The McKinsey Quarterly

close Visitor Edition

McKinsey Quarterly is the business journal of McKinsey & Company.

featured Automotive, Strategy & Analysis article, A new segmentation for electric vehicles

November 2009 

A new segmentation for electric vehicles

Many carmakers design electric vehicles intended to satisfy the needs of almost all customers. Instead, they should embrace a radical new form of market segmentation.

Recent Thinking
  • featured Automotive, Strategy & Analysis article, Electrifying cars: How three industries will evolve

    June 2009 

    Electrifying cars: How three industries will evolve

    Upon entering the mainstream—in a few years or a couple of decades—electrified cars will transform the auto and utilities sectors and create a new battery industry. What will it take to win in a battery-powered age?

  • featured Automotive, Strategy & Analysis article, electric plan for energy resilience

    December 2008 

    An electric plan for energy resilience

    The fastest way to reduce America's dependence on oil imports is to convert petroleum-driven miles to electric ones by retrofitting the SUVs and pick-ups now on the road with rechargeable batteries. Here's how.

    Includes: Audio
  • featured Automotive, Strategy & Analysis article, China's automakers

    June 2008 

    A global road map for China’s automakers

    China’s carmakers have a great future on the world stage—but not in the immediate future.

  • featured Automotive, Strategy & Analysis article, North American auto suppliers

    June 2008 

    Can North American auto suppliers create value?

    The automakers have vastly more power than the North American companies that supply them. To create value, the suppliers must redress the balance.

    Includes: Interactive

The Archive

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

  • August 2002 

    Tomorrow's cars, today's engines

    That fabulous invalid the internal-combustion engine is very far from dead.

  • May 2002 

    A road map for telematics

    Automakers betting on telematics face a highly uncertain market. They should focus on building great cars while choosing their telematics investments carefully.

  • February 2002 

    A full-service truck stop

    Despite record sales, truck makers underperformed most other sectors in total returns to shareholders. ‘Solutions’ could solve the problem.

  • February 2002 

    A tune-up for China's auto industry

    Global carmakers could manage their costs and capital in China—and gain a strategic option for their global operations—by contracting out the manufacture of whole vehicles to Chinese companies.

  • February 2002 

    Revving up auto branding

    Why do two almost identical cars experience radically different fates in the marketplace? Think brand equity.

2001

  • August 2001 

    The false promise of mass customization

    Build to order will be hugely expensive and challenging, and its benefits are uncertain. But there is a cheaper alternative.

  • May 2001 

    The road ahead for telematics

    The market for automotive telematics applications such as navigation and traffic information systems is likely to explode. Will the automakers again wind up providing the infrastructure that others exploit?

  • February 2001 

    An outsider takes on Japan

    Just a year after its biggest loss ever, Nissan Motors reported the largest net profit in its history. Read our interview with the man who led Nissan’s spectacular 19-month turnaround, Carlos Ghosn.

2000

  • February 2000 

    The automotive industry: A 30,000-mile checkup

    Several years ago, the authors advised automakers to start pursuing downstream revenues in service, parts, and ancillary products and to build brands that reach buyers on a more emotional level. How did that advice hold up?

1999

1996

  • November 1996 

    Are automobiles the next commodity?

    Customers may be past caring about “things gone wrong.” Some OEMs are unclear about what their branch values are. To net revenues downstream, they will need to answer the old question, “What business are we in?”

  • February 1996 

    Indian automotive components: The competitive realities

    Triggered by market liberalizations, India’s automotive industry is accelerating fast. But the country’s automotive components industry may not be able to keep up with demand.

1995

  • May 1995 

    Making purchasing look easy

    The effectiveness of Honda’s purchasing is evident from its success in the highly competitive US market. That success is achieved by implementing a wide range of purchasing best practices.

1994

  • August 1994 

    Don’t just optimize - unbundle

    Improving the current automotive distribution system is no longer enough. The time has come to restructure it completely.

  • February 1994 

    Does quality pay?

    An empirical study of the automotive supplier industry in Europe and Japan uncovers wide differences in management practice—and in results.

New In:
Embed E-mail