AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

And just as you were losing faith, looking at Apple’s stock price down to around $450 from its $700 high this past September, you almost missed another Apple power move.

The tech company is working with Honda and Chevrolet to add the popular iPhone assistant Siri to some new 2013 vehicles. The new feature will allow drivers to access Siri from any synced third or fourth generation iPhone at the push of a button.

This is a pretty big deal since the existing voice command technology in most vehicles can require you to speak like a robot for your request to register and still many times your command is unsuccessful. With Siri you can talk in a natural voice to make calls, compose text messages, and get directions, although it will not have the capacity to conduct complex commands like changing the radio station or navigating your climate control.

Apple’s new “Eye’s Free” system will be available in the 2013 Honda Accord, Accura RDX and XLI. Chevy will offer it in the Spark and Sonic some time in 2013. However, details have not been given on the specifics of the release date for “Eyes Free” and how much it will cost.

This is a great way for Apple to keep people interested at a time when some of their other moves are a little tired. And it’s a means to possibly expand their market share.  However, I’d presume agreements with automakers to implement Siri will not be enough to revitalize investor confidence.

However, as Forbes mentions, if Apple can actually create an automotive “infotainment” technology suite that doesn’t solely rely on iPhone integration, but can compete with MyFord Touch and Cadillac CUE that might actually be a move that could lead to an uptick in their stock price.

iStockphoto

New data from University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute shows more women in the US have drivers licenses, compared to men: 105.7 million women versus 104.3 million men in 2010.

Younger drivers ages 25 to 29 are declining overall, with young male drivers declining at a faster rate than young female drivers. For those over the age of 45, women drivers outnumber the men.

“The changing gender demographics will have major implications on the extent and nature of vehicle demand, energy consumption, and road safety,” Michael Sivak, co-author of the study, told the Washington Post.

He also told Automotive News, “Females are more likely than males to purchase smaller, safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles, they drive less and tend to have a lower fatality rate per distance driven.”

Additionally, the study found that African-American and Hispanic drivers were also on the rise. This is in line with a 2011 report from R.L. Polk & Co. that found that African-American, Asian, and Hispanic women were leading the way when it comes to purchasing cars as well. Looking specifically at these ethnic groups, vehicle purchase share for women was 45.4 percent in 2010, an increase from 40.7 percent in 2006. Overall vehicle purchase share for all women was 38.5 percent in 2010.

In a blog post about the findings, Marc Bland, product strategist and multicultural marketing lead at Polk wrote, “women as a collective group are a force to be recognized when it comes to auto purchases. Special attention should be applied to Asian and African American women as they are nearly on par with their male peers when it comes to auto purchase decisions.”

As women take a larger role in driving and car ownership, it will impact the way automotive companies not only advertise, but also the types of cars and features they produce. Media reports have gone so far to say these preferences could change the face of the auto market. We are women, hear our engines roar!

The 2012 Toyota Scion. AP Photo/Toyota

Consumer Reports’ annual auto reliability report came out this week, and Detroit-based Ford dropped in the rankings, while Japan-based Toyota brands claimed the top three spots. Meanwhile, General Motors’ brands also moved up the list.

The Toyota Scion was the top most reliable car, according to Consumer Reports, followed by the Toyota brand and Lexus. Mazda and Subaru rounded out the top five. Ford’s namesake brand dropped to the second worst reliable car, second only to Jaguar. Ford’s Lincoln brand was the next worst on the list.

In an interview with Bloomberg/BusinessWeek, Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said a lot of Ford’s problems were based on new technologies in the cars that just didn’t meet expectations, such as MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch Audio.

“They’re taking that system and putting it in more and more vehicles, so there’s really not an indication that even next year things are going to get better,” he also told Bloomberg/BusinessWeek. Additionally, some of the newer lines — the Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus — “came out of the gate with more problems than normal,” according to Consumer Reports.

This drop is new for Ford, which two years ago had 90 percent of its brands perform above average in terms of predicted reliability. Now, Consumer Reports said, 60 percent of its brands are below average.

