Seramy, D. (2016). Fuel efficiency in the automotive industry : Design, development, manufacturing and marketing around the abundance of oil [Master Thesis, Technische Universität Wien; Diplomatische Akademie Wien]. reposiTUm. https://doi.org/10.34726/hss.2016.36999
The purpose of the research is to examine types of passenger vehicles being produced in the USA automotive market considering the increasing attention to the environmental impact of the production process. Existing supplies of oil and demands for cleaner alternative fuels are considered in light of the total production cost of a vehicle, including costs of components used in the production process. The role of consumer preferences is also considered in projecting what USA passenger vehicles may resemble in the future. Limited comparisons of passenger vehicle preference in the EU, China and Japan are also sited. The methodology followed in this thesis is mainly qualitative in nature. Qualitative methods include the examination of documents in the public domain, analysis of data and literature contained in EPA documents, automotive and other published literature and personal observations gained through limited work experience in the automotive industry. The look and efficiency of future USA passenger vehicles is difficult to predict given the diverse and complex factors influencing the automotive market. Availability of oil in the USA, governmental and consumer demand for cleaner automotive alternatives together with consumer demands for traditional automotive vehicle designs complicates the vision. It is likely that the high cost and availability of Hybrids and electric vehicles may become more competitive with traditional combustion driven vehicles. In turn combustion driven vehicles may become more efficient and environmentally friendly in the future thus leveling the competition between Hybrid, electric and combustion driven vehicles. It is possible that demand for Hybrid vehicles using a combination of plug-in technology and gas combustion power will dominate USA automotive markets in the not so far off future. Lessons learned from the analysis of the issues affecting the future of the USA automotive market may be useful in projecting automotive market trends in other countries taking into consideration the diverse factors affecting individual market trends including infrastructure capacity and major brand market dominance.