From the President: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

This year is bringing the future into focus.

The success of the aftermarket hinges on our ability as an industry to secure our right to repair and upgrade the automobile. A troubling trend continues as automakers look to use cybersecurity concerns as a false premise to lock out non-OEM upgrades, in favor of them having full control of the automobile. This is a bit disingenuous on their part, as prior security breaches were the fault of the automaker, and not any product or service added by aftermarket suppliers.

Once we as an aftermarket industry secure our place in the automobile ecosystem, we are sure see continued growth in safety and high-end auto sound. While car makers are consistently delivering novel safety technologies, there remain nearly 280 million vehicles on the road that stand to benefit from the latest safety technology offerings from innovative aftermarket companies.

Looking toward the future there are certain products that I believe could drive growth in our industry. Not firmly on the car makers’ radar (yet) is equipping non-autonomous vehicles with technology that allows them to be properly monitored by existing autonomous vehicles. I have long believed that to properly transition to fully autonomous vehicles, we must have a way for them to receive communication on the behaviors of non-autonomous vehicles sharing our roads. I see this as an area of growth yet to be realized, and one that has great potential in the aftermarket.

When I look forward, I also see great opportunities for growth today. When the question, “Where do you see opportunities?” is posed, two key factors come to mind. First, the addition of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is providing technology such as: backup sensors, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, back-up camera, 360-degree camera systems, night vision camera, forward-looking cameras and dash-mounted DVR systems. These safety technologies comprise new offerings that will make vehicles on the road safer than what was previously delivered by the OEM.

Second, and equally as important, the continued replacement business fulfills consumers’ desires to replace sub-par OEM auto sound systems as the equipment becomes obsolete. Adding to this is the desire to have a better sound system than what was delivered by the OEM. This includes adding technology such as Bluetooth hands-free to comply with new local and state laws. Most notable on the upgrade wish-list is the addition of CarPlay and Android Auto, providing consumers with many new choices for service functions in their vehicle. These technologies form the basis of what I call entertainment and safety necessities.

Once we as an aftermarket industry secure our place in the automobile ecosystem, we are sure see continued growth in safety and high-end auto sound.

But what will pose challenges for our industry, and how should they be addressed? Again, two things come to mind: First is the physical challenge of non-standard integrated radio and controls. When upgrading, the ability to remove and replace with a DIN or Double-DIN sized radio is no longer the norm. Technicians and fabricators often build a new dashboard using the latest high-tech materials and technologies such as 3D-printing to make better-than-OEM replacement parts that will adapt to a standard sized aftermarket radio. Trending in the aftermarket are “floating radios” that have a standard size for integrating into the OEM dashboard while providing a larger OEM style floating screen.

The second and sometimes more difficult challenge is the integration of upgraded consumer electronics into vehicle networks. For example, adding an aftermarket integration device to retain the OEM steering wheel controls, climate controls or factory backup camera can be a challenge. Networks like CAN, LIN and MOST, to name a few, require the aftermarket integration product provider to reverse and re-engineer the data bus to provide a fully compatible OEM-like experience. Automakers continue to frown on this process, yet fail to provide consumers with options available from their local authorized dealers.

Regardless of the challenges, our industry has always risen to the occasion and created solutions to overcome anything that car makers throw our way. For more than 30 years, I have been privileged to be a part of this dynamic industry. Naysayers have made statements to predict the demise of the aftermarket, especially when it comes to consumer electronics.

While challenges continue to mount, we still have highly talented people who find a way to provide what consumers demand—an automobile with the latest technologies to keep them safe and sound (pun intended). I look forward to many years of continued success.