Connected Car Market to Reach 250 Million Vehicles by 2020: Gartner

The segment will become one of the largest parts of the rapidly growing Internet of things market, according to the analysts.

There will be more than 250 million connected cars by the end of the decade, according to Gartner analysts.

In a report Jan. 26, the analysts said that vehicles are becoming an increasingly large part of the burgeoning Internet of things (IoT) market, and that will only grow over the next few years, with one in five cars having some form of wireless network connectivity by 2020. As cars are becoming more connected, it will lead to new in-vehicle services and self-driving capabilities. In-car connectivity already is beginning to move from luxury and premium vehicles into more midrange cars, according to James Hines, research director at Gartner.

"The increased consumption and creation of digital content within the vehicle will drive the need for more sophisticated infotainment systems, creating opportunities for application processors, graphics accelerators, displays and human-machine interface technologies," Hines said in a statement. "At the same time, new concepts of mobility and vehicle usage will lead to new business models and expansion of alternatives to car ownership, especially in urban environments."

The IoT is expected to grow rapidly over the next several years as more devices and systems—from smartphones and tablets to cars, home appliances, industrial systems and surveillance cameras—become connected to the Internet and each other. The numbers vary—Gartner analysts predict that the number of connected things will grow from 4.9 billion this year to 25 billion in 2020, while Cisco Systems said it will go from 25 billion last year to 50 billion at the end of the decade—but the trajectory is upward.

Read more at: http://www.eweek.com/networking/connected-car-market-to-reach-250-million-vehicles-by-2020-gartner.html

RESEARCH SNAPSHOT: Review of tyre trends

Continuing just-auto's series of research snapshots - pulled from its automotive research platform, QUBE - Matthew Beecham reviews some technical trends in the tyres sector and rolls out a few facts to memorize and amaze your friends.

With automakers under pressure to produce more fuel-efficient cars, it is hardly surprising to see them eliminating the spare wheel, thereby shedding up to 30 pounds in one stroke. Indeed, a number of automakers now supply a tyre sealant and tyre-inflator pack instead of a full-size or temporary spare wheel (also known as space-saver tyre.) The sealant and compressed air are injected through the tyre valve but the result achieved will depend on the cause of the puncture and how far and fast the flat tyre has been driven on. In other words, tyre inflator kits only work on small punctures over short distances. A major blow-out cannot be repaired using an inflator kit.

One of the most significant innovations in tyre technology over the past decade or so has been the development of the run-flat tyre. Yet while run-flats have done a lot to improve vehicle safety, they still come with a relatively high price tag and are heavier than conventional tyres.

In the longer term, non-pneumatic (airless) tyre technology, which takes a completely different approach, is continuing to advance due to new design concepts and the utilisation of non-standard tyre industry polymers such as polyurethanes and thermo-plastic elastomers. This technology, due to its lighter weight construction and potentially lower material costs, could one day become available at a price that is reachable to all consumers.

Meanwhile, reducing road noise from tyres has been the subject of intense research over the years. With the gradual introduction of electric vehicles, the challenge for the tyre industry is to design a tyre that produces a comfortable level of noise for the environment without having a negative effect on the interior vehicle noise. Continental has introduced a new technology that it claims reduces tyre noise inside the cabin. The innovation features a coating bonded to the inside of the tread area after the actual tyre production process. This special layer of foam is claimed to have a strong damping effect on the sound waves caused by the rolling tyre, so that no matter what surface the vehicle is driving on, the noise level reaching the cabin is up to nine decibels lower.

To read more at: http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/review-of-tyre-trends_id160502.aspx

Leonhirth: New automotive ‘relationship’ changes transportation outlook

Through a series of generally unremarkable events, I am driving a new vehicle or perhaps I should say that I have started a new automotive “relationship.”

This is not a “new car” in the accepted use of that term, but it is a much later model than the car I drove previously, and for the moment, I am still in the “honeymoon” phase of the relationship.

That may be something of a mixed metaphor, but after numerous problems with the previous vehicle, including overheating concerns when heat indexes were in the 100s, I am just enjoying the comfort of not having to look constantly at the heat gauge to determine my need for proximity to a service center.

