The automotive industry includes a multitude of companies and organizations engaged in the manufacture, development, production, marketing, and sale of automobiles. It is among the world’s largest industrial industries by annual revenue. Automotive companies include makers of internal combustion engines, sport utility vehicles, passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, and trailer vehicles. There are also producers and sellers of parts and accessories for these automobiles.
Automotive technology is continually advancing to produce cars that are more reliable and capable of performing while on the road. Automobiles have increased in popularity since they were first introduced on the market and remained so for decades. Today there are hundreds of types of automobiles ranging from the compact to the prestige model.
The primary producers of automobile parts and accessories are the auto manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Honda, and Citicorp. The distributors of these manufacturers are distributors of major truck and bus manufacturers, such as Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, and Mercedes Benz. The main article used by automotive mechanics to diagnose and repair motor vehicle engines are the service manuals. The other main article used by mechanics to diagnose and repair the automobile engines are the owner’s manual and the troubleshooting guides.
Automotive product recalls occur when a company or manufacturer releases a new product that causes a safety concern. In many instances, these product recalls are caused by defect and are the responsibility of the automaker. Automotive recalls can result from engine malfunctions, transmission problems, battery failures, gas leaks, and airbag deployment failure. The most recent recall is for the Toyota Prius, which is associated with multiple safety issues.
The value chain of an automobile refers to the entire production process from when a raw product is made until it reaches its retail destination. There are four different value chains in the manufacturing of automobiles. They are: distributor, supplier, parts distributor, and final consumer. Automobiles are typically designed to be built on one of these product chains.
The United States automotive supply chain is broken into four main article groups. These are: the major automotive manufacturers, which are the Toyota, Honda, General Motors, and Dodge; local dealers, which are the Ford, Chevy, Fiat, Toyota, and Saturn dealers; wholesale suppliers, which are the American Honda, Chrysler, Fiat, and Nissan dealers; unites distributors, which are the Toyota, Honda, Ford, and Dodge dealers; and independent distributors, which are the Costco and Sam’s Club dealers. The largest industry affiliates are the Ford Motor Company, the Fiat Ducato, the Toyota Production System, the McDonald’s franchisees, the Coca-Cola franchisees, the Petrochemical Manufacturers Association, the American Automobile Association, the National Automobile Dealers Association, and the Vehicle Manufacturers Association. The largest trade associations of automobile manufacturers are the Automotive Business Associations, Inc., and the Automotive Marketing Association.
Most modern vehicles are designed using a design approach called the value chain management (VSM) approach. The VSM approach uses value, performance, durability, and safety as the key metrics for designing vehicles. With VSM, each component in the value chain is strongly linked to other components, and all have an impact on the vehicle’s overall performance and efficiency. Since these values can not be changed once a critical safety or performance problem has been identified, vehicles must be designed using a virtual construction approach that takes into consideration the entire manufacturing process, from design to manufacturing to delivery.
Germany is a world leader in automobile technology and one of the largest exporters of vehicles and components. Many of the world leaders in this industry reside in Europe. Automotive gurus and industry professionals can find extensive information about Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and any other German motor vehicle production by doing a standard internet search. If you are an automotive enthusiast, check out this main article for additional information on owning and operating a Mercedes-Benz automobile.