Automotive World

The British vehicle manufacturing industry leads Europe with over forty companies producing cars, trucks, vans and buses, with additional international companies manufacturing the necessary components for those vehicles. The Automotive Industry represents 13% of Britain’s total exports, and it provides over 180,000 jobs and contributes approximately 10.2 Billion Pounds to the UK economy.

In support of these manufacturing enterprises, numerous retail, service, maintenance and finance sectors assist in the smooth running of the total industry. There are a number of car leasing and car finance companies, such as Pendle Vehicle Contracts, that provide an important and necessary service to the industry. In 2009, it was reported that this sector generated 24 Billion Pounds in value added services and products to the UK economy and employed over 552,000 people in full time employment.

To ensure the continued smooth running of the Contract Hire, Car Leasing and Car Finance businesses, a strong representative body called the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) was formed to oversee the sector. The Association looks after the interests of its members and sets industry standards for all operations in the vehicle contract hire, leasing and daily hire sectors.

In the last twelve months, while realising the growing demand of businesses wanting to lease vehicles instead of buying them outright, the British Government has changed the rules on car leasing, focussing on a car’s CO2 emissions. The Government sees this as a positive step towards a low-carbon future and the development of green-friendly vehicles in the UK.

It is always fascinating to take a look at the creation of products that we rely on so unconsciously in our daily lives. None is more exciting than the history of the automotive industry. History credits a French engineer by the name of Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot for building the first automobile in 1769. This vehicle was more like a military tractor with three wheels than what we know of as a car. The engine ran on steam and could only run for fifteen minutes at a time. The steam engine evolved as various inventors were able to obtain patents and in 1806 the trend started with cars operating with internal combustion engines which ran on gasoline.

The history of the automotive industry truly came of age in 1903 when Henry Ford started an automobile empire in a converted factory. His company became one of the few to survive the Great Depression. In 1914 Ford started producing cars in bulk by creating what we know as assembly lines. This was the point where the automobile began its popularity. The U.S. dominated the industry around the world until the end of World War II in 1945. At that time nations that were technologically advanced such as Germany and Japan were able to gain momentum and become serious competition within the automobile industry.

The success seen in the history of the automotive industry is due to three basic factors; price, quality and depreciation. Cars have always continued to get more expensive. A car such as a Cadillac Seville, as an example, retailed for around $20,000 in 1989. That same car in a model produced just five years later retailed at $36,000. The quality of cars continues to evolve as well. They are truly built to last. The depreciation of new cars continues to remain consistent. You can expect a car to lose about 28% of its value the moment it is driven off the dealership lot.

The history of the automotive industry would not be complete without a look into the future. With the trend of manufacturers to produce “green” vehicles we are seeing a surge of hybrid and hydrogen cars with many new and innovative ideas waiting for production. The goal is to produce a vehicle that is environmentally safe while still cost effective and affordable. Cars that we only dream about today are destined to become a reality tomorrow.

There is a real challenge out there as the Automotive Industry ‘globalises’ – experts in a number of disciplines from Sales to Design, Engineering to Manufacturing are having to talk to each other across continents. This brings so many challenges, both for the business and the individual. Companies like Nissan and Renault have important alliances in place, and most automotive manufacturers are present in China, working with local industries.

The Challenge

English is the global language of the Automotive Industry

There are ever increasing demands on Automotive executives:

International Travel

International Companies & Alliances

Shared, Time-pressured Development programmes

International Meetings – face to face, on the phone, even on TV

International Communications – e-mails, letters, video conferencing

Global Experts in Design, Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance who have challenges when trying to get their expertise across.

The Personal Challenge

Imaging the difficulties posed by the following examples:

1. “He’s wrong!” – but how do I tell him that politely?

2. “That’s not the best way” – but how do I tell them what is the best way in terms that they will understand and without offending them?

3. “I’m thirsty” – but how do I ask for a drink around here?

4. “I’d really like to see the way that he calculated that” – but how do I ask him?

5. “I don’t want to eat here, I’ve heard it’s no good!” – but how do I let them know?

6. “That’s a lousy deal!” – but how do we discuss this in the kind of detail I want to go into??

7. “I really want to understand what makes this colleague / customer ‘tick’ – it would make this project / negotiation much easier” – but I’m stuck for words! English is too difficult!

The Solution

The Automotive giants and their suppliers need to get their experts ‘up to speed’, NOW. International alliances and cooperation means more travel, more meetings and more and more shared projects and platforms. There are various options available to employers to enhance their employees’ skills in English, especially to those in Japan, Korea and China. The best option has to be one-to-one tuition in the UK, Australia or the US. Good training (which can also be carried out in-house, or in a language school either ‘at home’ or abroad) enables international experts to communicate easily and with confidence, so that a car-makers’ ideas and agenda are definitely put forward.

Too often during my career in the industry I have watched Japanese colleagues struggling to communicate their point of view (and therefore that of their employers!) to people from very foreign cultures. My favourite example of this is sitting in a car in the UK, next to a Turkish gentleman, and hearing one half of a conversation he was having with a Vietnamese gentleman who was speaking from his desk in France where he works for a German company – all about a project for a French customer for parts that would be manufactured in Turkey for a Romanian factory! All of this was in ENGLISH!