A New Direction in Automotive Lifts

Innovation in the automotive lift service department is driving time savings, improved efficiency and resource savings for dealerships looking to speed vehicle check-in, improve technician performance and reduce waste.

These new technologies in automotive lifts range far and wide. Among others, they include laptop and notebooks service advisor tools that improve walk-around results while getting customers in and out of the write-up process faster, connectivity tools that assist technicians in their problem diagnosis and resolution, and automotive lift systems using non-hazardous hydraulic oils for their operation.

On of the newest technologies for the service department is an inground automotive lift using water (instead of petroleum or vegetable-based hydraulic oils) and compressed air (rather than electric motors to raise and lower the unit.

The new type of automobile lift system has been in operation in a number of dealership service departments for several months.

It also has been accepted by a number of OEMs, including Ford Motor Company, which offers it to its dealers through the Ford Rotunda program, Ford’s OE equipment and tool program.

“There has been no new significant technology in lifts for the last 10years or so, but Challenger Lifts, with this new AquaVantage model, has changed the true guts of lifts,” says Nick Zala, vice president of OEM Sales for Integrated Supply Network, administrators of the Rotunda program for Ford Motor Company.

For the complete article or to learn more about AquaVantage™ Technology, please visit Challenger Lifts.

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Automotive Industry Forecast

Automotive Business Forecast

Despite a wealth of info obtainable to help consumers discover a vehicle, the car shopping process can nonetheless be daunting for some-especially women.

Within the global automotive business things are really heating up as the traditional players fight for a top spot in the race for global dominance. General Motors Corp., that has been quantity 1 in terms of global auto sales for over 75 years, is fighting to keep that title within the face of growing competition from Toyota. Last year Toyota was trailing General Motors by only 261,805 units.

While it looks unavoidable that Toyota may claim top place, improved product sales in China (GM is now #1 in China beating former top dog Volkswagen) and surging sales in India have buoyed global income for the GM despite declining sales in The United States. General Motors boss Rick Wagoner recently stated “If we can keep growing exactly where the opportunities are to grow, someone’s going to have to hustle pretty hard to catch up with us like that.” That said, based on the Wall Street Journal becoming #1 is not a top priority for Rick Wagoner and General Motors.

Ford Motor Company, once #2 globally, is in third place with sales at just over 6.2 million units.

Powerful sales in Europe have offset a seemingly endless product sales decrease of blue oval vehicles in United States. As soon as greatest sellers like the Ford Focus and Ford Explorer now sit on dealer lots as more innovative and fresh competition lure away new buyers. Ford could be wise to devise a more coherent item planning strategy instead of letting great cars waste away without any clear vision.

This is quite evident when you look at the lately discontinued Ford Taurus and Lincoln LS, vehicles that carried substantial brand equity at one point but failed as they became stale and irrelevant amongst their respective competition. If Honda and Toyota can maintain the Accord and Camry nameplates going following much more than 2 decades, why has Ford had such a challenging time doing the same?

The large news is not just towards the top of the list. Riding high on a worldwide auto sales improve of over 11% in 2005, Hyundai Automotive Group is in high gear. The Korean automotive giant has moved into sixth spot behind DaimlerChrysler. Because 1999, Hyundai has passed established players such as Honda, Fiat, Nissan, and Renault. Hyundai does not strategy on getting too comfy in sixth spot as they’ve set their sights on becoming within the top five by the end of the decade.

They have their work eliminate for them as fifth place DaimlerChrysler is currently selling about 1 million much more vehicles annually. But I wouldn’t bet against Hyundai. In the last 10 years they’ve beaten just about everyone’s expectations. Volkswagen is holding steady in fourth place with over 5.2 million vehicles sold in 2005. 2006 and 2007 should see modest increase in auto sales with the introduction of the subsequent generation Golf (now known as the Rabbit) in North America and new models like the Volkswagen Eos.

Even though absolutely nothing is for certain within the auto business, one theme holds accurate. No automobile business has an inherent correct to the top spot. It has to be earned through fantastic cars and trucks. In this list the large winner will be the consumer.

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The Funny Thing About Auto Industry Names

The traditions of the auto industry are littered with some seriously smart and intellectual inventors. From the internal combustion engine to tires to the car brands on the market, the advancements made in a little over 100 years are staggering. The same cannot be said for naming these devices.

Terry Pratchett is an author of the famous disc world books. In one, he writes about the exploits of a great inventor. The man can invent just about anything and often does. When it comes to naming his inventions, the brilliance is replaced by a blank slate. For instance, he invents the submarine but the only name he can come up with is "the device that travels under the waves" or some such thing. The inventors in the auto industry seem to be related to this fictional character if only from a metaphysical perspective.

As a group, the inventors in the auto industry were absolutely brilliant at coming up with mechanical devices.

That being said, they were definitely mentally challenged when it came to names or at least had huge egos. Consider the car. The creator of the first car is highly debated, but there is little argument that a German man put it all together and sold the first cars as a functioning business. His name? Karl Benz. You've probably heard of the car company that carries his name - Mercedes Benz.

In America, we have Henry Ford creating...Ford Motor Company. How about exotic car makers? Enzo Ferrari started Ferrari. Ferruccio Lamborghini got into an argument with Enzo and decided to one up him by starting...Lamborghini. Like going for a spin in a Porsche? You should thank Ferdinand Porsche for coming up with the idea. Ah, but the crippling naming illness extends beyond the founders of car companies.

What is the most important interface between your car and the road? The tires.

Guess who invented the vulcanized rubber used in tires? Charles Goodyear. Rubber needs a shape, however. John Dunlap was the first person to create a rubber tire filled with air, although he created it for a bike not a car. It was Andre Michelin who created the first tire filled with air for a car tire. Perhaps you recognize these three last names as also being used by three of the biggest tire companies in the world.

Now, I am the first to admit that there is no Fred General Motors. Of course, there may be no "General Motors" at all soon. Still, it is a very odd truth that the name of a great many companies and devices related to the automobile come from the individuals inventing.