Page 54 - MetalForming-Apr-2018-issue

U.S. Auto Recap, Forecast
and
Trends
Sales have leveled off while high-ticket demand remains high. Watch for coming innovations.
Despite reaching a plateau in total U.S. vehicle sales, automakers and buyers remain bullish on higher-ticket items such as SUVs and pick-up trucks. For example, in 2017, Ford’s F-series pick-ups netted their largest sales year since 2005. Photos in this article courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
processes and materials promise safer more dependable vehicles. Here’s a look at what we need to keep an eye on.
Ready for IATF 16949? As ISO/TS 16949 transitions to IATF 16949, a glob- al industry standard from the Interna- tional Automotive Task Force, automo- tive suppliers need to make sure they are compliant. If not, work from OEM customers may be in jeopardy.
To help ensure a smooth path, industry consultants Cathy Fisher, pres- ident of Quistem, LLC, and Ed Potoczak, managing member of the Oakstone Group, LLC, have authored an article, Automotive Supplier Execs: Three Keys to a Fast, Worry-Free IATF 16949:2016 Transition, available online at MetalForming magazine.
“Some organizations may be tempt- ed to update their quality-management systems (QMS) with a list of IATF 16949 headings, sections, sub-sections and clauses into which they try to fit pieces
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
With 17.2 million U.S.-new- vehicle sales in 2017, it appears that the predicted plateau has come to pass. For seven years, the automotive industry has rode an impressive wave, notching two con- secutive record-sales years along the way, but 2017 ended with sales down 1.6 percent compared to 2016. This decline represents the first since 2009. But there’s some good news for automakers in these numbers: High- er-ticket, more-profitable vehicles such as sport utilities, crossovers and pickup trucks are in greater demand than ever.
General Motors led in domestic sales, with 3 million in 2017, followed by Ford with 2.59 million. Confirming Americans’ on-again love affair with larger rides owing in large part to lower fuel prices, Ford’s F-series tallied its best sales year since 2005. Toyota, with 2.43 million sales, finished third in 2017 U.S. sales, and Fiat Chrysler, in fourth
position, sold 2.06 million vehicles. In 2018, industry prognosticators see U.S. new-vehicle sales dropping below 17 million. That would be the first sub-17-million finish in five years. Uncertainty abounds, however, as sales may be impacted positively by recent tax changes and negatively from tariffs on steel and aluminum. Unwilling to boost sales via discounts and incen- tives, automakers thus far appear con- tent to safeguard profit margins, espe- cially with greater demand for
higher-profit rides.
Trends to Track
Looking to 2018 and beyond, the industry is impacted by numerous trends. The much publicized self-dri- ving-vehicle age is nearly upon us, with autonomy features ever-more prevalent in new vehicles. New methods for track- ing suppliers and supplies include an adoption of blockchain. And, evolving
52 MetalForming/April 2018
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