During past auto show seasons, the automotive community has offered several subtle hints of a changing market.
The laws and regulations that govern how SEMA members do business have an increased and growing impact on the way automotive specialty-equipment products are made, distributed and marketed.
SEMA launched the largest grassroots effort in its 46-year history earlier this year to keep a national “Cash for Clunkers” program out of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill. The campaign was a success. Nevertheless, some lawmakers remain committed to using a vehicle scrappage program as a means to spur new-car sales. They are now citing a flawed German program as a model for America. Read more...
Officials across the country are constantly working on legislative and regulatory proposals that have a direct impact on our industry and your customers.
In a recent SEMA survey of specialty-equipment manufacturers, 83% of respondents said that they use computer-aided design (CAD) software as part of their new-product design process.
Most economists are predicting a longer-than-usual recovery after a very sharp entry into the current recession. In conjunction, the auto industry is predicted to be in for drastic changes, not only in what it will look like and how it does business, but also in the technologies that will emerge in new vehicles. In a recent interview, SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology John Waraniak detailed not only where the automotive world appears to be headed, but what the association is doing to help its members ready themselves for the coming opportunities.
By Ty Michael and Zack Krelle
By Steve Campbell
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Illustration By Scott Waraniak |
In the specialty-equipment industry, certification often represents a laborious but required undertaking for the selling of aftermarket parts. To ease the process for members, SEMA created and recently revised the Black Book—a guide to achieving emissions compliance status with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
By Linda Spencer
Congress Rejects Wasteful Spending Program That Costs American Jobs