Only one in 20 auto industry professionals is “very confident” that vehicle manufacturers already have the structural components they will need to meet new 2025 fuel economy standards, according to a recent WardsAuto and DuPont Automotive survey .
What’s more, 77 percent of respondents believe the new CAFE standard for cars and light trucks will fundamentally change how vehicles are manufactured in the United States.
More than 1,000 industry workers—many of them, engineers—responded to the WardsAuto online poll, conducted in late July. Results of the survey, commissioned by DuPont and performed by Paramount Research, were released during the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminar this week in Traverse City, Michigan.
The research was conducted just before the Obama Administration’s originally proposed 2025 fleet average of 56.2 miles per gallon (MPG) was negotiated down to 54.5 MPG.
“Clearly CAFE regulations have confronted the industry, but they’ve also driven focus around technology needs, material demands, and cost issues,” said David Glasscock, DuPont Global Automotive Technology director. “While the CAFE standard is a little lower than proposed, it’s significantly higher than where we are today. Advanced materials, alternative propulsion systems, and new technologies must be developed quickly and cost effectively.”
Nearly half the respondents said the greatest change in materials imposed by the new CAFÉ standard will be in power train systems, noting that advanced propulsion systems – from downsized engines to hybrid and electric vehicle systems and batteries – will drive new structural component requirements.
Industry professionals identified the need for higher strength, lighter-weight metals, including aluminum; as well as highly heat -resistant materials to withstand higher combustion pressures and temperatures.
“This is a defining moment – not just for materials, but for the industry,” said Glasscock. “And it’s one that breaks the silos of the value chain and is inclusive of the global marketplace.”
In addition to materials challenges, the WardsAuto and DuPont offered a ranking of the top issues consuming industry resources today, including (from most to least important):
- Building engineering talent pool inside for advanced technology
- Improving trust and working relationships between OEMs and suppliers
- Supply availability and pricing, relative to increasing vehicle demand
- Diversifying your customer base (OEMs or end use consumers)
- Seeking greater market-back input to future government fuel economy and emission regulations
- Achieving mass reduction to maximize the value of advanced propulsion technology
- Linking labor negotiations to company performance
- Supporting standards to promote safety and convenience for the connected vehicle
- Investing in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China )and emerging economies
- Restructuring, mergers and acquisitions
All levels of automotive management were represented in the study. The largest segment of respondents (40 percent) comprised staff. More than one in three (36 percent) indicated that they were in middle management, and slightly less than two in ten (18 percent) said they were in senior management positions.
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
