Passenger Car Industry Research Articles

Integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) into the Supply Chain of India's Passenger Car Industry: Mitigating Technical Uncertainties

This study explores the application of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the context of the Indian passenger car industry's supply chain, with a specific focus on addressing technical uncertainties. The research aims to investigate how TAM can be leveraged to enhance the adoption and utilization of advanced technologies, thereby improving supply chain efficiency and resilience. The Indian passenger car industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand and technological advancements. However, technical uncertainties pose significant challenges to supply chain management. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) offers a valuable framework for understanding the factors influencing technology adoption. This study integrates TAM into the supply chain of the Indian passenger car industry to identify key drivers and barriers to technology acceptance.

Research on modeling and control strategy of zero-carbon hybrid power system based on the ammonia-hydrogen engine

In the context of carbon neutrality, high efficiency, low carbon, and zero environmental impact have become an essential development direction of internal combustion engines (ICEs). Hydrogen energy has the advantage of having a high calorific value. It also has zero carbon emissions and is considered one of the significant alternative fuels for ICEs. Moreover, ammonia has a high octane number and has an anti-knock effect, which facilitates the mitigation of knock in hydrogen ICEs and potentially mitigates the negative impact of knock on engine volume power. Scholars have carried out some explorations on ammonia-hydrogen ICEs (AHICE), which have been applied in marine power systems. It is anticipated that AHICE will become one of the most significant development directions in the field of vehicle power systems in the future. However, there are still some problems with using AHICEs in passenger cars. The proposed work presented a zero-carbon hybrid power system based on an AHICE. Specifically, the external characteristics curve and power output boundary were obtained by bench experiments of the ICE under wide open throttle (WOT) conditions and diverse engine speeds and λ. Indeed, a hybrid system model consisting of an AHICE and a power battery was built where the AHICE was used to respond to the demanded power and the power battery was used to provide additional power and store the electrical energy converted from braking. Incidentally, an engine control strategy was developed to expand the knock limit and power boundary by dynamically adjusting the ammonia-hydrogen volume ratio. Finally, a hybrid power system simulation model was established based on MATLAB/Simulink. The CLTC-P and WLTC simulation results demonstrated that the zero-carbon hybrid system which comprised AHICE and power battery can work in the high efficiency area. The AHICE demonstrates lower fuel consumption while satisfying power requirements. This work provides a promising route to zero-carbon hybrid technology for the passenger car industry facing the challenge of carbon neutrality.

Working cycle condition construction for electric wheel loader based on principal component analysis and cluster analysis

With the rapid development of new energy technology, cycle condition is significant for the design of powertrain system, whole machine economy, endurance, and other performance parameters of pure electric drive machines. Many cycle conditions of the passenger car industry have been defined. While that for the loader which has complex operation modes and working conditions, has less research on this aspect. Cycle conditions suitable for loader have not been constructed. To support the research and development of electric loader power system, the cycle conditions that can reflect the driving characteristics of electric loader are studied in this paper. According to the typical “V” cycle condition of loader, the actual driving condition data are collected and the kinematic segments are divided. The kinematic segments are grouped into five categories by using principal component analysis and K-means clustering algorithm to obtain the clustering center of each category. The working cycle condition is formed by extracting the combination of segments closest to the clustering center. Finally, based on AMESim simulation and whole machine test analysis, the error between the simulation and vehicle test results of the energy consumption is 3.4%. The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed constructed cycle conditions are verified.

Using Porter's Five Forces analysis to drive strategy

AbstractThis paper aims to provide practical pointers to scholars, students, and practitioners about applying Porter's Five Forces analysis, a longstanding, comprehensive, and practical framework in strategic analysis. The paper combines two methodologies: a review of prior studies and the inductive methodology. The latter involved drawing on examples from different industries and contexts, specifically the Indian passenger car industry. The elaboration of the subtleties and contextual factors and identification of specific pointers in this paper will help managers understand the critical aspects of their environments and formulate an appropriate strategy for their context.

