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Below are links to some of Margaret's additional blog entries: |
NHTSA wrapped up their Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Program in
California this month, concluding a five month, six
city consumer research initiative that assessed driver
acceptance of connected vehicle technology. The drivers
response to the new connected vehicle technology has been
well-received according to Ray Resendes from the U.S. Department of
Transportation, who also attended the Summit on the State
of the Connected Vehicle hosted by the Connected
Vehicle Trade Association last
week....Read More »
The Department of Energy has posted an introduction to electric
vehicles on Youtube. It's pretty basic, but maybe that's where the
general public needs to start in order to lure them away from the
comforts of their gas powered cars and trucks.
The video can't hurt considering electric vehicles represent less than 1% of retail registration. But with about 7,000 Nissan LEAFs and a little more than 5,000 Chevy Volts registered through November of 2011, I think they are off to a good start...Read More »
The video can't hurt considering electric vehicles represent less than 1% of retail registration. But with about 7,000 Nissan LEAFs and a little more than 5,000 Chevy Volts registered through November of 2011, I think they are off to a good start...Read More »
I've been to many auto shows and
have seen a bunch of concept cars, but it has been a long time
since I've seen a full size minivan on the revolving platform. At
the 2012 North American International Auto
Show, a Chrysler
700C, in all its glory, was on display and showing what
could be the next generation of minivan for Chrysler. I'm glad the automaker is still investing in the segment even though the minivan segment only represented 3.3% of CYTD November 2012 vehicle registrations and sales...Read More »
Autoweek just posted a list of the five
most watched car ads of 2011. Of the five ads, four of them
were for new vehicles: Kia Soul, Chrysler 200, Passat VW and the
FIAT 500. The fifth one was for Bridgestone. I thought I would take
a look at how these five most watched ads equated to new vehicle
sales.
U.S. Light Vehicle October YTD Vehicle Registrations
Of the most watched ads, the Kia Soul was definitely the...Read More »
U.S. Light Vehicle October YTD Vehicle Registrations
| Make | Model |
CYTD
Oct-2011
|
|---|---|---|
| Kia | Soul | 86,446 |
| FIAT | 500 | 14,364 |
| Volkswagen | Passat | 7,982 |
| Chrysler | 200 | 66,538 |
Of the most watched ads, the Kia Soul was definitely the...Read More »
On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended the ban of all non-emergency
use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to
support the driving task) for all drivers. Wow! That is a big
statement for the auto industry considering all of the connectivity
plans the OEMs have and will roll out in their new product
launches.
I think telematics and connectivity in vehicles hold an enormous potential to bring added safety and attention to driving. Examples of telematics programs focusing on safety...Read More »
I think telematics and connectivity in vehicles hold an enormous potential to bring added safety and attention to driving. Examples of telematics programs focusing on safety...Read More »
Of all the blogs I have written about the BRIC nations, I
realized I have never written about the opportunity in the
Brazilian automotive market. I must have been blinded by the crazy
growth numbers of China and future market potenial of India.
Brazil has been a consistent Top 10 market for more than
a decade and will continue to be through 2020, according to
Polk's global automotive forecast.
Brazil's automotive market accounted for 2.68 million vehicles in
2010 and is expected to grow by 48%...
I had the pleasure of test driving a Nissan LEAF this past weekend
when the Nissan Drive
Electric tour came to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn
Michigan. Nissan put on a pretty good show with good information
about the battery, service schedule and cost difference between gas
and electric. The test drive wasn't bad either. The LEAF
joystick/shifter and range meter gave you enough contrast from what
you were used to that you knew you were driving something
different, but the same interior...Read More »
I'm excited about my upcoming Nissan
Leaf test drive this Friday. I want to be optimistic about
the future of electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure and
I'm considering the purchase of an electric vehicle since my
husband has a 60+ mile commute each day.
But so many questions are going through my mind about electric vehicles.
But so many questions are going through my mind about electric vehicles.
- Will an electric vehicle have the durability needed to withstand 20,000 or more miles a year?
- How many years can you realistically get out of the battery or the...
I've been thinking a lot about distracted driving ever since the
Telematics
Detroit conference. I just returned from a Washington D.C. road
trip and was thinking of telematics distractions today vs. the last
time I road tripped it from Detroit to D.C., back in the 80s. You
decide the level of safety gained from telematics.
Radio - Last week we had Pandora on and we went from state to state without a break in our music. In the 80s, you had to take a hand off the wheel and turn the dial on the car...Read More »
Radio - Last week we had Pandora on and we went from state to state without a break in our music. In the 80s, you had to take a hand off the wheel and turn the dial on the car...Read More »
I came across this image, which lays out some statistics on distracted driving that I thought was really telling and even scary. Most (if not all) people reading this blog have been guilty of taking our eyes and hands off the road to get one more thing out of our smartphones. This image was timely for me because I recently attended the Detroit Telematics Update where driver distraction was front and center next to discussions on the car being the ultimate mobile device. It gets me thinking. Are...
