Environmental Challenges Facing The American Auto Industry

Introduction Automobile usage has increased in America and elsewhere in the world. In a research done by Sutherland, J., et al. (2004) “The US has a contributed to 200 million passengers in cars and light truck over the past few years. Further in 1990, studies showed that US cars increased six times faster than human population. The leaders in the automotive industry must adopt some key elements to ensure success in this fast-moving environment. They must invest in knowing their markets, building brands, adapting product strategies and taking long-term view on their goals and objectives. This paper outlines some of the key factors which should be considered. Environmental factors automotive designers and engineers have always said the main threats in the American Automotive industry are the environmental factors such as fuel economy and the clean air regulations. Automotive Emission posed different problems than manufacturing discharges such as coal smoke. Increased fossil-fuel emission has resulted from the million car increase. Irritation smog, which is comprised of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur oxide and other various chemical mixtures are cited in major cities such as Los Angeles. These auto emissions are also said to cause headaches, visual pollutions, contribute to lung cancers and other respiratory disease. In the end, the engineers have designed cars that are better environmental performers, cost effective and fuel efficient to reduce the environmental

Akio Toyoda, the founder of the car company Toyota Incorporated, once said “Automobiles are the pinnacle of human transportation. The percentage of families across the world who own cars have reached new heights in the past decade. Multiple families now have an easier form of transportation than walking or taking an overcrowded bus. For that reason, I am happy with what I do.” Akio Toyoda is right for saying so. The usage of automobiles increases by 150% since the past decade as more consumers look towards faster and cheaper methods of transportation. The increase in usage brings many concerns to well-minded citizens, specifically concerns regarding the environment and the conservation of energy. In order to tackle the problem locally, multiple

Environmental concerns have been raised from time to time because of the dependency on the gasoline-fueled engine as the chief auto powertrain technology. This has resulted in exposing many automobile users to unpredictable prices of fuel. These issues were, however, the reason for

Historically, The United State had invented the steam engine and began using automobile long before 1896 when Henry Ford build the first car. Since then, the country has undergone series of dramatic changes affecting the automobile industry politically, economically, technologically, and socio-culturally, including series of global and environmental challenges. These environmental challenges facing the industries can be acknowledged in the following areas:

The invention of the automobile became a convenience, but emissions in the city and the demand for the fuel efficient cars have left an uncertain future for the auto industry.

This report will focus on the environmental challenges that the American automobile industry is facing today. First, we will discuss global competition for American automobile manufacturers. Next, we will look at new technologies that are revolutionizing the automobile industry. Then, we will consider the effect of automobile emissions on the environment and what the US government is doing to try to regulate this. Finally, we will discuss consumer opinions about the “American-made” automobile.

“Although the blueprint for the modern automobile was perfected in Germany and France in the late 1800s Americans dominated the industry in the first half of the twentieth century. Henry Ford innovated mass-production techniques that became standards with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler emergingas the “Big Three” auto companies by the 1920s, Foner - Garraty 1991.” Even growing up with the fast speed but this industry also comes with the worst environment issues not only in the United States but also in the world. There are many environment problem come with American Auto Industry such as global competition in the industry, new technology for powering the product that this industry produces, the effect of emissions on the environment and government reactions to this, consumer opinions about the product your industry produces.

The American auto industry face many environmental challenges. Some of the challenges they might face are demographic, political, global, technological, economical, and socio-cultural. All of these aspects can either make or break an organization. Which is why there are many rules and regulations that help the companies stay on track.

The American automotive industry has expanded since uprising in the early 1900s. “Americans dominated the industry in the first half of the twentieth century, although Germany and France perfected the blueprint for the modern automobile. Henry Ford initiated mass production techniques that became standard, with Ford, General motors and Chrysler emerging as the ‘Big Three’ auto companies by the 1920s (Foner & Garraty 1991).” The automotive industry has always been among the leading industries for environmental aspects and hazards around the world, in the United States especially. These issues include; global completion, new technology for powering the product, the effect

The United States automotive industry is the largest in the world. Thirteen automotive manufacturers have assembly plants in the United States, as well as a growing number of suppliers and dealerships. From 2008 to 2012, automotive manufacturers in the U.S. produced an average of over 8 million vehicles annually (SelectUSA, n.d.). In addition to the big three American automakers – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler – Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai-Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volkswagen all manufacture automobiles in the United States (SelectUSA, n.d.).

even today. Only about 14 to 30 percent of the energy from the fuel in your car is converted to

and a significant contributor to the strength of the US dollar. Although the auto industry did not

The environmental challenges facing American auto industry is very huge, as a result of large number of vehicles on the road causing air emission, pollution of the environment that has a negative impact to people’s health today, due to the toxicology and the effect of carbon, hydrogen and carbon monoxide emission on the environment. These has also contributed to the climate change, death and disappearing of some species of wild life today in the United States. Waste stream has been accumulated with vehicles that are out of service, road ban, and they are contributing to the environmental concerns in terms of their poor storage management and lack of proper plan for disposal of such hazardous material, lack of adequate recycling plan for vehicle component or parts.

motorcycles are processed by dismantlers, who supply 37 percent of the nation 's ferrous scrap

When in 1885 Karl Benz designed, and developed the first 4 stroke engine that would later become the very heart of the first automobile that we are familiar with today. At the time however, the early inventors and pioneers of the automobile industry thought just of their work as a “horseless carriage” and nothing more, none of them anticipated the age of the automobile that was about to be ushered in, for they just saw the new technology strictly in the context of what it was meant to replace. The automobile however, developed into so much more, becoming one of the defining industries of the entire 20th century and affecting people’s lives in a multitude ways, but most especially the social aspect. This essay would like to highlight the importance that the automobile had on the cultural shift towards the phenomenon of suburbanization and the environmental impacts that ensued due to the change in urban planning to accommodate for our car dependent culture. Ironically enough, when the environmental impacts associated with automobiles are discussed, the one that is not inherently apparent to us, specifically carbon emissions from vehicles is what takes much of the limelight when compared to an issue that is rapidly unfolding right before we. The exponential increase in urban sprawl not only involves the loss of massive amounts of natural habitat but also dramatically increases the risk of flooding in these same suburbs. Disregarding the unsustainability of the continued growth