From Guest Blogger Jordan Perch: Sustainability Innovation in the Auto Industry

The auto industry has not been as innovative as the IT, alternative energy, or the health care industry, mainly due to the fact that manufacturers haven’t been seeing any major potential benefits from making significant changes to the way they do their business, and because motor vehicles have to meet certain requirements and standards, which would have to be changed if a car maker were to introduce an innovative technology that doesn’t comply standards that have already been established. But, in recent years, the auto industry has been increasingly open to innovation, investing in green technologies and in-car connectivity. The fact that more and more car makers are rolling out alternative fuel vehicles, along with the innovative in-car infotainment systems, and the autonomous driving technology that is being developed by many car companies, are just some of the signs of sustainability innovation in the auto industry.

Mainstream cars losing grip

As the negative impact that conventional cars have on the environment has become quite obvious, and consumers have become more aware of that, the automotive industry has had to turn its focus towards developing vehicles with low or zero emissions, in its efforts for achieving long-term sustainability. A lot of car makers have changed their products and lots of electric and hybrid vehicles are now available for purchase, which consequently has resulted in increased customer satisfaction.

In addition to producing alternative fuel vehicles, car manufacturers have introduced some changes to the way they design vehicles, using more eco-friendly and lightweight materials, which makes cars more fuel-efficient. This, along with innovative solutions for cars’ exterior designs, improving their aerodynamic capabilities, results in better fuel economy, which in turn leads to reduced CO2 emissions. This is an important part of car makers’ sustainability efforts, since most of them have been facing a serious decline in sales in the past couple of years, mainly due to the poor fuel economy of their vehicles in a time when gas prices are extremely high, and to some extent, because a lot of potential customers have been choosing alternative transportation modes in efforts to contribute to reducing air pollution.

Autonomous cars emerging fast

Lately, autonomous driving technology has become an important factor in auto industry’s sustainability efforts. Consumers have always been concerned about vehicle safety, and since distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents, car companies have decided to address that issue by trying to develop driver-less cars, which are supposed to eliminate human errors and significantly improve traffic safety. This way, people shouldn’t be concerned about the dangers involved in driving a car, and it should motivate more consumers to buy cars, which remain the most convenient mode of transportation, with all their flaws and downsides.

To conclude, most major car manufacturers have realized that, in order to maintain a sustainable business, they have to focus on producing more environmentally-friendly vehicles, that have great fuel economy, as well as improving vehicle safety, thus addressing the most significant concerns and hesitations that almost all consumers have nowadays.

Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “green cars” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”.