Read More »I haven't blogged in awhile about my love for minivans, but my love
is still strong. I am a SUV-driving mom, but I would gladly trade
in my ride for an automatic side door opening, stow
and go storing, lower deck height driving piece of pure family
enjoyment we all know as the not so mini minivan. Obviously by the
dwindling sales numbers over time, my husband is not the only one
who wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan.
But I came across this column about a family who jokingly decided...Read More »
But I came across this column about a family who jokingly decided...Read More »
Vehicle density is a key indicator to show the maturity of an
automotive market. In the glory days of the U.S. auto market (back
in 2001), the U.S. had 453 vehicles per 1,000 people, but today the
U.S. market is at 419 and is forecasted to be around 414 by 2015.
The growth has shifted to the emerging markets and the numbers are
very different.
Russia leads the emerging BRIC countries with 235 vehicles per
1,000 people in 2010 and is forecasted for 293 vehicles per 1,000
people by 2015. Russia's...
In honor of St. Patrick's Day I thought about what my favorite
green car might be. I thought about the new Chevy Volt,
the Prius, the hybrid Fusion and of course the new Leaf. But of all
the hybrid and electric vehicles I could think of, none of them
topped my favorite green car. The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
SS tops my list. With an optional (and rare) L72 engine
pumping out 425 HP, how can you not get excited about this
car? And how can you forget the convertible? On this
nice almost-spring day in...Read More »
I've blogged before
about my excitement for the Indian auto market and wanted to give
you a little closer look at the vehicle mix. India's light vehicle
forecast for 2011 is just under 3 million vehicles. This 3 million
includes passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles. But
passenger and commercial vehicles make up only 20% of
the 2009-2010 vehicle market mix for 2009/2010 according to the
Society of Indian Automotive Manufactures. Two wheelers are the top
selling vehicle segment in...Read More »On Tuesday, February 22, the city of Chicago announced an
$8.9 million electric vehicle infrastructure plan to add 280
recharging stations in and around the city by the end of 2011.
This is right ahead of the planned 2011 4th quarter
Chevy Volt launch and fall 2011
Nissan Leaf launch into the Chicago area.
With such a large commitment within the next 2 years, I think the OEMs will be modifying their electric vehicle market roll-out strategies and adding Chicago to the list of sooner rather...Read More »
With such a large commitment within the next 2 years, I think the OEMs will be modifying their electric vehicle market roll-out strategies and adding Chicago to the list of sooner rather...Read More »
The
Indian auto market has been one of my favorites to watch during the
past few years even though many times India was overshadowed by
China. But now that China is ending their vehicle scrappage
and incentive programs as well as limiting registrations in
Beijing to try and manage traffic and parking congestion,
India's growth prospects for 2011 are getting more attention.
In the first 11 months of 2010, India sold over 2.1
million passenger vehicles. A quick view of India's domestic
passenger...
I am currently attending the 10th Annual Telematics Detroit 2010. I left the first day with three main points: keep it simple, location services are key and telematics are not just for the luxury market.
- Keep it simple. There's an app for everything these days available on mobile devices, but this isn't the best strategy for apps appropriate for moving vehicles. Customer retention and conquest sales will depend on an OEM's ability to balance the consumers' increasing desire to incorporate...
Yesterday I participated in an AutomotiveWorld.com webinar titled, "Social Networks
and the Global Automotive Industry: the Marketing Opportunity." The
conversation got me really excited about the relative ease of
connecting with customers and all of the benefits it can bring to
the company, employees and customers.
Social media, as one component of a digital marketing strategy, can bring mass exposure to a brand with engaged followers interested in your subject matter. Employees can get closer...Read More »
Social media, as one component of a digital marketing strategy, can bring mass exposure to a brand with engaged followers interested in your subject matter. Employees can get closer...Read More »
Mass produced hybrids have come a long way since 2001 when the
Prius was first launched in Japan. In 2009, 35 different hybrid
models were offered accounting for just over 1 percent of the
global market share. One percent (1.28% to be exact) may not seem
like a big deal, but the emergence of hybrids is more than a
vehicle purchase. It's a culture change. Hybrid sales are a direct
results of multiple forces within a market coming together to drive
a change in automotive purchase behavior.
These...
Global hybrid sales trends have continued to increase despite the declining global light vehicle market. Some of the fastest growing light vehicle markets in the world are BRIC nations with China, India and Brazil experiencing light vehicle growth in 2009.
Despite the overall automotive growth in these emerging markets, hybrids have declined. And not just declined, but not sold. In China from January - October of 2009, only 303 vehicles out of nearly 9.7 million sold, were hybrids. For this same...
Read More »
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