Estimating Demand for Passenger Cars : A Model for the Indian Market

Purpose : This study analyzed trends in Indian passenger car sales for the decade 2010–2011 to 2019–2020. These trends were decoded via demand functions estimated using multiple linear regression. This has crucial theoretical and managerial implications. Methodology : Multiple linear regressions were carried out using SPSS for different segments of the passenger car industry, namely, mini, compact, super compact, mid-size, executive, and premium. While sales of passenger vehicles were the dependent variable, personal disposable income, product price, fuel price, and interest rates were explanatory variables. Secondary data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), State Bank of India (SBI), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) were sourced. Findings : Demand for most types of passenger cars in India has slowed down, except for compact cars. The regressions show that the mini segment is affected by vehicle price and interest rates, and a lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) for small cars could boost sales. In the compact segment, the price remains a significant factor. Interest rates matter most for the super compact segment, while the preference for better category cars or utility vehicles increases with rising income for mid-size and executive segments. Practical Implications : A demand-side analysis can benefit companies and inform policy decisions to overcome the recent slowdown. The regression model can advance theory and academic research and aid in supply chain management, demand forecasting, and inventory management studies. Originality : Unlike prior research on the Indian automobile sector, this study bifurcates the heterogeneous market into segments and conducts econometric analyses.

Life Cycle Emissions of Passenger Vehicles in China: A Sensitivity Analysis of Multiple Influencing Factors

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles, new energy vehicles are actively promoted by China’s government. Various power system types are being developed and their sales keep increasing. However, there is uncertainty about the greenhouse gas emission of different vehicle types. This paper studies the life cycle carbon emissions of passenger vehicles in China. A calculation model is established with consideration of all types of power systems, model classes, and electric driving ranges. In order to calculate and compare the effect of carbon emission reduction on all types of vehicles, a sensitivity analysis is conducted in two ways to study three of the main influencing factors. The results show the carbon emission-reducing effect of different factors on different stages in the life cycle. It is known that different influencing factors have different effects on these stages. Since there is a variation in different vehicle types, the carbon reduction effect caused by these factors is different for these vehicle types. This paper describes a sensitivity analysis of three main influencing factors and puts forward relevant policy recommendations to reduce the carbon emissions of passenger cars during their life cycle based on these results. It is necessary to take the vehicle life cycle as a whole for carbon emission management. The conclusions of this paper can be used for vehicle manufacturers to decide the focus of technology research, and also have important reference significance for enterprises when making life cycle carbon reduction strategies for their products. It is also of certain value for China to formulate a medium- and long-term carbon emission reduction strategy for the passenger car industry.

The Current State and Future Prospects of Different Types of New Energy Vehicles

With the advent of the electrification era of passenger cars, the development and trend of new energy vehicles have attracted growing public attention. The focus of this paper is to compare the merits and demerits of different types of new energy vehicles and to look forward to their future development prospects. Based on the sales situation of NEVs in recent years, the proportion of NEVs in the current market and the existing conditions of different types of NEVs, this paper analyzes the current market structure and looks forward to the future development of new energy vehicles. The paper finds that pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are the two main players in the new energy vehicle market. In the era of automobile electrification, pure electric vehicles have unique comprehensive advantages, which is the development direction of the passenger car industry. Hybrid vehicles are used as an auxiliary for their coordinated development. Hydrogen energy vehicles are currently not as selected by the public as pure electric series and hybrid series, but hydrogen energy is another new energy development direction in addition to electric energy, and there is also much room for its development with the national support. Natural gas fuel vehicles currently have a small market and can also give full play to their advantages in the transition stage of development.

Causes and consequences of truck production predominance in the Soviet automotive industry in the first half of the XX century

A significant predominance of the number of produced trucks over the number of passenger cars was a feature of domestic automotive industry development until the 70-ies of the XX century. This fact did not correspond to the global vector of automotive industry development. The paper analyses the causes and consequences of this phenomenon by involving mainly a corpus of statistical sources of Russian and foreign origin. The socialist foundation of the political structure of the state and the focus on the development of heavy industry in the economy are identified as the fundamental factors that determined the specifics of Russian automotive industry strategy. By comparing the volumes of freight turnover of railway, river and road transport, the length of communication routes of various types both within the USSR and with the corresponding indicators of foreign countries, the author picks out the features of the Russian transport system that determined the containment of the USSR automotive industry development as a whole and the passenger car industry in particular. The paper denotes poverty and low level of education going with it to be among the social phenomena that prevented the mass distribution of passenger cars in the USSR and did not allow to form consumers of passenger car industry products in the country. Based on domestic and foreign data sources, the article concludes about the stability, regularity and validity of the predominance of produced trucks over passenger cars in the economic development of the country in comparison with the pan-European ones. It is noted that among others the result of this sectoral strategy is the contribution of truck production to the industrial breakthrough of the USSR in the 30-ies and the victory over Nazi Germany and Japan in 19411945 as well as a complex of diverse phenomena that exhibited in various sectors of social and economic life of the Soviet Union. The author claims that the change in the ratio of manufactured trucks and passenger cars in favour of the latter occurred in the 70-ies of the XX century as a result of the victory in the inter-party struggle of the concept of peaceful coexistence. The use of new data allowed the author to identify the influence of politics in the Soviet socialist state on the development strategy of the automotive industry as one of the key sectors of the economy

