What We're Reading: Global Auto Industry, In-Car iPad, Crunch Time in China
By Michelle Krebs April 13, 2010The staff at Edmunds is a diverse group with hundreds of different perspectives on the auto industry and the world at large. Here's a look at what we're reading and thinking about this week...
Wheels of Fortune? A Guide to the Global Auto Industry for Equity Investors (AllianceBernstein)
"The global auto industry today represents a combination of the old and the new. This paper seeks to explain the interaction between these forces, first by analyzing the political protectionism, manufacturing overcapacity and intense competition that have been industry features for decades. These trends will then be placed in the context of 21st-century challenges, such as potential new competitors, emerging-market growth and the development of alternative drivetrains."
Edmunds staffer says: Looking at the auto industry as a global entity is critical to understanding the current industry climate. This analysis is a good overview of key trends, challenges, and technologies that are molding the way automakers do business around the world. --David Greene, Industry Analyst
Read the full article: Wheels of Fortune? A Guide to the Global Auto Industry for Equity Investors
Business
Why "top down" innovation is difficult by Jeffrey Phillips (Innovate on Purpose)
"As a person who works with a number of firms attempting to improve innovation capabilities, I am constantly astonished by the disconnect between what senior executives say they want and what actually gets done in most businesses, at least within the context of innovation."
Edmunds staffer says: Innovation is ultimately a grassroots effort and what executives can do to support it is to provide the proper atmosphere for it to flourish. --Ismail Elshareef, Director, Front-End Engineering
Technology
iCrash: Is In-Car iPad Installation Really a Good Idea? By Zachary Wilson (Fast Company)
"The best thing about the iPad is it lets you take rich media anywhere, including your car. Forget built-in DVD players, now the kiddies can watch movies, play games, listen to music, or even read books (people still do that, right?) on the go."
Edmunds staffer says: There needs to be a standard for all smart phones to "plug in" to all vehicles, instantly transmitting their interior data to the car's primary display screen. It makes total sense, as you carry around all your contacts, important locations, documents, email, etc. in your phone. All we need is a way to access that information through a car's existing LCD screen (something almost every car has these days) and we're there. --Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com
International
China: Crunch Time by Peter Zeihan (Stratfor)
"What Washington considered tolerable in a small developing economy is intolerable in one of the top five economies. The demand that Beijing raise the value of the yuan, however, poses dramatic challenges for the Chinese, as the ability to control their currency helps drive their exports. The issue is why China insists on controlling its currency, something embedded in the nature of the Chinese economy. A collision with the United States now seems inevitable."
Edmunds staffer says: Don't write off the USA, just yet! --Peter Steinlauf, Chairman of the Board
What are you reading? Tell us at reading@edmunds.com. Include the article link and a note about why you feel it's a good read. We may publish your commentary in next week's column.
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