miles and after 50,000 miles most owners were looking for a replacement. Today 200,000 miles is the normal useful life and at 50,000 miles “she’s just broken in.”
So where does the industry go from here? What are the challenges that must be addressed to keep the Detroit Three (no longer considered the “Big Three”) running?
The first issue to be addressed, which has been at the forefront in development, is safety. This includes Anti-skid Braking Systems (ABS) and Traction Control (TC) on the side of accident avoidance. On the side of passenger safety following that unavoidable contact with another vehicle or immovable object comes various air bag systems and fire suppression. These are innovations that are available today.
While driving has been called a “privilege”, it is almost universal in the United States to where it is assumed everyone reaching the anointed age will get a license. Failing to properly train new drivers means putting the responsibility for preventing people from hurting themselves and others within the purview of the manufacturers. The electronic industry that made electronic ignition and fuel injection possible also made ABS and TC possible. ABS and TC effectively take control of the vehicle when the driver has gotten in over his head. A recent offshoot of the work on ABS and TC has been the application to motorcycles. TheSafetyhas reported that ABS equipped motorcycles are 37% less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than non-ABS motorcycles.
Various automobile manufacturers are working on the next steps in removing the driver from the equation. The first step iscollision avoidancewhere sensors detect the vehicle is closing on another object or is wandering out of its lane. The system alerts the driver via warning light, buzzers or vibration in the driver seat. Some systems begin to reduce speed via reduced throttle opening or partially applying the brakes. Other systems add pre-tensioning of the seat belt while applying the brake with increasing force if the driver is not responding.
It is already possible to permityour car to park itself(again, a failure in driver training results in drivers who are unable to perform the parallel parking maneuver so the computer must do it for them). The Prius, Ford Escape, some BMWs and Audis are capable of this parking assistance and others are coming on line. With this already in production can self-driving cars be far behind?
Finally, still in the safety realm iscar to car communication. The idea behind this is if a driver several cars ahead of you and beyond your view applies his brakes in a panic stop an alert is sounded on your instrument panel. Another idea is if one car experiences low traction due to ice on the road, when its TC is activated your car is alerted to be prepared for reduced traction.
Considering the environment and imported oil, the consumption of gasoline is of great concern to consumers. The automobile manufacturers have to consider the edicts coming from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the demand by customers for improved fuel economy and the customer demand for ride comfort and performance. In some respects these demands are mutually exclusive.
One approach has been to resurrect the electric car. The Prius, Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt are examples of this approach. Early electric cars from one hundred years ago suffered the same issues as the electrics of today – limited range due to the battery. The problem is basic in that the battery is essentially the same as it was back then. The “power density”, the amount of stored energy per pound of weight, is very poor when compared to a similar weight of gasoline.
But electric vehicles are useful when properly applied. For many city commuters a 70 mile range between recharging would be quite adequate and very inexpensive compared to gasoline. When a fixed range is not acceptable cars like the Volt, for example, take a different approach. The Volt uses a small engine to extend the range, a fair compromise in the econo-car world. With about 80% of thepopulationin America living in urban areas one might expect to see growth in the use of electric vehicles. But in truthsalesof the Volt and the Nissan Leaf is barely a blip on auto production radar. Even when Chevrolet added a $5,000 rebate on top of the $7,500 credit offered by the government there was no rush to buy a Volt.
This is not a new story. The government issues an edict, in this case CAFÉ regulations regarding fleet fuel economy, which drives the auto manufacturers to respond with a design change or new model. Except this new model is not what the car buying public wants or is willing to pay for. An environmental activist may well spend the money to make a statement, if he has the wherewithal, but he is in an extreme minority as evidenced by the sales volumes.
There have been strides in fuel mileage improvement but, in fact, millions of engineering man-hours were wasted on the Chevy Volt. These were man-hours that could have been better applied in the quest for improved economy and safety.
The American automotive industry has backed away from the brink, so to speak. While the political class berates the corporate brass for various sins and photo ops, the guts and brains of the industry, the “car guys and car girls” working in the bowels of the companies, continue to innovate. They do it because that is what they do, like their fathers did. The city of Detroit was a shining example of what American know how can build, and it became an example of what political stupidity can destroy.
