As the global automotive industry continues to evolve, IEWC has numerous solutions for automotive assembly houses and OEMs, including SAE, ISO, JASO, and OEM spec wire and cable, as well as our IEWC AIR® program and a global network of distribution centers designed to streamline your supply chain.

Despite lingering economic uncertainty, the global automotive industry continues to gain momentum, making progress toward recovery of pre-recession sales levels. This recovery can be attributed to pent up demand in North America and new opportunities in emerging markets, such as China, India, Brazil and Russia.

In order to support this demand, vehicle production continues to ramp up in North America and Asia. A good portion of growth in North American light vehicle production is being driven by on-shoring of capacity by foreign OEMs, including BMW, VW, and Nissan. Use of global standardized platforms by most OEMs allows production and sourcing to more easily shift to regions with the best cost structure and most significant growth opportunities.

Even with an optimistic outlook for automotive production and sales, the industry faces strong forces of change, including environmental regulations and evolving consumer preferences. Many countries are implementing emissions restrictions and fuel efficiency standards, which will require auto makers to utilize lightweight materials and design alternative powertrains, including batteries and fuel cells. In addition, consumers’ desire for advanced technology will prompt auto makers to implement new electronic systems and interfaces that will change the vehicle as we know it today.

These changes will likely impact the use and type of wire, cable and wire management products necessary for chassis wiring and harnesses, including the introduction of metric specifications and data bus constructions. These harnesses are used for various vehicle applications, including lighting, sensors, safety controls, battery connections, and consumer electronic connectivity.

In order to navigate the evolving automotive industry, IEWC has numerous solutions available to automotive assembly houses and OEMs. We offer a broad range of products that meet SAE, ISO, JASO and automotive OEM specifications, ensuring you have the correct product for your application, no matter the OEM platform. Extensive inventory of such products and our Customer Automated Replenishment System (CARS®) allows us to help you manage ebbs and flows in your demand. And with IEWC's 19 global locations, we can support, and even help transition, your requirements regardless of production location.