Major Automobile Companies Research Articles

Hybrid battery thermal management system of phase change materials integrated with aluminum fins and forced air

AbstractDue to its high self‐heat rate, most researchers have avoided using lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) in their work, although, major car companies use it to power some car models because of its high‐power density. A thermal management system benefits from phase change material (PCM) and serves as a reliable cooling system to ensure the safety, performance, and lifespan of Li‐ion batteries. In this study, we conducted an experimental investigation of a new hybrid battery thermal management system (BTMS) using PCM combined with aluminum fins and forced air to enhance the cooling performance of Li‐ion battery type 18 650 LiCoO2. Furthermore, the hybrid model's thermal behaviors are compared with other models that use only air or PCM for cooling. The cooling performance of different BTMS models was tested under a high temperature of 40°C and various discharge rates, as well as, various air velocities. The results demonstrate that the hybrid model effectively minimizes the battery heat accumulation and can reduce the maximum operating temperature by 1.5°C, 5.5°C, and 9.5°C compared to the air‐cooling model and by 2.8°C, 5.1°C, and 16.1°C compared to the PCM model for discharge of 1C, 2C, and 3C rates, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum temperature difference within the battery pack did not surpass 3.1°C with our hybrid model. Moreover, the use of our model has a significant advantage in minimizing the air‐cooling power consumption by 89%.

Hydrogen Economy: Are we ready?

Hydrogen Economy: Are we ready?

User characteristics and demand insight of hatchback car market

Since entering the automobile market of our country, although the car has experienced a short market "warm spring", it has not become the mainstream of consumption due to the influence of the traditional concept. In recent years, major car companies have innovated the shape, performance, texture and other aspects of hatchback cars to seek a breakthrough in this market segment. At the same time, with the younger and diversified needs of mainstream consumers, the traditional "bias" of hatchback may be ended by the post-90s generation, and the increasingly rational car consumption will bring new opportunities to the hatchback market. Therefore, combined with the development of the hatchback car market, understanding the characteristics of users and insight into their car purchase needs can provide certain reference for car companies' planning ideas and marketing strategies. Based on desk research, big data analysis, quantitative and qualitative research methods, this study analyzes the development and current situation of the hatchback car market, and gives in-depth insight into the characteristics and needs of hatchback car users.

A New Enhancement Edge Detection of Finger-Vein Identification for Carputer System

Developments in multimedia and mobile communication technologies and in mobilized, personalized information security has benefitted various sectors of society, as traditional identification technologies are often complicated. In response to the sharing economy and the intellectualization of automotive electronics, major automobile companies are using biometric recognition to enhance the safety, uniqueness, and convenience of their vehicles. This study uses a deep learning-based finger-vein identification system for carputer systems. The proposed enhancement edge detection adapts to the detected fingers’ rotational and translational movements and to interference from external light and other environmental factors. This study also determines the effect of preprocessing methods on the system’s effectiveness. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system allows more accurate identification of 99.1% and 98.1% in various environments, using the FV-USM and SDUMLA-HMT public datasets. As results, the contribution of system is high accuracy and stability for more sanitary, contactless applications makes it eminently suited for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Communication during pandemic: who should tweet about COVID and how?

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the health and wealth of individuals and economies. Firms have lost businesses while people have lost their jobs and even lives because of the pandemic. Hence, it is critical to understand whether and how firms should communicate with their consumers. The author analyzes social media tweets from 35 major car companies for 21 months during the pandemic, and detects different COVID-tweeting effects between luxury and non-luxury brands. While firms often spend much effort providing COVID-19 related information during pandemic, this paper finds that tweeting about COVID-19 (relative to other content) generally hurts consumer engagement (i.e. decreases retweets). Interestingly, this negative effect is moderated if tweets are posted by luxury firms (vs. non-luxury firms). Last, if firms tweet about COVID-19, they should focus more on stakeholders, such as consumers and employees in their tweets. The author generates implications for social media strategies during tremendous uncertainty and crisis periods.

Research on automatic parking path optimization based on Ackerman model

In modern society, cars have been widely used. Every driver will face the problem of reversing. Experienced drivers can park the car to the designated position quickly and accurately. However, most drivers, especially some novices who have just obtained their driver's license, are very worried about the problem of parking. It is often difficult to meet both accuracy and speed. At this time, the automatic parking system appeared in front of the public. As one of the representative systems in the era of vehicle intelligence, the automatic parking system has become the main way for major automobile companies to show their strength in vehicle intelligence; In today's increasingly scarce parking spaces and shrinking parking space, automatic parking system has gradually become a "standard accessory" of vehicles and one of the main reference items for consumers to buy cars. Based on theory and practice, this paper analyzes the possible situations of automatic parking and solves the following problems to improve the automatic parking system. The acceleration model is solved by differential method. The unmanned vehicle travels along a straight line for 1.381m and reaches the maximum limit speed of 20km / h. When unmanned vehicle turns, it is necessary to establish the model of minimum curvature path and minimum path length to express the relationship between them. The initial position of the unmanned vehicle is at the intersection of the parking lot. Three parking situations will be considered, namely vertical parking space, parallel parking space and inclined parking space. A visual trajectory graph will be established to indicate the speed, path, acceleration and other parameters of each point, which vividly shows that the parking can be completed safely and quickly without conflict and collision.

