Everyone’s pretty down on the automotive industry right now. Here in Michigan, we’re definitely feeling the pain of the changing market. Some people think that we should just let the OEMs ride the market wave and fail if that’s where it takes them. Others are concerned with the fallout, not only for the OEMs, but also for their suppliers and the various industries that provide a network of support for employees and their families.
Personally, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on automotive. I love cars. One of my earliest memories is of the upholstery in my parents Pontiac Phoenix hatchback. (Incidentally, I’m glad the hatchback is regaining favor with American drivers, but that’s a story for another time.) So I’d like to see us figure out a way to make automotive work in these global economic times, but the issues are complex and I don’t know what the answers are.
What I do know is that some really great work is being done within the industry to evolve it into something that is sustainable, both economically and environmentally. We had the opportunity to work on a video for the Johnson Controls NAIAS 2009 “demonstrator” vehicle interior, the re3, this past year. When they began the development of this interior they realized that they had to rethink everything. Consumers’ attitudes are changing. They want smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. But they still expect the comfort features that they had in their larger vehicles. Then Johnson Controls looked for ways to renew the industry and the driving experience. This meant making it a plug-in hybrid (with Johnson Controls lithium ion battery technology), using renewable materials, and reducing mass wherever possible. But they kept in mind that consumers still wanted comfort features and found ways to respond with electronics, storage and seating innovations.
Johnson Controls offers the OEMs a way to get more mileage inside their vehicles too. Take a look to see how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMDjUQYWHQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VDHeGjlJww
Recommendation: watch it in HD if your computer can handle it