Research on Application Performance Index System of Pure Electric Buses Based on Extensible Cloud Model

In order to help select high-quality electric buses, we established a performance index system for pure electric buses based on an extensible cloud model. With the rapid development of electric buses, choosing a suitable pure electric bus considering its applicability is challenging. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of the passenger car industry, a preliminary evaluation index system for pure electric passenger cars was constructed. The preliminary indicator system was formed based on the optimization of the main points of current laws and regulations, and divided into four aspects: safety assistance system, comfort, convenience, and economy. Then, the index system was determined from multiple perspectives, and the analytic hierarchy process and the entropy weight method were applied to determine the comprehensive weight. Meanwhile, the evaluation level of the index system of pure electric buses was calculated by the extensible cloud model. At last, six electric buses were selected from Chinese electric bus companies as examples to determine the relevant level. The results show that the method has satisfactory feasibility and applicability in the comprehensive evaluation and that it provides a reference for pure electric bus selection based on application performance.

Fasten a Citizen: Forsing Seat Belts in a Soviet Car

In the second half of the 1960s, the Soviet authorities accelerated development of the passenger car industry. The new cars had to meet the best world standards, but they also had to be a source of danger to citizens. Contradiction between the tasks of mass production and safety of citizens caused a clash of interests between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Automobile Industry in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The article examines the history of the introduction of safety belts as one of the subjects of this clash, based on the analysis of previously unpublished archival materials, personal documents and articles in the magazine “Za ruliom”. Research shown how the task of introducing safety belts, which initially concerned only export car models, was set at the national level with the active support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Concerns of the Soviet leadership about the increase in accidents during motorization led to a rethinking of how to ensure road safety by creating a safer car. The history of the development, testing, and industrial introduction of seat belts turned out to be a complex process, in which, ultimately, the interests of various Soviet institutions intersected. At the same time, years of press discussions about the benefits of seat belts, which reflected a clash of interagency interests, influenced the opinion of soviet drivers long before seat belts became commercially available.

Investigation on the response time of a self-regulation variable compression ratio engine

Today, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (specifically, CO2) represent the greatest challenge of the internal combustion (IC) engine and consequently, now, more than ever, the passenger car industry is looking for technologies meant to address this issue. Since CO2 emission is related to the combustion process occurring inside the engine, its reduction is inherently connected to lowering the fuel consumption, meaning that the only way to reduce it in the IC engine is to increase its overall efficiency. One solution to do this over the whole operating area is to fit the engine with a variable compression ratio (VCR) system, which may be advantageously combined with other enhancing-efficiency technologies. However, to avoid knocking and pre-ignition, such an engine should feature an adequate response time during the transition from the maximum compression ratio to the minimum one. Consequently, this paper describes a theoretical investigation on the kinematics and dynamics of a hinged VCR engine’s upper block tilting motion, aiming to show that this engine, as an automatic system with self-regulation of compression ratio, can respond adequately when the operating conditions change fast. This is paramount for the passenger car road mobility, which means anything but steady operation.

An assessment of customers’ satisfaction for emerging technologies in passenger cars using Kano model

Purpose Automobile industry has been the backbone of manufacturing sector in any country. During the past decade, passenger car industry has emerged as the one of the growing sectors in the Indian economy. Technological features in the passenger cars industry has been evolving in the global market, and customers have been the most important stakeholders to judge the requirement of these features. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the customers’ need for these emerging technologies using Kano model of customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper has used the Kano model to assess the customer satisfaction for Indian passenger car companies. Overall, 250 customers of passenger cars from Northern India have been surveyed using well-structured questionnaire designed as per the Kano model. On the basis of responses, this study has categorized the technological attributes of passenger cars as attractive, must be, one-dimensional and indifferent. Findings “Auto Gear Shift” system has emerged as a must be attribute. “Premium surround system” has been categorized under one-dimensional attribute. “Communication between vehicles,” “integration with smart phone,” “connecting applications,” “dual-stage airbags,” “in-dash navigation system,” “rearview camera,” “heated and cooled seats,” “built-in fourth generation long term evolution,” “Wi-Fi system” and “automated window cleaning system” have emerged as attractive features. The customers have been indifferent about “gesture control,” “reality display on car wind screen” and “run-on-flat tyre.” In contradiction to the popular belief, this study has found that customers have shown Indifferent attitude toward “hydrogen fuel-operated cars” and “battery cars.” Research limitations/implications This present study gives insight about the acceptability of various emerging technological features in Indian car market. This study has fulfilled the existing dearth in assessing the customers’ insight about the implementation of these emerging technologies in Indian cars. This paper will be helpful to the manufacturers to inculcate the voice of the customers in designing the new technologies for the passenger cars. Originality/value Previous studies across the globe have applied Kano model for assessing customers’ satisfaction in various industries, but according to the authors’ knowledge, hardly any study was conducted in context of technological attributes for Indian passenger car companies.

