Guide to Passenger Car and Truck Manufacturers News and Trends

Car and truck manufacturers turn to new technologies for news and trends

By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer

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Read respected news and information sites for car and truck manufacturer information you can trust

The latest news and information can help manufacturers of passenger cars and trucks find out what is happening in the industry, and what to look forward to in the future. It can also help identify trends and issues in the industry, and give insight into what other domestic and foreign car makers are doing to deal with the current automobile conditions.

I recommend: Business Week offers an automakers reference section with information on the industry, particular automakers and more. Auto News offers updated news for automakers and suppliers. CarMax offers insight into the Asian auto market, where many innovations and new trends often occur.

Check out passenger car and truck manufacturer blogs and discussions for up-to-the-minute opinions

If you want to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations, blogs are often the place to hear it all first. They are also a pulse on consumer insights and opinions, so they are a great way to find out what you need to know about what's hot and what's not in the car world.

I recommend: CAR Research offers news and opinions on the American and foreign auto industries, including information on auto shows and auto models. The Car Blog offers a "rant" section where consumers sound off about their least favorite options and auto details. Motortrend offers a blog about the industry and latest news.

Seek out independent research for car manufacturer trends and consumer requirements

Passenger truck manufacturers and all manufacturers have to study the latest trends in research and consumer needs to plan for their cars of the future. Trends can change overnight, and the wise car maker is one who pays attention, plans ahead and looks to the future for innovation and change.

I recommend: Oxford Analytica offers research and analysis of the United States and global passenger car and truck manufacturers. The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) offers a host of publications on the auto industry and upcoming trends.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Passenger car and truck manufacturers news and trends wouldn't be complete without some information on cars of the future. The passenger car and truck makers of the future have exotic fuels to deal with, but technologies like flying cars, too. Learn more about some of the most 'out there' cars of the future to get your own ideas flowing.

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Insist on luxury cars from car makers to impress clients

Several car manufacturers offer luxury lines of vehicles ideal for the business owner looking to impress a client. High-end models are ideal for client meetings, business engagements and as a benefit to upper level management.

I recommend: Secure a luxury vehicle worthy of your use. A car manufacturer such as Lexus, which is a division of Toyota, offers exceptional quality and impressive style. They also allow for custom building of vehicles to fit your specific needs. Mercedes-Benz gives several impressive options in luxury vehicles including convertibles and luxury coupes, with impressive engine size, features and technological updates. Luxury vehicle maker Cadillac from GM offers features such as magnetic ride control, adaptive cruise control, and touch screen DVD navigation with voice recognition in their DTS model. Ford Motor Company's Lincoln offers their Town Car line with extensive features including spacious interiors, entry and exit features and five-star safety ratings.

Determine the size, function and muscle power offered by truck makers to match your needs

Towing capacity, weight limits, engine size, bed size or cargo capabilities are important aspects when looking for the right truck. Truck manufacturers will provide the right truck to fit your needs.

I recommend: GM's Chevrolet line of commercial light duty and medium duty trucks include hauling capabilities, Allison transmissions, all-wheel drive and tilt cabs. Ford Motor Company offers strong, versatile trucks to meet specific needs including larger engines; light, medium and heavy duty trucks as well as features required for specific commercial applications. They are also passenger truck manufacturers.

See if car and truck manufacturers offer fleets that fit your needs

Employee cars and trucks are often needed for employees. For business use, car and truck manufacturers provide vehicles that have good warranties, are budget friendly, high in quality and fuel efficient, minimizing the costs to the business.

I recommend: General Motors offers a full line of car and truck fleets to work with any business need including specialty vehicles such as limousines, body technology and vehicle technology. Dodge offers a commercial fleet of passenger car and truck options. They also allow buyers to build their own vehicle specific to the business' requirements.

Investigate any car manufacturers and truck manufacturers for fuel efficiency

Gas mileage is essential to any car or truck purchase. Each passenger car and truck manufacturer will include fuel efficiency and gas mileage information prior to purchase.

