Automotive Service in a “High-Tech” World
Most vehicle owners are aware that the automotive industry is considered to be a "high tech" industry. Innovative technology allows for numerous safety and performance benefits in today's vehicles. No matter if you're familiar with the automotive service industry, or just starting out, you've undoubtedly heard references to today's cars as being much more high-tech than their predecessors. What does this mean with regard to automotive repair? Exactly how high-tech are these vehicles and the industry that builds them, and what does high-tech really mean?
The Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Ann Arbor, MI, recently released a report to help answer these questions. According to the study, 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 like engineers. The report concludes that the automotive industry is not only high-tech, it "leads the pack" when it comes to technological developments and applications.
The study reported:
- 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 just 10 years ago.
- A typical computer network in a vehicle has more than 10 million lines of software code (this is 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 ten years ago.
The report goes on to suggest that an automobile is the most complex purchase ever to be made by consumers. This leads to the conclusion that today's and future jobs in the automotive industry will be performed by those who have the advanced training and skills necessary for designing, building and maintaining the high-tech components inherent in vehicles.
Need the help of an automotive service professional? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at https://www.rumriverauto.com/ for information about our automotive repair services. Since 1997, our automotive repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.
Most vehicle owners are aware that the automotive industry is considered to be a "high tech" industry. Innovative technology allows for numerous safety and performance benefits in today's vehicles. No matter if you're familiar with the automotive service industry, or just starting out, you've undoubtedly heard references to today's cars as being much more high-tech than their predecessors. What does this mean with regard to automotive repair? Exactly how high-tech are these vehicles and the industry that builds them, and what does high-tech really mean?
The Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Ann Arbor, MI, recently released a report to help answer these questions. According to the study, 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 like engineers. The report concludes that the automotive industry is not only high-tech, it "leads the pack" when it comes to technological developments and applications.
The study reported:
- 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 just 10 years ago.
- A typical computer network in a vehicle has more than 10 million lines of software code (this is 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 ten years ago.
The report goes on to suggest that an automobile is the most complex purchase ever to be made by consumers. This leads to the conclusion that today's and future jobs in the automotive industry will be performed by those who have the advanced training and skills necessary for designing, building and maintaining the high-tech components inherent in vehicles.
Need the help of an automotive service professional? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at https://www.rumriverauto.com/ for information about our automotive repair services. Since 1997, our automotive repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.