This year, General Motors has the highest-ranking domestic brand, Cadillac, and its other brands—Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC—also rose. Jeep, which was the top domestic brand in 2011, dropped seven spots.

Consumer Reports noted this: “As is the case every year, there is much movement across the industry, underscoring the importance of not making assumptions simply based on brand reputation. Within a brand’s portfolio, there are models that are better than others.”

What auto brands do you trust? Do you agree with the rankings?

(BusinessWeek)  – It has been barely a year since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, and already the carmaker may be worth more than crosstown rival and current industry darling Ford Motor (F). True, GM has just one quarter of profit behind it. And its shares don’t trade as it prepares an initial public offering to wean itself off government assistance. Yet based on one analyst’s figures, GM may be worth $47 billion, more than Ford’s stock market valuation of $36 billion.

Read More…

by Tarice L.S. Gray

Rodney O’Neal can definitely lay claim to being part of the auto industry’s innovation engine. As the Chief Executive Officer and President of Delphi Automotive LLP, he runs the leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive and commercial vehicles, helping the former GM subsidiary weather the economic recession and position itself for a prosperous future in the manufacturing industry.

That know-how and expertise comes from his nearly 40-year career in the auto arena. Having recently received the 2010 Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame, which is given out to five individuals a year, it’s clear that his industry has taken notice. We caught up with the busy CEO to pose 10 questions about his career and his love of all things automotive.

1. Have you always been interested in the automotive industry? Are you like so many others who simply have a passion for cars?

I had a similar passion. When I was younger, I used to sit on the front porch and watch cars go by and say ‘that’s my car.’ I’ve always been in love with cars. I dreamed of owning a Camaro Z28 and actually did years ago.

2. What was your first job in the industry?

I’ve been in the industry since 1971. GMI [now Kettering University] was highly acclaimed and provided school and work rotation. As a result you were employed and paid. That allowed me to pay for my education. I worked in cooperative production engineering. Then I went to the floor and found my love for manufacturing.

3. How has the automotive industry changed since you got that first job?

The automobile industry has been revolutionized in terms of safety. It’s safer for sure, more fuel efficient,and  it provides all the things for freedom of transportation.

4. How steep was the corporate ladder you had to climb? Did you find added challenges while climbing toward your goal as an African-American?

That’s a complex question. One of the key things is an outstanding education. I combined an excellent education from GMI and Stanford University with outstanding experiences. Of course you [climb the ladder] yourself, but there are so many people who have assisted me. What you find is you do your best work with others.

5. As an African American CEO do you consider yourself a trailblazer?

No. I’m not a trailblazer. The true trailblazers came before me.

6.  Who most influenced you?

I’d have to go back to my father. Education was a critical issue with him. In my teens I thought if I had a $20,000 salary, a nice car, and a nice crib, that would be good. My father said I was not thinking big enough.

7. Do you mentor other young African-Americans? Did you benefit from mentors?

I was on the board of INROADS [mentoring program]. For me there weren’t a lot of those programs. But society has changed because of trailblazers. There’s more opportunity. When I was coming up, there was a lot [of strife] between African-Americans and Caucasians, now it’s more complex with the affirmative action [debate]. Success is still a challenge.

8. What was or is the best piece of  personal or professional advice that has helped you along your journey?

I don’t think there’s one [piece of advice] there’s a couple. I think it’s important to be accessible and to be in touch. Success is not defined by your title, or your house or your car, or your bank account. Success is formed by how many hearts you touch along the way.

9. What is the most important thing you want people to know about Delphi?

We are a technology company committed to safety and connectivity. We’ve been through a lot, with the economic collapse and the resulting deep recession particularly in the U.S. Delphi is a company that has gone through a lot of transformation and growth, reshaping itself into this global company. In 2005 we rotated our business foot print. Now, 43% of our business is in Europe, 20% is in Asia, 10% in South America and 27% in the U.S.

10. What is the most important thing you want people to know about you?

There are tons of decisions that have to be made. At the end of the day, I have to make the right call at the right time. That can be tough. You care about your community, your company and people. What I want people to know is Rodney O’Neal is one that truly does care, and tries to do the best with what the world has in store.