FCA is Making Changes to Its Development Process
Jeep customarily waits about a decade between the generations of its lineup, but if the next revamped models arrive in showrooms sooner, Jeep will have to thank its parent company — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) — for that. It appears that in the midst of its current merge with French automotive giant Peugeot, FCA is looking to reorganize and refine its development process to get updated or new vehicles in showrooms faster. Harald Wester, Chief Technical Officer and executive chairman of Maserati, has been tasked to lead the FCA’s streamlined product development organization project. Mike Manley, the current FCA CEO, mentioned during a conference call with industry insiders that the new plan is designed to help FCA and its brands rapidly adapt to the ever changing automotive technology.
“The industry has never experienced technological change at the pace we are now seeing, so we’re unleashing the creative energy of our engineers and technical experts for the benefit of our customers and stakeholders worldwide,” Manley stated.
Vehicle launches, along with the evolving tech in the automotive industry are two of the aspects that are currently experiencing the most change. An annual automobile industry report that examined data from 2000-2019 claims that the average of 40 new model launches a year is expected to rise to 62 new model launches during 2020-2023. “Technology is changing so fast, and new vehicles are being launched in numbers we’ve not seen before that it’s critical that it’s fast for automakers, fast to market,” said an executive analyst for Autotrader Michelle Krebs.
Krebs also mentioned that it’s of the essence for automakers to move quickly as developing a new vehicle can take many years. “That freshness does not last very long anymore when every other automaker is also quickly refreshing its vehicles,” Krebs said. Carla Bailo, president and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research agrees with this sentiment.
“In today’s world, the old product development process isn’t so appropriate. Technology is moving so fast, the customer demand and requirements for new product is …. not like it used to be. People aren’t going to wait three to five years for a minor change or a full model change. They want their product to be up to date almost immediately,” Bailo said. Surprisingly enough, it’s the evolving electric vehicle tech that’s pushing the automotive segment harder than before. The race to develop electric vehicles, technologies, and self-driving automation have all heightened the urgency of moving quickly in today’s automotive world. According to Bailo, the easiest way to make all of these processes happen while taking less time, is to reduce the layers of approval and place decision-making at the lowest possible levels, ideas which have been commonplace in the tech world for a long time.
Experience all that FCA has to offer here at Miami Lakes AutoMall. Whether you’re searching for the latest off-roader like the Jeep Wrangler , or need something a little heftier, like the all-new 2020 Gladiator, Miami Lakes Jeep has got your back! Schedule your test drive today and follow Miami Lakes Jeep on social media to stay up to date with the latest FCA news.
Photo Source/Copyright: FCA
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