RPM Sept-Oct 2019

24 Concerning a wide range of services from car-sharing and ride-hailing to parking and charging, the goal of the partnership is to eventually transition into autonomous driving technology— and do so in a way that will ensure both brands can still exist in a world less interested in actual driving and more focused on people moving. Similarly, on the home front, Ford recently pledged a $500 million investment in electric start-up Rivian, presumably in exchange for help building up a viable EV portfolio, as the historic automaker currently trails behind competing OEs in the segment. This is in addition to the alliance it struck with Volkswagen to build commercial pickups and vans, who, coincidentally, has its own deal with an electric start-up in Germany, concerning its new MEB technology. The aftermarket industry is not exempt from this tactic either, as can be gleaned from even a cursory glance at a recent stack of press releases. In the last two months alone, Tuff Country Suspension has joined the Daystar Products family of brands, lighting company Truck- Lite Co acquired Lumitec LLC, LKQ Corp. purchased diagnostic and repair solutions company Elite Electronics, suspension juggernauts FOX and RideTech joined forces, and Truck Hero acquired both Backrack, LLC and Lund International, adding two new names to its growing family of over a dozen brands. New Beginnings As the U.S. continues to transition into a service-based economy dominated by industries like banking, healthcare, and IT, traditional manufacturing will struggle to attract skilled workers. And as the current culture of abundance retains its hold on American consumers, foreign manufacturers with low production costs will retain a space in the market. However, that doesn’t mean U.S. manufacturing is dying; it simply means it needs to adapt. While it’s natural to assume that profit- minded companies will immediately jump on automation, replacing an already hard-to-find workforce with machines that require no pay and no breaks, that’s not entirely realistic. As Popular Mechanics points out in its survey, while many parts of the manufacturing process are now handled by machines—it’s “less than you might expect” and most are still under human supervision. “They’ve mostly taken over in places where precision is of the utmost importance—or where humans might get injured.” Ultimately, yes, machines do threaten some human jobs. In a January interview with CBS News, A.I. expert and venture capitalist Kai Fu estimated that “roughly 40% of the world’s jobs will be replaced by robots capable of automating tasks.” And while that will undoubtedly affect lower income workers, there will be opportunities for new tech-minded professions. (continued from page 23)