In fact, the heat gauge was the first thing to go on a recent day that also included a strange roar from the engine and problems with the car’s transmission.

With no other options, I took the car to a service center, and the final prognosis did not come for two days, although the initial discussions were foreboding.

This was on a Friday, and I decided to weigh the decision until Monday — should I invest more in this car or go ahead and take a gamble with another vehicle?

Fortunately, I was able to come to terms on obtaining another vehicle in a fairly brief time, so I was able to divorce, perhaps another mixed metaphor, the old vehicle fairly easily.

The old car is gone; the replacement vehicle is in my driveway.

Although I have argued in the past my relationships with cars have been totally utilitarian — to get from one place to another, I realize that mobility is an important aspect of life — having control of the ability to get from one place to the other.

Benchmarks in such mobility include learning to ride a bike, getting a driver’s license and owning a car.

That may be the viewpoint of a Southern baby boomer who grew up away from any possibilities for mass transit.

My utilitarian viewpoint may have been an effort to separate myself from those who made active efforts, so their vehicles were extensions of their personalities or perhaps even enhancements of their personalities.

Some reports now indicate that the millennial generation may not have the same fixation with motor vehicles that earlier generations did.

They see them primarily as utilitarian at best and support efforts to increase use of mass transit to provide access to jobs, entertainment and other activities in which they are interested.

As I watch people in electronic wheelchairs try to maneuver the streets of Murfreesboro, however, I can see the same need for independent mobility as children on their first bike rides or teens during their first driving lessons.

While I sometimes am concerned about the safety of their vehicles on busy city streets, I understand that the people who are directing them are trying to retain as much independence and mobility as possible.

Transportation is among the biggest challenges that this community faces, and I do not have to venture too far from my residence to watch the many changes that have come and are coming to Memorial Boulevard, not the least of which is the Bridge Over Broad.

Read more at: http://www.dnj.com/story/opinion/2015/07/30/leonhirth-new-automotive-relationship-changes-transportation-outlook/30891103/

3 Automotive Stocks Pushing The Industry Higher

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer.

One out of the three major indices are trading lower today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) trading down 2 points (0.0%) at 17,750 as of Thursday, July 30, 2015, 1:05 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,461 issues advancing vs. 1,490 declining with 187 unchanged.
The Automotive industry currently sits up 0.1% versus the S&P 500, which is unchanged.

TheStreet would like to highlight 3 stocks pushing the industry higher today:
3. Icahn ( IEP) is one of the companies pushing the Automotive industry higher today. As of noon trading, Icahn is up $2.22 (2.8%) to $82.70 on heavy volume. Thus far, 53,951 shares of Icahn exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 71,400 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $80.49-$82.99 after having opened the day at $81.10 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $80.48.

Icahn Enterprises L.P., through its subsidiaries, operates in investment, automotive, energy, metals, railcar, gaming, food packaging, real estate, and home fashion businesses in the United States, Germany, and Internationally. Its Investment segment operates various private investment funds.

Icahn has a market cap of $10.1 billion and is part of the conglomerates sector. Shares are down 12.4% year-to-date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there is 1 analyst who rates Icahn a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 1 rates it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Icahn as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its increase in net income, good cash flow from operations and growth in earnings per share.

However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including generally higher debt management risk, disappointing return on equity and a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself. Get the full Icahn Ratings Report now.

Read more at: http://www.thestreet.com/story/13238605/1/3-automotive-stocks-pushing-the-industry-higher.html

Tennessee tops rankings for automotive manufacturing

Tennesse ranks number one in the country when it comes to automotive manufacturing.

Tennessee tops rankings for automotive manufacturingTennessee tops rankings for automotive manufacturingTennessee is the first state to win the honor back-to-back and has ranked No. 1 for automotive manufacturing strength for an unprecedented five times in the past six years.

"Good things are happening in Tennessee, and we appreciate Business Facilities for recognizing that. Thanks to the hard work of so many Tennesseans, we've become known around the world as a leading automobile manufacturing state, and through the Drive to 55, Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect initiatives, we're becoming known as a state where employers can find the job skills they need no matter what the skill level may be," Gov. Bill Haslam said. "We aren't letting up on the gas. Whether it's automotive strength, education, business climate or infrastructure, we are working every day to make sure Tennessee is well-positioned for the workforce challenges of today's global market economy."

