Bradford Wernle
Automotive News
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Past articles by Bradford:
NASA project: Getting cars ready for takeoff
Silicon Valley and NASA think traffic-stymied commuters are ready to give up their cars and fly to work. → Read More
JCI says seating orders accelerate as Adient spinoff approaches
On the verge of spinning off its automotive seating business into a new company called Adient, Johnson Controls said today that its seating orders accelerated during the first half of fiscal 2016, “nearly equal to full year fiscal 2015 levels,” the company said in a press release. → Read More
Complex, costly work leaves 3 paint suppliers to dominate business
Three large suppliers dominate the global market for original-equipment automotive paint -- and the auto industry is content to leave it that way. Auto-paint plant lines are too complex and expensive to consider introducing new suppliers, say paint industry leaders. → Read More
Hyperloop needs some Motor City know-how
It is a space-age transportation concept almost too fantastic to believe -- people and cargo shooting through 'Hyperloop' tubes at 700 mph. Last week, Hyperloop co-founder and former Detroiter Brogan BamBrogan came back to ask U. S. suppliers to help him build it. → Read More
Innovating better paint isn't always about the wet stuff
Innovating in the paint business is sometimes as much about the process as the product. The segment's big players are spending r&d dollars to take time and cost out of the process of painting new vehicles. Reducing the number of paint coats by combining steps is a major innovation. → Read More
Supersonic Musk venture solicits Detroit's finest
Elon Musk's Hyperloop venture wants auto suppliers to help it get off the ground. Hyperloop's creators hope the system will one day transport pressurized capsules through tubes at speeds in excess of 700 mph. → Read More
Texting system reduces service dissastisfaction
Gorno Ford's service department uses texting to communicate with customers, carrying out the entire repair order from approval to payment. → Read More
Any color as long as it's dark, subdued
When PPG's color specialists from around the world gathered last year for their annual trends conference, they focused on colors that evoked safety and security. → Read More
Car buyers' color choices stuck in neutral
Since 2011, white has been the most popular car color in North America, according to PPG Industries. Black, gray and silver follow close behind. What happened to bright colors? → Read More
Volvo, Lincoln, Genesis take distinct paths to stylish interiors
With new flagship sedans, Genesis, Lincoln and Volvo are offering alternate definitions of luxury to the overwhelmingly dominant German brands and Lexus. While the exteriors of the Genesis G90, Lincoln Continental and Volvo S90 have garnered plenty of oohs and aahs, designers are making their most powerful statements inside the cabins. → Read More
The power of Roger Penske
Fifty years ago, Roger Penske launched one of his many careers - that of a race team owner. With characteristic stoicism, The Captain has no regrets about the momentous decision to forsake his own driving career for a life managing other drivers and running a business empire. → Read More
JCI's spinoff must refocus to remain on top
Just two years ago, Johnson Controls Inc. was a major automotive supplier, but it has been transformed by a series of deals that have split up its operations, leaving its interior parts business in a joint venture with a Chinese partner and making its seating unit an independent company. Its automotive battery division and building controls business will remain with a new Ireland-based company… → Read More
Lear's goal: Seats with style, smarts
Automotive parts supplier Lear Corp. is developing a seat of the future to appeal to automakers as they look increasingly to interiors to set their vehicles apart. The new design is the product of an engineering unit Lear has set up in Southfield, Mich. → Read More
Johnson Controls to name seating and interiors spinoff company Adient
Johnson Controls today said its seating and interiors business that is being spun off into a separate company will be named Adient. → Read More
Magna to stay flexible on tech partnerships
Fresh on the heels of his company’s $1.9 billion acquisition of transmission supplier Getrag last week, Magna CEO Don Walker said he sees no slowdown in the pace of consolidation among auto suppliers. → Read More
Volts fuel Chevy store's success
Bourgeois Chevrolet in Rawdon, Quebec, stocks every Volt and electric-drive vehicle it can. It draws customers from a wide range because of its dedication and expertise in electric-drive vehicles. → Read More
Midcycle updates grow more extensive, more expensive
Automakers are boosting investments significantly in midcycle enhancements of vehicles in highly competitive segments. The changes are going far beyond the traditional freshening, including new powertrains and infotainment systems. → Read More
Lear's 'smart' bid to revolutionize the car seat
Auto suppliers Lear, Faurecia, Johnson Controls and Magna are working on smart seats that use biometric sensors to monitor the mood and condition of drivers, a feature that could begin appearing in vehicles within a few years. If teh driver si stressed, the seat could detect that and set off a blast of cool air or administer a soothing massage. → Read More
AM General names manufacturing expert Andy Hove as CEO
AM General, manufacturer of specialty military and civilian vehicles, has named Andy Hove CEO, replacing Charlie Hall, who is retiring. The transition will take effect in early 2016. → Read More
7 innovations in auto interiors
In the digital age, technology is transforming what carmakers can do with interiors. The rise of autonomous driving will change how customers spend their time in the cabin. → Read More