Although industry giants OnStar and ATX Group have been offering services such as roadside assistance and hands-free calling for nearly 12 years, the technologies have struggled to catch on with consumers.
Seating engineers have turned to the science of metallurgy in efforts to reduce seat-frame weight, employing many different metals and forging and casting techniques.
“Most of our suppliers would no longer exist unless we let them raise prices. I believe other Tier 1s are in a similar position,” says Wilbur Ross, who formed International Automotive Components in 2005.