Automotive Industry

One of the top industries in the world is the Automotive Industry, which as years passed has left its mark on world economies and cultures alike. The automotive industry deals with the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles were produced worldwide, such as cars and commercial vehicles, out of which 71.9 million of automobiles found their owner: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific and 19.4 million in USA and Canada.
While in North America and Japan the automobile market were stagnant, markets in South America and Asia increased their production figures, the most fastest and most amazing increase coming from Russia, Brazil and China.
Automobiles and other gasoline-powered vehicles, like buses, trucks, planes, and motorcycles, along with electricity-powered vehicles, such as trains are produced daily by the automotive industry. Millions of employees found a job in the automotive industry, while the revenues that are being generated worldwide reach a lot over billions of dollars. The same industry provides the right base for a wide range of other related services and industries.
The transportation system was to be forever revolutionized with the discovery of automobiles and vehicles, in the 20th century, since it changed the way people used to live and commute, be it for pleasure, work or business. Not only did it provide a means of transportation for people, if not goods could now be taken even farther and more rapidly, thus opening new markets to facilitate business and trade.
Struggles have been made so as to bring overall costs of production to a minimum, and for that new methods were invented, like mass production (several products were made at once), mass marketing (products were sold at a national level not only at a local one), and also globalization of production ( assembling products with parts produced all over the world)
With the increase in oil prices in 2008, the automotive industry has had many pressures since raw materials also have higher prices, and consumers started to re-evaluate their buying habits.
In North America, the automobile industry is dominated by the famous Big Three:
• General Motors (producer of Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac, etc)
• Chrysler (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge)
• Ford Motor Co – (Ford, Lincoln and Volvo)
Unfortunately, the automobile also means air pollution, emission of gases and imminent global warming, high traffic, not to mention fatalities.