Automotive Service: Fitting Into A High-Tech World
In today's world, innovative technology allows for numerous safety and performance benefits in modern vehicles. If you have been in the automotive service industry for a long time, or a first-time novice, you've undoubtedly heard that today's cars are much more high-tech than their predecessors. Therefore, the automotive industry is considered as a "high tech" industry. What does this mean with regard to automotive repair? What does "high-tech" mean, and how high-tech are vehicles and the industry that builds them? In a study conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Ann Arbor, MI, their findings helped answer these questions.
An industry sector is considered high-tech if it meets certain criteria and contains certain characteristics. For example, a high-tech industry would generally have 10% or more of its workforce consisting of technical employees, such as engineers. The report concludes that the automotive industry is not only high-tech, it is a leader in technological developments and applications.
The Findings:
- For every vehicle manufactured worldwide, automakers spend an average of $1200 for research and development.
- Today's average vehicle contains around 60 microprocessors—four times as many as a decade ago.
- A vehicle's computer network typically has more than 10 million lines of software code (over half the lines of code that reportedly run Boeing's 787 Dreamliner).
- Approximately 4800 patents are granted to the automotive industry every year.
- Five automakers—Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Honda and Daimler—are among the top 20 in all corporate research and development spending. GM and Ford individually spend more money on research and development than either General Electric or Apple.
- Vehicle electronics currently make up as much as 40% to 50% of the total cost of a vehicle. This is up from 20% less than a decade ago.
The report further suggests that an automobile is one of the most complex purchases ever to be made by consumers. This leads to the conclusion that jobs in the automotive industry, both today and in the future, will be performed by those who have the advanced training and skills necessary for designing, building and maintaining the high-tech components that make up a vehicle.
If you're looking for expert advice for a needed automotive repair, contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive by calling (608) 221-8321 or go on-line at https://www.clausenautomotive.com for more information about our automotive service. Since 1975, our family-owned auto repair shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.
In today's world, innovative technology allows for numerous safety and performance benefits in modern vehicles. If you have been in the automotive service industry for a long time, or a first-time novice, you've undoubtedly heard that today's cars are much more high-tech than their predecessors. Therefore, the automotive industry is considered as a "high tech" industry. What does this mean with regard to automotive repair? What does "high-tech" mean, and how high-tech are vehicles and the industry that builds them? In a study conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Ann Arbor, MI, their findings helped answer these questions.
An industry sector is considered high-tech if it meets certain criteria and contains certain characteristics. For example, a high-tech industry would generally have 10% or more of its workforce consisting of technical employees, such as engineers. The report concludes that the automotive industry is not only high-tech, it is a leader in technological developments and applications.
The Findings:
- For every vehicle manufactured worldwide, automakers spend an average of $1200 for research and development.
- Today's average vehicle contains around 60 microprocessors—four times as many as a decade ago.
- A vehicle's computer network typically has more than 10 million lines of software code (over half the lines of code that reportedly run Boeing's 787 Dreamliner).
- Approximately 4800 patents are granted to the automotive industry every year.
- Five automakers—Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Honda and Daimler—are among the top 20 in all corporate research and development spending. GM and Ford individually spend more money on research and development than either General Electric or Apple.
- Vehicle electronics currently make up as much as 40% to 50% of the total cost of a vehicle. This is up from 20% less than a decade ago.
The report further suggests that an automobile is one of the most complex purchases ever to be made by consumers. This leads to the conclusion that jobs in the automotive industry, both today and in the future, will be performed by those who have the advanced training and skills necessary for designing, building and maintaining the high-tech components that make up a vehicle.
If you're looking for expert advice for a needed automotive repair, contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Clausen Automotive by calling (608) 221-8321 or go on-line at https://www.clausenautomotive.com for more information about our automotive service. Since 1975, our family-owned auto repair shop has proudly served vehicle owners in Madison, WI, and the surrounding communities.
