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A special report in this week’s edition of The Economist offers an interesting view of the future. A few
nuggets:
- Emerging markets in China and India will drive dramatic expansion of the industry.
- In a few years, China will be the second-largest national market, after the U.S.
- It is probable that more cars will be made in the next 20 years than in the entire history of the industry.
- Growth will require 180 new factories worldwide, each producing 300,000 cars and light trucks annually.
- Today’s auto plants will not be competitive with the newer plants without extensive retooling.
- Companies that have grown by mergers and acquisition (GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler) will be too inefficient to
compete effectively with new competitors without extensive streamlining.
Much more here
(or on newstands).