Tennessee is home to more than 900 manufactueres and suppliers. The Nissan plant in Smyrna is actually the most productive manufacturer in the country! This year alone, 20 automotive projects have committed 4,565 new jobs across the state and nearly $1.1 billion in capital investment.

To read more at: http://www.wbir.com/story/money/2015/07/30/tennessee-tops-rankings-for-automotive-manufacturing/30895187/

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING MANUFACTURER FIRST TO UTILIZE REVOLUTIONARY NEW LEDS

Missouri-based LED company, Diode Dynamics, has taken a major step forward in automotive lighting technology, by designing and manufacturing the first products using brand-new LED components, featuring an independent white chip in addition to multicolor functionality.

Previous generation multicolor chips feature only red, blue and green (RGB) chips, combining to create a poorly integrated white color. By adding a discrete white chip, the white color is substantially brighter and more balanced, when compared to that of old technology.

The company is now utilizing these components in a full line of LED products, making them the first manufacturer worldwide to bring the technology to market in automotive applications. By upgrading factory-installed LED lighting with the replacement products, vehicle owners can achieve multicolor functionality along with a crisp and pure white output.

Paul McCain, founder of Diode Dynamics, is looking to build upon his company's reputation for innovation by implementing this technology.“With the incredible versatility of these LEDs, I'm confident that they'll be standard on all vehicles within a few years. By being the first to apply this exciting new technology, we will continue being recognized as the go-to source for innovative automotive lighting products.”

Directly manufacturing the products in St. Louis ensures world-class quality, while allowing for rapid implementation of new technologies. “We are the only company manufacturing our own products of this type in the United States," said McCain. "Everyone else relies on off-shore designs and manufacturing. By doing all of this at our facility, we can develop new technologies much faster than the competition, with unmatched overall quality.”

To read more at: http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/business/PR070115034622134

Motorsport.com adds automotive vertical to global portfolio

Motorsport.com has launched Motor1.com, a digital platform dedicated to the automotive world.

MIAMI (July 28, 2015)  — Motorsport.com, a technologically advanced international network of online motorsports and automotive content, today announced the launch of its global footprint into the automotive review sector with the new digital platform, Motor1.com.

Today’s announcement formalizes the recent acquisitions of leading auto industry websites WorldCarFans.com and OmniAuto.it, Italy’s most valuable online resource for automotive news content.

The launch of Motor1.com expands the Company’s current online media portfolio that includes Motorsport.com and Motorsport.tv while strengthening its international network of world-class interactive media content.

“We have shown tremendous strength in our online digital presence producing over 10 editions in multiple languages with Motorsport.com,” said Filippo Salza, president of Motor1.com. “Today’s announcement is the next evolution of our Company’s global approach of bringing our technologically advanced digital distribution platform and fresh vision of content to the automotive sector.”

Motor1.com, with over 1 million pages of content, will target both car buyers and car enthusiasts. Motor1.com will focus on all automotive content: cars, sportscars, supercars, SUV, motorcycles, auto shows while delivering the latest news, car reviews, buying guides, pricelists and a premium video production.

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“The creation of Motor1.com is a key strategy in leverage our current automotive presence,” said Scott Sebastian, vice president of marketing and public relations, Motorsport LLC, “With a worldwide brand presence our internet-based automotive and motorsports verticals will provide our global readership the most comprehensive coverage in the world.”

About Motor1.com

Motor1.com will target both car buyers and car enthusiasts. Motor1.com will focus on all automotive content: cars, sportscars, supercars, SUV, motorcycles, auto shows while delivering the latest news, car reviews, buying guides, pricelists and a premium video production in 14 editions in 10 different languages.

About Motorsport.com

Formed in 1994, Motorsport.com is a technologically advanced international network of online motorsports content featuring world-class digital distribution, video and interactive multimedia worldwide with news bureaus in 14 editions in 10 different languages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To read more at: http://www.motorsport.com/automotive/news/motorsport-com-adds-automotive-vertical-to-global-portfolio-633650/