Research and Implementation of Electric Vehicle Braking Energy Recovery System Based on Computer

The invention and application of automobiles have made important contributions to the development of human civilization. With the innovation of computer technology and the change of people’s understanding, the structure, driving system and working efficiency of automobiles are changing and improving. Today, more than 100 years later, cars are still an important means of transportation in people’s daily life. Automobile industry has played a great role in contemporary world economic activities, bringing convenience to people’s lives, increasing many employment opportunities and bringing huge wealth. It has become one of the pillar industries of world economic development. While automobiles have made great contributions to human civilization, the air pollution caused by automobile exhaust has seriously affected people’s living environment. Today’s cars on the market use two kinds of energy sources, petroleum fuel and electric energy. In order to solve the environmental problems and energy crisis brought by the development of automobile industry, electric vehicles are favored by governments of various countries and major automobile companies in the world. Because of its advantages of energy efficiency, wide sources of electric energy and environmental protection, an upsurge of developing electric vehicles has swept the world. Today, with the rapid development of electric vehicles, battery life has become a serious obstacle to their faster development. So as to improve the cruising range of electric cars, that is significant to increase the battery quality or energy density, which also greatly increases the cost of electric vehicles and is not conducive to the further promotion of electric vehicles. We can conduct in-depth research on improving the braking energy recovery and utilization rate of electric vehicles. From the perspective of environmental protection, electric vehicles have zero emissions. Even if the exhaust emissions from power plants and other power generation methods are included, the air pollution can still be greatly reduced. The requirements of society for sustainable development and its own advantages make electric vehicles the correct direction for the future development of automobile industry.

Discussion and Research on New Energy Vehicle Exterior Design Innovation

After entering the 21st century, with the intensification of environmental pollution and the increase in consumption of petroleum resources, the country has focused on the development of new energy sources from multiple angles in order to achieve the goal of energy conservation and environmental protection. In this context, auto companies are also committed to the research and development of new energy vehicles, and comprehensively optimize the design of new energy vehicles. Major automobile companies strive to increase the output and quality of new energy vehicles and create unique brands. This article will give an example to talk about the innovative scheme of the appearance design of new energy vehicles, hoping to provide a reference for the research and development of new energy vehicles.

Employment practices in Japan\u2019s automobile industry: the implication for divergence of employment systems under globalization

This paper analyses recent developments in HR practice toward core white collar employees at Japan’s major automobile companies. It confirms there have been incremental but substantial changes in key HR policies such as compensation and the ranking system, but also finds that traditional long-term employment continues to be practiced at most firms. It further observes that Japan’s auto companies have introduced global HR polices earlier than have Japanese firms in comparable sectors. This, however, has not resulted in the alignment of policies toward those of overseas operations, which one often finds in other Japanese industries such as finance and pharmaceuticals. This would indicate that different trajectories of change are emerging in employment practices—that is, diversification in employment systems is expanding—according to sector (or, the products and services firms offer). This paper also analyses several background factors propelling such divergence, and suggests possible future constellations of employment systems among large elite firms in Japan. In these ways this study contributes to the debate on the effects of globalization on divergence and convergence of employment systems.

Studies on the improvement of the supply chain in the automotive industry: production of electrical wiring

Procurement is the beginning of the global supply chain and is driven by customer demand for goods. In the automotive industry and not only, the timely and qualitative delivery of finished products is an important goal, the customer being 100% satisfied. This paper addresses the issue of improving the supply process in case of urgent changes, especially in the automotive industry, in the processing of electrical wiring, for a number of companies producing vehicles. The Romani car industry grew quite a bit after the 1990s. The arrival of the world’s major car companies has cemented the domestic sector in adopting best practices in the supply chain. This has led to improved competitiveness and increased quantum exports. However, the Romanian car industry must operate in a unique environment that still presents challenges for the supply chain. It is therefore necessary to continuously study supply chain practices in the automotive sector.

Trend in Asian and European Automobile Industry and its Challenges

The automotive industry has come a long way since its starting with a horseless carriage in the 1860s. The automotive sector is regarded as an important driver of economic growth. The paper looks into the ongoing development in the automobile industry. The Asian market with its availability of large and cheap labor force and growing market has seen significant maturation, while the European market with its culture of research and innovation, and presence of major automobile companies have been able to draw growth from other parts of the globe, which has ultimately allowed them to maintain their stance in the market. There has been massive development in the automobile sector in recent years. But an increasing number of competitors, environmental laws and other multiple factors are affecting the industry. These factors need to be properly tracked as it plays a crucial role to predict the future market and helps in better understanding the automobile market to gain sustainable competitive advantage.

