Environmental Impact Of Automobiles

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

This essay will analyze the current environmental challenges faced by the auto industry in the

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 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

The American auto industry faces environmental challenges such as Global competition, technological Issues in the industry, effect of emissions on the environment Consumer opinions about the product your industry produces.

These pressures require auto companies to make changes, this creates additional operational costs, costs to consumers as base costs rise and profitability levels need to be made to keep companies at profitable levels. Some customer segments, prefer styles of vehicles that have machine specifications not matching new models to meet emission standards, big engine muscle cares are an example of this, to big capacity personal trucks. These models may be available from overseas competitors resulting in loss of income and profitability as these customers switch to other imported brands. Producing a new model car is an expensive exercise with many resources required over a timer period to produce a prototype. Pressure from external sources to make unplanned changes introduce new costs that were previously unscheduled to meet lower producing emissions. Despite the high costs involved there is no guarantee the final product produced will be a success, as it still relies on customer acceptance and demand as well as competition from local and international competitors.

The automobile manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in the United States and there are some worldwide famous companies such as Ford and General Motors. Henry Ford innovated 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) (Bland,A).”

The auto industry is a very important part of our culture. Vehicles are used to get people from place to place in a timely manner. Without cars, we would be reduced to walking, riding, bicycles, or even using animals. Cars are a necessary evil because we use them in our everyday lives; however they contribute greatly to pollutants being released into the environment. U.S. companies along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been working to find solutions to this problem. With the 253 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads, having an average age of 11.4 years, the auto industry must find ways of making cars more environmentally friendly (Hirsch, 2014).

The impact of the automobile and the auto-centered transport system on the American environment has been enormous. From the manufacturing process to the junkyard, cars—and all motorized vehicles for that matter—consume resources; pollute the air, land, and water; and transform space. The building of automobiles requires gathering vast quantities of metal, glass, plastics, rubber, and other materials, and then assembling thousands of vehicles through human and machine labor. The production process itself consumes enormous amounts of energy, and the factory output produces its own array of pollutants.

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

There are four major factors affecting the automotive industry: technology, market, customers and the most influential factor – environment. Environment is a source of materials, infrastructure necessary for manufacturing but everything is limited. The process of car or automotive manufacturing is very complex regarding the usage of numerous resources and different technologies ( P. Golinska & M. Kosacka).

At the beginning of twenty centuries until now the American auto industry has been growing and in demand. Henry Ford innovated mass-production techniques that became standard, with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler emerges as the “Big Three” auto companies by the 1920s. Manufacturers funneled their resources to the military during World War II, and afterward automobile production in Europe and Japan soared to meet demand. Once vital to the expansion of American urban centers, the industry had become a shared global enterprise with the rise of Japan as the leading automaker by 1980. And Americans dominated the industry in the first half of the twentieth century. Hence, from the