The obscure link between motorsport and energy efficient, low-carbon innovation: Evidence from the UK and European Union

Motor racing conjures many images – fast cars, celebrity drivers, cheering crowds – but few involve environmental benefits/protection. Yet one aspect of the motorsport industry that is rarely discussed is its significant contribution to Energy Efficient and Low-Carbon (ELC) innovation within the automotive sector. This article argues that innovations in motorsport have, perhaps counterintuitively, influenced the development of ELC innovations in the passenger car industry. Historically, motorsport has been credited for many technological innovations that were eventually adapted to road cars, but as technologies matured, the contributions from motorsport lessened. However, post-2008, Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) motorsport came to the rescue of automakers tasked with rapidly developing ELC technologies in order to meet emissions targets set out by the European Union. With an expertise in rapid prototyping and access to engineers already skilled in electrification, hybridisation and other ELC technologies, the motorsport industry has once again become highly relevant in the knowledge transfer of ELC innovation. By using primary qualitative interview data from industry experts and policymakers, this article explains how innovation derived from motorsport has helped automakers develop ELC solutions that comply with newly implemented EU regulations.

Role of strategy in value capture from foresight exercises: firms’ responsiveness to long term trends in the passenger car industry

Purpose – This paper aims to address the broad question of how organizations capture value from foresight exercises. Through a comparative case analysis, this paper looks at what firms do to make the information usable and create value. It explores factors that cause different firms to respond differently to the same trends. It analyzes the passenger car segment of the automobile industry and the response of six major firms to fossil fuel and changing environmental regulations through an analysis of their policies and strategic activities, such as new product development. It finds foresight to be an important link between firm capabilities and environmental changes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the case approach to capture the linkage between the issue and the context (Yin, 1994) and uses multiple cases to explore the variables by comparing and contrasting the cases on key aspects (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007). As the paper ' s objective is to understand the similarities and differences between dominant firms in the sector, it chooses through theoretical sampling, six firms that have a presence in all the major regions of the world – two each from the USA, Europe and Japan – Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Renault, Toyota and Honda. This sample represents the firms and regions traditionally strong in the passenger car industry. Findings – Thus, it is seen that the relationship that was posited in the conceptual model between the goal of the firms, the vision of the future and the nature of products and approach to technology/competence development seems to be valid. However, in addition, the paper perceives that some additional linkages that link between foresight and the goals and vision of the future seem to be influenced by the extent of uncertainty. In addition, the decisions regarding portfolio of products and approaches to technology and competence development seem to be also influenced by the perception of existing competencies and the external competitive context. Research limitations/implications – This paper was based on multiple cases created out of secondary information, hence the constructs used are those which are perceived and stated. Practical implications – The paper could help firms understand decisions related to technology choices in field involving high levels of uncertainty and competition. Social implications – This paper could improve learning processes from foresight exercises, and enable strategic decisions to be taken on these. Originality/value – Thus, this paper has explored the linkages between what firms perceive and state, and what is reflected in their actions. It has looked at this linkage from the perspective of foresight, and the strategic perspective of the firm. It has come up with additional issues and questions that influence this relationship. These can inform future research in this domain.

