The automotive industry has seen major changes since the turn of the century. Domestic production was once dominated by the Big Three — General Motors, Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), and the Ford Motor Company — but tech startups like Tesla and Rivian, which now supply thousands of drivers with vehicles, have changed the landscape. With technology changing the way we power our cars and even the way we drive, the automotive industry is evolving at a rapid pace, which begs the question: is it possible to predict which auto manufacturer will dominate the industry in the next decade? Will it be a more traditional corporation like Ford or Toyota that can use its size and influence to adapt to the changing market, or a newer company like Tesla that will move fast and break things and force the rest of the industry to follow its lead? According to Dr.
Laine Mears, Automotive Manufacturing Chair at Clemson University , this question "is too tricky to answer directly. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are putting their money down on new technologies and seeing which way the fickle market will turn as time goes on. Let's see what happens.
" However, Dr. Mears does note one signal that can predict which automaker may thrive in the coming years, and it has to do with the supply chain. "One group to watch, however, is the Tier 1 supplier base.
What are the big design-responsible suppliers working on to introduce to OEMs in the near future? These folks run at much lower margins, .