I recommend: Inspect car manufacturers for the most fuel efficient car. Top-rated Toyota Prius is the leader getting 45 MPG city and 48 highway, as a hybrid. The Nissan Altima Hybrid is rated second best in fuel efficiency with 33 MPG city and 35 MPG highway. In light-to-medium duty trucks, the most fuel efficient truck manufacturers are tied with the same statistics. The Ford Ranger Pickup 2WD and the Mazda B2300 2WD are rated highest with 21 MPG city and 26 MPG highway.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take your time when making a decision. Most car manufacturers and truck manufacturers are willing to customize vehicles for business needs. For commercial needs, go to the manufacturers. They offer more options, affordability and discounts not applicable through local retailers and distributors.

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Learn about training procedures for car and truck manufacturers

New technologies quickly replace old equipment as car and truck manufacturers strive to be more cost efficient and more competitive. So most manufacturers stress good training for all employees, including assembly line workers, engineers and managers.

I recommend: The centerpiece of modern car manufacturing is "just-in-time" inventory management; read about JIT in an article from Ashland University. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics also gives a good overview of the training procedures at American passenger car and truck manufacturers.

Get training from passenger car and truck manufacturers

If you are employed by, or are about to be employed by, a passenger car and truck manufacturer, then you will find they have extensive training programs for their employees. Often these programs are run as partnerships with unions, such as the United Auto Workers.

I recommend: The UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center provides training and education for Daimler Chrysler employees. The Ford Motor Company has several specialized training facilities for its 250,000 employees, including a new model quality center that opened near Detroit in 2007.

Find safety training for car manufacturers and truck manufacturers

Perhaps no training is more important than safety training. Car and truck manufacturers use hazardous materials and other chemicals in the manufacturing process, and workers must know how to safely deal with them. Workers must also know how to stay safe amid the large machinery that is used to assemble cars and trucks.

I recommend: United Auto Workers International provides health and safety training that includes ergonomics, emergency response and confined space entry. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences helps auto workers learn how to deal with chemical emergencies and hazardous waste.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As more and more passenger car and truck manufacturers run into financial difficulties, some government agencies are stepping in and providing training and education for auto workers. Check with your state government to see if such training is offered where you live.

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Fuel consumption tests

Fuel consumption tests are performed so that consumers can access information about how much fuel different vehicles use.

I recommend: VCACarFuelData.org has more information about fuel consumption tests.

Cylinders

Companies determine the power of an engine by the number of engine cylinders, which are engine compartments containing pistons used to produce power. These pistons move a certain volume of gas according to engine capacity.

I recommend: Motor Authority offers a clear image of a four-cylinder diesel engine.

Fuel type

When manufacturing a passenger car or truck, a manufacturer must account for the fuel type. Fuel types include super unleaded, compressed natural gas (CNG), diesel, petrol (normal unleaded), unleaded petrol/electric (also called U/E or a hybrid) and bio-fuel (U/B).

I recommend: Unifried offers a comparison of various fuel types. It offers a chart and graph with statistics comparing fuels such as hybrid, Bio-diesel, electric, gasoline, ethanol, compressed natural gas and others.

Automatic transmission shift lock

Truck manufacturers use the automatic transmission shift lock as a safety mechanism. Its design requires the driver to turn the ignition on and depress the brake pedal before moving the transmission lever out of the park position.

I recommend: AutoShop101 offers information on the automatic transmission shift lock (PDF).

Auxiliary springs

Auxiliary springs, also called helper springs, control the swaying and rolling of high body trucks and trucks with shifting loads. Generally located in the rear section of the truck, the springs act only after partial deflection of regular truck springs.

I recommend: SAE International offers a paper discussing the impact of auxiliary springs based on design and function. The study bases its findings on eight different design factors.

Crumple zones

Designed to crumple in a certain manner in case of collision, manufacturers design crumple zones into the rear and front sections of a truck. This crumpling action reduces impact force on the passenger compartment, protecting the occupants.

I recommend: SoftNews NET offers a detailed article describing how crumple zones work. It offers images and gives a brief history of the physics of crumple zones in car and truck design.