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August 26, 2009

Ryan Peters: Auto origins for tomorrow

By RYAN PETERS

A $17 billion "stimulus" nest egg, a new CEO for General Motors, division spin-offs -- what next for the auto industry? Hopefully Automation Alley is poised to rework some of its old habits.

Seeking a course to calmer seas, the automotive industry encountered some bottlenecks. Even "just in time" (JIT) inventory has its thresholds.

In times like these, a lot can be learned from reflecting on the automotive industry's glory days.

In the early years, people cared about automobile reliability and the convenience of horsepower, without the hay. The color of the interior? Henry Ford's proud Model T words summed it up best -- "What color would you like, black or black?" Ford proved to Detroit and the world that technology synergy exists, and mass production was born.

Today, the Big Three automakers need to remain aware their sums are greater than their parts. While it's difficult to account for global variables such as economies, oil reserves and international trade policies, some have done a better job than others in navigating the automotive marketplace. One example is Lee Iacocca. Relative to power, performance and curves, his Mustang became a real benchmark for automobile street cred.

Iacocca understood what people wanted, and gave it to them. That type of success only happens by genuinely being captivated and inspired by an industry, its leaders and the opportunities presented.

The consumer SUV was the start of the automotive industry's slippery slope. I've owned three Jeeps and loved all of them. But an argument can be made that crossover military design entered the consumer market without accounting for long-term impacts on fuel economy.

Everyone knows we need trucks. For global infrastructure stability, a shift to hybrid and electric cars to complement SUV ownership should help to balance gas prices.

The automobile is at the dawn of a new era. In getting back on track, I hope the auto executives simplify product lines. Consumers want more, our economy needs job creation, and the international community is looking to the U.S. to dust ourselves off.

Companies need to integrate with the automotive sector to deliver more value and yield more jobs.

When Automation Alley's engineers are at their design boards, the energy grid should be top priority.

Think-tankers need to keep an eye on the reality that PC-to-auto integration is on the forefront.

Software integration companies will allow for your home PC to talk -- i.e. charging levels -- to your car battery as it sits in the garage.

By no means am I saying to expect to be passed by George Jetson on tomorrow's commute to work. Rather, a portion of the stimulus should be spent on making room for new integration technology, such as diversified metering solutions. The fact is automotive synergy as it relates to the energy grid is moving in a healthy direction for 2010.

By the nature of design, the engine room knows we have enough energy to get there.

Ryan Peters is a technology journalist who can be found online at http://contactryan.wordpress.com

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