27/02/2017

Tires, the new “gauge” for motor vehicles

Paolo Ferrini

“Intelligent” tires thanks to cutting-edge sensors placed in the tread. Microchips able to detect the conditions of the road, the surrounding environment and to monitor pressure and temperature in order to adapt the behavior of the vehicle. These are just some of the changes that are already affecting the automotive sector and will soon become everyday reality.

27/02/2017

Car Market, European producers favor small-engine vehicles

Dino Collazzo

Small-size engines favor fuel economy and lower emissions thanks to their reduced power. As the economy begins to recover, the average engine size is increasingly reduced throughout Europe with a positive impact on the overall quality of the air. Here is a list of countries where emissions are lower and the air is cleaner

27/02/2017

Remanufacturing, automotive component’s second life, is a growing business. But beware of counterfeits

Dino Collazzo

Sustainability, low cost and reuse, are the pillars underpinning the development of the automotive remanufacturing sector. A market worth 7.4 billion Euro in Europe alone which, according to many analysts, is expected to grow further over the next few years. Nevertheless, a great threat to the whole sector is represented by a well known phenomena, counterfeits! Which translates into a 10 billion Euro loss each year for official EU suppliers of mechanical parts, accessories and electrical devices.

27/02/2017

Evolving automotive technology: what changes are in store for the Aftermarket?

Nicodemo Angì

Several manufacturers have already developed highly innovative and hybrid solutions designed to increase efficiency. Completing the picture, the 48V power supply revolution. A new technical horizon that specialists must learn to face within a few years.

27/02/2017

The International Aftermarket Meeting will offer a global briefing of the sector with a focus on Mobile Solutions

Editorial Staff

By the year 2020, an entire generation of “connected” people, the so called C Generation, will have grown up in an digital and connected world, and digital technology and its tools will be a second nature to this group. This megatrend is already affecting the automotive industry and the aftermarket. The International Aftermarket Meeting 2017 provides an opportunity to hear from experts what does that mean for the aftermarket.

27/02/2017

ACEA Conference: EGEA and “Independents” to protect free competition in the industry

Massimo Brunamonti

ACEA presented its proposal for the so-called "Extended Vehicle", which plans to channel all communications and data via servers owned by the manufacturer of the vehicle in order to guarantee upgradeability, accessibility, data security and privacy protection. According to EGEA as well as others, this could be a dangerous instrument to be used by vehicle manufacturers to gain an unfair advantage over the market.

24/01/2017

The 2017 edition of Autopromotec is a sell-out

Editorial Staff

The next edition of Autopromotec, the most specialised international exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products to be held in Bologna from 24^th-28^th May 2017, is shaping up to be an even more dynamic and must-attend event than past editions. At roughly six months from the opening, exhibition space for most product sectors has already sold out. Organisers are also announcing a strong increase in the number of exhibitors (+19% increase over the same period in 2014), a factor that has led to the upgrading and optimisation of several exhibition areas.

24/01/2017

“Compensational technologies, interdisciplinary and ethical vision”. Dipak Pant’s view of sustainable development.

Dino Collazzo

According to Dipak Raj Pant, an experienced field anthropologist, economist, founder and current head of the Interdisciplinary Unit for Sustainable Economy, at the Carlo Cattaneo University, where he teaches 'Sustainable Economic Policy and Management', the technological developments currently taking place, such as connected cars and autonomous driving, must be carefully analyzed before they can be fully absorbed in order to reduce the risk of negative repercussions on the entire socio-economic system.

24/01/2017

Connected cars: new European case studies and proposals from German manufacturers. Another threat to independence?

Massimo Brunamonti

The work of the European Commission on the definition of a standardized vehicle data access platform continues without let up. A study is, in fact, currently evaluating the feasibility of the proposals on the table. Meanwhile, German manufacturers and component suppliers have signed an agreement to support a system in which all data will have to pass through a car manufacturer's portal, which, on paper, meets all the free-competition policy requirements, but in reality is causing many sleepless nights for a number independent workshops.

24/01/2017

The insurance sector rocked by self-driving vehicles

Dino Collazzo

“Self-driving cars” will greatly limit the number of accidents on the roads and old insurance policies will soon be eliminated. Nevertheless, according to Matteo Carbone, director of the Connected Insurance Observatory, new policies against cyber risks, integrated services as well as the use of the so called “black box” represents a new business opportunity for insurance companies.

24/01/2017

Full electric vehicles, still too expensive

Dino Collazzo

Electricity represents mobility’s future, yet the expensive battery packs and the lack of a suitable recharging infrastructure is slowing down its diffusion. The 35% threshold of eco-friendly vehicles circulating worldwide will be reached no sooner than 2040. This is how Italy is moving compared to the rest of Europe.

24/01/2017

Online spare parts sales; e-commerce a new business opportunity for the Aftermarket

Dino Collazzo

More and more car owners are buying aftermarket components, such as accessories and tires, online and at competitive prices. A growing business which is likely to erode the revenues of many workshops and specialized dealers forced now to invest in e-commerce, where end-users are attracted by: low costs and detailed product information.

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