Patrick Katenkamp
CEO

In the year since the global pandemic intensified the need for automotive digitalization, the continued uncertainty has taken its toll on businesses less prepared for change. While OEMs have fought their way through the implementation of online retail and remote services, the consumer has stepped seamlessly into a wholly digital world with barely a backward glance.

The digital transformation of the automotive industry has given tech companies a wide range of opportunities to develop lucrative new investments. Before COVID-19, tech organizations were already developing and selling tools and services for connected and autonomous vehicles. But in this new reality, where the consumer need for online services and automation has increased significantly, OEMs are starting to face more intense competition from tech giants.

The United States is witnessing an acceleration in electric vehicle (EV) adoption in 2021, driven by an influx of new models and an increase in positive consumer attitudes towards alternative powertrains. Studies predict that EVs will account for a higher proportion of vehicles sold this year. Until recently, EV adoption has trailed behind some markets such as Europe and China. Long driving distances and cheap fuel have meant US consumers have been more reluctant to make the transition. Range anxiety and expense have also been legitimate concerns, and delays in infrastructure have added to the US market’s unease around the adoption of EVs.

Amidst a digital revolution, the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) has grown significantly, propelled by environmental concerns and technological advances. But as the industry begins adapting its vehicles in response to customer concerns, are businesses ready for the inevitable wave of demand?

In 2018 and 2019, the automotive industry was hit by a decline in economic activity. New and digital competitors, and dramatic changes to consumer preferences and behaviors added to the pressure. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused sales to plummet to historic lows, accelerating the automotive industry’s need to reinvent itself further.

As automotive businesses find their way in a newly digitalized industry, they are still learning how to best use the abundance of data their systems and vehicles capture every minute of the day. According to Forbes, some of the largest automotive manufacturers have more than 10 million vehicles’ worth of data sitting in repositories. This intelligence has the potential to help organizations develop valuable new opportunities. But to be truly beneficial, it relies on manufacturers to be proactive in its use, by gaining insight into customer needs and resolving issues before they occur.

Andrew Mills
Director, Parts and Service

The global pandemic has left the collision repair industry with diminished repair volumes, and increased cost pressure from insurers has led to insolvency and network consolidation. In a recent MSX podcast, automotive experts discussed the collision repair industry outlook and how OEMs can address the downward trend in the use of genuine parts.

New tech innovations are sweeping across the automotive industry, revolutionizing the way consumers buy and maintain vehicles. But these new technologies can also aid manufacturers’ internal processes, from training to consultancy and assessments.

Paul Dyer
UK Operations Director

The automotive industry is enduring one of the most turbulent periods in recent history, disrupted by digitalization, the emergence of autonomous, connected and electric vehicles (EVs), looming CO2 emissions deadlines and COVID-19. In this article, Paul Dyer, UK Operations Director, MSX International, discusses how the UK market is grappling with these challenges alongside the implications of the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

In a recent podcast, Philip Junge, Head of Customer Engagement at MSX International was joined by Stefanie Senger, Executive Director at Autohaus-Gruppe Senger, and Fredrik Johnsson, Chief Strategy Officer at Whisbi, to discuss the ways in which businesses can make better choices about the technologies they choose, the way they implement them and how they engage employees in digital processes to help win customer trust and encourage sales.

Hannah Meler
Field Sales Representative

Marc Overkamp
Strategic Account Executive

Automotive businesses have adjusted their operations significantly over the last 12 months in response to the introduction of new digital tools, platforms and processes. In a recent MSX live broadcast, in-house experts, Philip Junge, Head of Customer Engagement, Hannah Meler, Field Sales Representative, and Marc Overkamp, Strategic Account Executive, examine a range of topics affecting the automotive industry, including the impact of the global pandemic on customer behaviors, and how dealerships are adapting. They also discuss the introduction of new technologies into the retail environment and aftersales processes, and how these digital tools will transform the customer experience.

Like any other market, Brazil has faced its fair share of challenges throughout the pandemic, and the country is still seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, deeply affecting economic activity. In this article, Marcus Romero, Operations Director for South America, MSX International, discusses how Brazil’s automotive industry is adapting to the crisis and strengthening opportunities for growth within the agricultural sector.