November 2008

See the future in your rearview mirror

Auto manufacturers are experiencing a moment of relief as oil prices drop to pre-crisis levels and consumers once again open their wallets to purchase trucks and SUVs. Sales of full-size pickups went up 4.9% from May and SUV sales improved slightly. Both remain well below peak levels and this increase hardly signifies a turnaround for the industry.

Even as lower gas prices and hefty incentives help clear out 2008 models, automakers are anticipating gas prices will return to higher levels and are preparing by expanding the supply of hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel-efficient cars. Building on the lessons of 2008, automakers are restructuring to meet the consumer’s appetite for smaller more fuel efficient cars while enabling their manufacturing facilities to:

  • Control the supply and demand of each vehicle model
  • Regionalize production of specific vehicles to the areas they will be sold.
  • Quickly introduce new models while reducing investments in infrastructure.
  • Balance regional production capacity to meet local demand.
  • Streamline the production of vehicles by incorporating fewer variables into all facets of the process.

If automotive manufacturers can successfully reinvent their processes, they will emerge stronger and more productive, but it will require the assistance of global partners such as Schneider Electric to ease the burden of standardization.

For more information about how we are doing this, email us at auto@us.Schneider-Electric.com or visit our automotive website at www.us.Schneider-Electric.com/Auto.

Product Focus: Schneider Electric's XUV Ultrasonic Label Sensor
The XUV ultrasonic sensor from Schneider Electric uses thru-beam technology to detect labels of any material, size, color or translucency. Built for efficiency and equipment cost reduction, the XUV sensor uses thru-beam technology to send sounds through an object and determines its unique characteristics by how much sound is returned. Less sound means a thicker object; more sound means a thinner object.

Learn more the XUV Ultrasonic Label Sensor and the complete line of Schneider Electric sensors at the Sensor Competency Center.

Visit us at: http://www.us.Schneider-Electric.com/auto
Contact us: Auto@us.schneider-electric.com

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