STILL ROLLING IN TWENTY YEARS TIME?

The automotive manufacturing industry in the US was valued at $82.6 Billion at the end of 2021. The automotive industry is one of the larger pieces of the pie in the overall economy of the US. Undoubtedly, manufacturers would not want to fall behind. Every trend that will resonate from consumers will be heeded, researched, developed, and standardized throughout the years. However, there are a couple of trends that have massive effect to the automotive industry to the coming years.

The current Trends of Automotive Industry

I’m sure you have heard the global consensus of governments around the world that by 2040, all car manufacturers should no longer be selling brand-new vehicles with combustion engines, gasoline, or diesel. In some leading markets, as early as 2035, there should no longer be a brand-new vehicle being sold with combustion engines. This is the move towards zero emissions across the globe. The goal of reducing the carbon footprint drastically is to save our planet earth and for our future generations to enjoy a breathable clean air.

We cannot deny that there would be questions, critics, and hesitations towards this movement. There’s just a certain appeal that a combustion engine has. However, all are for good intention and global warming is one that we cannot brush off.

Another good intention is the drastic implementation and requirement of driving aids from the manufacturers. The fast innovation of technology in driving aids has become a suite of technology to assist drivers for a safer commute.

In its early days, driving aids are remarked as gimmicky. It started from digital clock, digital aircon. Then marketing dictates that convenience in daily driving is a must; parking sensors, cruise control and tire pressure monitoring are added features. Now, the giant leap in automotive technology has features to keep your cars in-lane while moving and hands free, mind you; maintain its distance while at speed, park itself, monitor the driver’s alertness and remind you with annoying bongs and beeps to keep your eyes on the road and the steering wheel. Combine all these features, cars nowadays are almost driverless. The race now is for a number of companies to capture the driverless vehicle market. The estimated time frame to reach 70% replacement of gas vehicles to EV is projected to be by the year 2050.

How Will Automotive Servicing Shops Adapt? 

In a business, changes come with displacement. Manufacturers would be in good shape, but what about your friendly neighbor mechanic? The right to service your vehicle is already a battle today between independent auto shops and authorized service center. One thing for sure, the surge in EV sales and increasing amount of driving aids becoming standard in cars being sold will always need a technician. Your nearby car mechanic will need a specialized training and tools to service modern cars, outgoing EVs and driverless vehicles.

For the automotive business to be profitable, manufacturers cannot just toss out the efficient manufacturing process and design of vehicles. Rather, they improve on specific parts to implement minimal but effective changes. Yes, changes tend to cost a lot. Knowing this, a number of independent automotive shop have already started to adapt to cater to electric vehicles.

As an example, there are a number of companies that specializes in converting your gas-powered cars to electric. This concept is not surprising nowadays with the obvious trend where the automotive industry is heading. The idea is any gas vehicle can be converted and become road worthy for a foreseeable future. This is more appealing to owners that hold personal value to their cars; collectible, limited edition, rare production run model, these cars will now have a chance to continue running.

Converting a car to EV also has benefits from reducing carbon footprint. Manufacturing a completely new car does produce a considerable amount of carbon. However, converting an existing vehicle has lower footprint. You only need to replace certain parts and retain a large piece of the vehicle intact. Flash Drive Motors, Zero Labs, Zelectric Motors, Electric GT, EV West are some of the currently notable EV converting companies. Its only expected that auto repair shops will adapt and include conversion services.

A Bright Future

The future is very bright for the automobile repair industry. The key is for its members to position themselves properly. People in traditional and emerging markets drive hundreds of millions of new and used automobiles that will need to be upgraded, repaired, serviced, and maintained. More importantly, independent auto repair shops perform 75% of the aftermarket automobile repair services for the auto repair industry. If automobile repair shops are diligent and proactive in investing in the latest and most effective tools, equipment, and technology and make sure their service technicians are properly trained, they will continue to be profitable in 2022 and beyond