Automotive Insight

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers are looking for news businesses that leverage their technology. Those areas with the most interest are humanoid robots, energy storage and military equipment.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports one item that came out of the SAE's powertrain conference was a report that said automakers could save $20 billion by reusing what they already have. (Photo by Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports strategic plans can change many times and may get wiped out by some type of disaster.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says this could become one of the biggest selling points for electric cars. (Photo: Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a Colorado company has a novel way of storing energy. It involves a flywheel. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports competitive pressures are leading some automakers like Jaguar and Porsche, even the Big 3, are moving to big trucks and SUVs. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports companies that make humanoid robots are looking beyond auto plants and looking to have them in homes. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports companies that make humanoid robots are looking beyond auto plants and looking to have them in homes. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports declining populations around the world will have a major impact on the auto industry, because the number of customers will drop.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports GM and Ford are making moves that will slash the time it takes to develop new products, but the real test will be what products they come up with. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports extended range EVs that could go 1,000 miles on a tank of gas could entice buyers to consider the new pickups.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports new car sales stopped growing in 2017 around the world, not just in the US. He says it's called Peak Auto, because car sales hit their peak a decade ago. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports hybrids are the hottest segment in the used car market because of higher gas prices. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the problem with new EV sales is the price. The average price of a used EV is under $38,000 and sales are up. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports pickup truck buyers weren't too excited about EVs, but that could change when extended range EVs hit the market. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Back in the 1980s, a number of automotive experts predicted that only a handful of auto companies would survive past the year 2000s. But John McElroy tells us pretty much the opposite has happened.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a company named Figure had its robots jump into a vat of molten steel.

More new cars were sold last month in the U.S. than in China — something WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says no one saw coming. (Photo: Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a new study from the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor shows American automakers and suppliers buy most of their tools, dies, molds, etc from Asia.

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy has details on a new report from Consumer Reports that says vehicles that require premium fuel do not always benefit from it. (Photo credit: WWJ)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports VW is producing a second generation of the Atlas SUV and it is a significant design. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Volkswagen of America)

There's a new buzzword bouncing around in the U.S. auto industry: optionality. What does it mean? Here's WWJ auto analyst John McElroy. (Photo: Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports auto executives say the trade agreement made North America a powerful trading bloc. (Photo: Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Bosch is working on a heater to warm up the catalytic converter quicker. It would help a full sized pickup truck or SUV have lower emissions than a Toyota Prius. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports if President Trump allows Chinese cars to be sold in the United States, the Chinese auto companies will gain market share here which will reduce production for the American carmakers.