Meeting Customer Demands
The rate of innovation and change within the motor vehicle industry
is accelerating. This is driven partly by changing customer needs.
Customers are ever more demanding in what they expect from their
vehicle and how it meets their needs. Our customers, however are
not the only agents behind change. New technology allows designers
to challenge every aspect of car design, from styling through body
construction. Intense industry competition, has led to a search
for new winning vehicle concepts, resulting in the development of
new vehicle segments and hybrid vehicles. Further legal and regulatory
requirements for new products add to the picture of a rapidly changing
industry. More...
Safety
Our aim is to continually improve motor vehicle safety for customers
and other roadway users. For many consumers, motor vehicle safety
is a basic threshold when considering a vehicle for purchase. They
want vehicle technologies that help them avoid crashes and to help
reduce the risk of injury when vehicles are involved in crashes.
We strive to meet and exceed these expectations in order to protect
customers and their families while they are on the road. More...
>> Also: Safety
features
Design for Environment: Minimizing the Impact
|
|
| A recycler
from General Motors Corporation Orion Plant makes the rounds
collecting plastic covers that are used to protect seals in
parts. |
We are committed to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources,
and using recycled materials at every stage of the product life
cycle. The embodiment of life cycle thinking in the design, manufacture,
use, and disposal of our vehicles continues to grow and positively
affect product programs. Life cycle assessment provides the information
base on which to balance the environmental, social, and economic
consequences of decisions.
Environmental impact can take many forms and must be considered
as part of the total life cycle of the product, including material
production, manufacturing process, use phase and end of life/disposal.
Our Design for the Environment (DFE) Group has the task of reporting
positive environmental effects/ features for each new vehicle program.
More...
>> Also:
Responsible Product Use
Between 80 and 90% of the overall lifecycle environmental impact
of vehicles arises during their use, with the remaining 10-20% arising
during manufacture and disposal. Driver behavior can affect fuel
consumption and tailpipe emissions during the use phase and is even
more important for vehicle safety. More...
>> Also:
End-of-Life vehicles
To meet regional requirements on end-of-life vehicles, we have
organized a global End-of-Life Vehicle Team. The team ensures that
we provide the necessary data to various regions in a common manner.
In North America, a centralized effort was initiated to provide
material and disassembly information to the dismantling industry.
In Europe, Opel and Vauxhall are committed to working with industries
involved in taking back, treating, and scrapping ELVs to reduce
the amount of automotive waste going to landfill to 5% of a car's
weight as compared to 25% in 2000— over the next 15 years.
More...
>> Also:
|