Factors of investments in automobile companies’ R&D

This paper studies what determines investment in R&D at major automobile companies of Japan and Germany as of from 2001 to 2015. For that purpose, accounting records and OECD and WWID databases were used. Based on regression models of panel data with random effects and fixed effects, some factors considerably influencing upon investment in R&D were found out. Such factors include: the total assets, amount of exports, market share, return on total assets, total revenue, profits and the income share of the wealthiest residents. Key words: factors of investment in R&D, automobile industry, Japan, Germany. JEL Classification: G39

Lithium Battery Start-Ups

Lithium-ion batteries, developed for powering consumer electronics, are being reconfigured for use in electric vehicles, and for backing-up home solar installations. The adoption of batteries in large-scale applications will accelerate if some of the key limitations of current lithium-ion technology can be addressed: cost, energy density, cycle-life, and safety. In spite of these limitations, the growth of lithium-ion battery industry is noteworthy. Tesla, a relatively small car company in California, is gearing up to build a factory that will produce 50% of lithium batteries worldwide. Today virtually every major car company has a stake in the electric car arena. An important milestone for improving lithium batteries is the quest to replace the graphite anode by lithium metal. In 2007, Hany Eitouni and Mohit Singh, and I founded a company called Seeo to commercialize all-solid batteries with a lithium metal anode. It was based on stabilizing the lithium anode using a block copolymer electrolyte developed by Singh and Eitouni when they were students in my lab. In 2007, enabling the lithium metal anode was not high on the priority list of major battery manufacturers. It was thus difficult to engage in meaningful partnerships with them. The situation is different today. While difficulties surrounding the lithium metal anode are widely recognized, enabling it represents the most credible path for increasing the specific energy of lithium batteries substantially beyond that of lithium-ion chemistry. Cells with specific energies comparable to gasoline such as lithium-sulfur and lithium-air are all dependent on a stable lithium metal anode. A new battery venture called Blue Current that I started with my co-inventor, Joe DeSimone and Alex Teran in 2014 hopes to take all-solid batteries to the next level. I will use my start-up experience to indicate what I think the roles of government labs, universities, and small businesses are in the emerging clean energy landscape. Deployment of clean energy on scale remains a daunting challenge; partnerships involving different segments of society are our best hope for addressing this challenge.

An empirical approach to consumer buying behavior in Indian automobile sector

Purpose – In today’s highly competitive business scenario, advertising symbolizes one of the key marketing activities. The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between advertisement effectiveness and consumer buying behavior for major automobile companies of central India. Design/methodology/approach – A judicious mix of qualitative (focus group and Delphi technique) and quantitative (structured questionnaire survey) research methods was used for the present study. Findings – Study found that for automobile sector, effective advertisements have a positive impact on consumer buying behavior. It suggests that customer’s attitude can be shaped favorably through effective advertising. Automobile companies must arrange special training sessions and learning programs for their sales force to ensure supportive customer purchasing behavior. Research limitations/implications – The scope of the present study is limited to major automobile companies of central India only. Although, the findings can be interpreted and generalized in a global business scenario. Originality/value – The research work is first of its kind that attempts to study the impact of effective advertising on consumer buying behavior in Indian automobile context. The findings and recommendations can be used for strategic planning of training sessions and workshops for different stakeholders in automobile industry.

Analysis of the Variable Intake Control Technology on the Car

In recent years, major car companies research and use a variety of advanced intake control technologies, the most commonly used techniques are the power valve control technology, harmonic boost control technology, variable valve timing control technology. After the actual using, these techniques can really improve the volumetric efficiency of the engine, improve engine performance.

Intelligent and Connected

This article reviews the research and development of automated connected vehicles that aim to reduce road accidents, money, fuel, and conserve environment. Major automotive companies have added automated functions to their vehicles, and various driver assistance systems—adaptive cruise control, video-based lane analysis, and steering and braking assistance—are currently available on high-end models. Automated systems can assess some traffic situations faster than humans can. As a result, automated driving is expected to significantly reduce accidents and traffic fatalities, improve traffic flow and highway capacity, achieve better fuel efficiency, and reduce emissions. However, on the way towards fully automated driving, many challenges need to be addressed. There are technology issues, including reliability, and non-technical issues of cost, regulation, and legislation. In order to accelerate the development of fully automated connected vehicles, there is a need for a cooperative approach. A practical evolutionary roadmap can be developed by an interdisciplinary panel of experts representing major car companies, government agencies, research centers, and academia.

