During the 1960s and 1970s, Team Lotus (Hethel, England) was synonymous with cutting-edge racecars, innovative engineering ideas and world-champion drivers. Today, the company if developing lightweight sports cars by focusing on sustainable materials such as hemp.
Automakers and suppliers have been focusing on vehicle weight for decades. But, rising fuel prices and strict government fuel-economy mandates are forcing the industry to explore new applications for lightweight materials, such as aluminum, composites and magnesium.
If you think you work too much, maybe you better slow down. If not, you may end up like an engineer at a Japanese automaker who recently worked himself to death.
The last time the U.S. economy suffered a recession was in 2001. While economic conditions today are similar, the overall outlook remains much healthier.
Many manufacturers are faced with skyrocketing costs these days. As a result, the tendency at some companies is to cut, cut, cut. But, it may not be the best strategy to follow.
Last year, more than 50 percent of the vehicles that General Motors assembled were sold outside North America. The company's operations in China are among the most profitable in the company's vast production portfolio, which includes assembly plants on six continents.