Adaptive Modeling of Non-rigid Assembly Orientation Processes in a Statistical CAT Simulation

One of the most common uses for Computer Aided Tolerancing (CAT) in the passenger car industry is body design, which universalized, consists of non-rigid assembly processes. There are a number of theoretical approaches to model the joining behavior of assemblies with elastic FEM approaches combined with statistical computation. On the other hand the rising complexity of today's body-in-white production chain makes simplifications inevitable when fast results for tolerance optimization are required.Multiple use-cases representing different scenarios are analyzed. The scenarios vary in the stiffness of the involved components, the joining environment and the general geometrical set-up. Comparing mass production measurement data with simulation output reveals the limits of CAT simulations in certain cases. One of those cases is where so-called geo-stations improve the dimensional output quality of assemblies compared to the single parts. To account for this phenomenon an adaptive approach to model geo-stations in different ways is presented, i.e. as an entity either provoking an additional influence of deviation or supplying geometrical correction. A matrix is used to suggest the appropriate kind of modeling depending on the deduced parameters.

Investigating FDI Spillover in China Passenger Car Industry

No distinction between diffusion- and competition-related effects and free from dynamics are among significant limitations in previous studies on FDI spillovers to host country indigenous firms. In...

Centralized Diagnostics of Ignition System

Current trends in the passenger car industry are focused on reduction of manufacturing costs and thus increasing competitiveness on the automotive market. This paper introduces a new approach to vehicle diagnostics, promising direct cost reduction of in-vehicle diagnostic subsystems. The new approach provides for an easy transition from currently used concept of decentralized diagnostic probes to a centralized concept, based on (in an ideal case) a single diagnostic probe. This concept is demonstrated in a case study, which is focused on vehicle ignition system diagnostics. Diagnostic signatures are measured in vehicle supply network, and classified using additional information acquired from internal vehicle communication network. Case study results are presented including the discussion of advantages and limits of the centralized diagnostics concept. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.20.10.5666

Optimization of Work-in-Progress Inventory of Bottleneck Process: A Case Study of Passenger Car Industry

The manufacturing of motor vehicle involves series of processes starting from welding steel sheets to form a welded body, painting and assembling sequentially to finally give it a sellable form. The nature and the intricacy involved in each processes determine the rate of production. Also, factors such as machine/equipment breakdowns result in alteration of the production rates further affecting the smooth manufacturing flow. This case study discusses how mismatches in the production rates (designed and altered) in a high-speed conveyors of various processes (starvation/blockages) could be minimized by ensuring optimized buffer storages by building WIP and minimizing risk of demand loss and optimizing inventory costs keeping the productivity also into consideration.

Countering Disruptive Innovation Strategy in Indian Passenger Car Industry: A Case of Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Origin of Indian passenger car industry dates back to the year 1928. First 55 years saw negligible to slow growth in this industry till Maruti Udyog Ltd, later named as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), was incorporated in 1983. The MSIL, through its wide range of cars across different segments spread over 15 brands and over 150 variants, became the leader of the Indian car market during the next two-and-a-half decades. Suddenly, the MSIL showed a significant fall from over half of its share (53.13 per cent) of Indian car market to a market share of 44.9 per cent in the fiscal year 2010–2011, despite robust growth of 21.6 per cent of MSIL in the fiscal year 2010–2011 and a faster industry growth at 34.3 per cent during this fiscal. This declining market share of the leader of Indian car market has been investigated by the authors using industry analysis and reports, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ reports and publications, media coverage and other secondary sources available in print and web media, and MSIL’s own source for the last five years from 2006–2007 to 2010–2011. The article thus tries to bring out the strategic perspectives of MSIL that helped it reach the top of Indian car market segment and does the environmental scanning to identify factors that dipped it to low. It is found that in the last three years has come about what has been popularized as the ‘disruptive innovation strategy’ in the passenger car industry of India occupying the centre of the wheel. With increasing loss in its market prominence and market share, how does MSILpropose to meet the challenges of survival and sustainability on product price, customization and customer service is the issue of this case.

Research on the recycling industry development model for typical exterior plastic components of end-of-life passenger vehicle based on the SWOT method

In-depth studies on the recycling of typical automotive exterior plastic parts are significant and beneficial for environmental protection, energy conservation, and sustainable development of China. In the current study, several methods were used to analyze the recycling industry model for typical exterior parts of passenger vehicles in China. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of the current recycling industry for typical exterior parts of passenger vehicles were analyzed comprehensively based on the SWOT method. The internal factor evaluation matrix and external factor evaluation matrix were used to evaluate the internal and external factors of the recycling industry. The recycling industry was found to respond well to all the factors and it was found to face good developing opportunities. Then, the cross-link strategies analysis for the typical exterior parts of the passenger car industry of China was conducted based on the SWOT analysis strategies and established SWOT matrix. Finally, based on the aforementioned research, the recycling industry model led by automobile manufacturers was promoted.