The impact of economic crisis on regions dominated by motor vehicles industry (the case of Vysočina Region)

The Czech economy has been significantly affected by the global economic crisis since the second half of 2008. The Czech economy is strongly dependant on the motor vehicles industry, the sector severely hit by the crisis. There are not only three major automobile companies in the Czech Republic (Škoda Auto Mladá Boleslav, TPCA Czech Kolín and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech Nošovice), but there are also many subcontractors. The Vysočina Region, the model territory used in this article, has several such major companies. This fact had quite a significant impact on the economic situation in the Vysočina Region during the crisis. The paper also examines individual anti-crisis measures adopted by the largest subcontractor to the motor vehicle industry in the region, Bosch Diesel s.r.o. Jihlava.This paper was elaborated under the students’ support project at the Faculty of Science, “Strengthening and Improving Students Creative Work in the Fields of Mathematics, Physics and Earth Science “(KVAS-MPG). The project is funded by Masaryk University and it is aimed at supporting student projects at MU (MUNI/A/1060/2009)

Hydrogen the fuel for 21st century

Abstract Non-Conventional Energy Sources, such as solar and hydrogen energy will remain available for infinite period. One of the reasons of great worry for all of us is reducing sources of conventional energies. The rate of fossil fuel consumption is higher than the rate of the fossil fuel production by the nature. The results will be the scarcity of automobile fuel in the world which will create lot of problems in transport sector. The other aspect is pollution added by these sources in our environment which increases with more use of these sources, resulting in the poor quality of life on this planet. There is constant search of alternate fuel to solve energy shortage which can provide us energy without pollution. Hence most frequently discussed source is hydrogen which when burnt in air produces a clean form of energy. In the last one decade hydrogen has attracted worldwide interest as a secondary energy carrier. This has generated comprehensive investigations on the technology involved and how to solve the problems of production, storage and transportation of hydrogen. The interest in hydrogen as energy of the future is due to it being a clean energy, most abundant element in the universe, the lightest fuel, richest in energy per unit mass and unlike electricity, it can be easily stored. Hydrogen gas is now considered to be the most promising fuel of the future. In future it will be used in various applications, e.g. it can generate Electricity, useful in cooking food, fuel for automobiles, hydrogen powered industries, Jet Planes, Hydrogen Village and for all our domestic energy requirements. Hydrogen as a fuel has already found applications in experimental cars and all the major car companies are in competition to build a commercial car and most probably they may market hydrogen fuel automobiles in near future but at a higher cost compared to gasoline cars but it is expected that with time the cost of hydrogen run cars will decrease with time. Long lasting, light and clean metal hydride batteries are already commercial for lap top computers. Larger capacity batteries are being developed for electrical cars. Hydrogen is already being used as the fuel of choice for space programmes around the world. It will be used to power aerospace transports to build the international space station, as well as to provide electricity and portable water for its inhabitants. Present article deals with the storage and applications of hydrogen in the present energy scenario.

Strategies for feedback on reliability and robustness from automobile warranty data

Yearly warranty cost of major automobile companies runs into billions of dollars. In addition, market- driven need for wider warranty coverage exposes these companies to the risk of higher warranty spending. Warranty cost reduction programmes have thus become a major objective and challenge in these companies. Towards this, warranty data that capture vehicle failures in field conditions contain rich source of information for useful feedback to designers and engineers working on current and forward model vehicles for reliability and robustness improvements. However, obtaining accurate feedback using warranty data becomes challenging due to issues involving data quality. This paper presents strategies for automobile warranty data analysis that helps obtain meaningful feedback towards reliability and robustness improvements leading to warranty cost reduction. Role of hazard plots in giving clues about nature of noise factors that influence failure is presented. Strategies for stratification of warranty data in terms of customer-reported concerns and/or parts reported to be the cause of failure to prioritise reliability and robustness improvement projects are discussed. Uses of geographic plots in gaining insight about seasonality and location effect are also provided.

Non-parametric hazard rate estimation of hard failures with known mileage accumulation rates in vehicle population

Major automobile companies spend billions of dollars annually towards warranty costs. Engineers carry out field reliability studies to obtain appropriate feedback for design, manufacturing, and/or service fix that help to reduce the high warranty costs. Warranty claims data, however, are known to be messy and need to be carefully used during statistical modelling and analysis to extract useful feedback. Hazard rate estimation is an important step for reliability and design engineers in obtaining a meaningful feedback from warranty claims data. The methodology discussed in this paper uses mileage accumulation rates in the vehicle population to calculate the number of vehicles at risk of a warranty claim at the start of a month and to provide a non-parametric estimate of the hazard rate. Although there are many books and articles that discuss reliability and hazard rate analysis in such a situation, this article provides a simple and stepwise methodology with an application example for component/sub-system level hazard rate estimation when dealing with automobile warranty data.