It’s Time for the Auto Industry to Get on the Same Level as Other Brands – Adweek

With the exception of startup electric car companies and third-party experiences like those of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, most traditional automotive companies have struggled to provide best-in-class in-car user experiences. Automotive brands only ever had to compete with each other when it came to in-car systems, making it a non-competitive space. The large majority of native in-car experiences on the market are subpar to even the most basic smartphone. Why do in-car digital experiences still suck so badly, and why is it taking so long for automotive brands to catch up? While Google and Apple push forward with their proprietary auto platforms, traditional automotive brands have struggled to compete.

How This Woman Is Disrupting The Auto Mechanic Industry

Answers by Patrice Banks, Founder & CEO, Girls Auto Clinic, Author of Glove Box Guide, on Quora:Q: As an entrepreneur, what has been your approach to disrupting a very established industry? I believe I've created a solution to a large problem the automotive industry has not solved and only placed a band-aid on it. My goal is to have the auto industry follow our lead by hiring more women and putting them in positions of influence, power, and ownership. I was paid to speak at an automotive tech school to talk about women in the automotive industry and the 16-year-old boys did not believe I was a mechanic. Q: How does working at the Girls Auto Clinic transform a new female mechanic?

As Auto Industry Transforms, Ford and Volkswagen Consider an Alliance

as mentioned in Traditional automakers have faced increasing pressure in recent years from changed driving habits, the swift development of technology and emerging rivals from Silicon Valley. Volkswagen and Ford, two of the world's biggest carmakers, have announced that they are exploring a strategic alliance, possibly joining forces for an array of projects like the development of vans. "Markets and customer demand are changing at an incredible speed," Thomas Sedran, Volkswagen's head of strategy, said in a statement released Tuesday evening. But it raises the specter of some form of a tie-up as the two companies face a series of issues. In March, BMW and Daimler, two longtime rival German automakers, said they would merge their car-sharing businesses.

Trade Troubles: Ohio Valley Auto Industry Hopes To Dodge Trump Tariffs

But some industry leaders say today's auto industry depends on a global supply chain that makes it hard to draw a firm line between foreign and domestic. Many auto manufacturers in the Ohio Valley depend on foreign markets and material, making them highly sensitive to import taxes. Becca Schimmel | Ohio Valley ReSourceDave Tatman, Executive Director for the Kentucky Automotive Industry Association is warning about trouble down the road for the region's industry. Whatever form the auto tariffs might take they would likely have a big effect in the region. The Commerce Department has until February to issue recommendations on the auto tariffs but a report is expected to come before the midterm elections.

collected by :Catlin Logan