The automotive sector is a key end consumer of several of the metals covered by CRU – regular and specialty grades of steel and their alloying and coating components; aluminium castings, extrusions and sheet; copper; and, increasingly, battery materials such as cobalt, lithium and nickel. As a leader in primary research and comprehensive commodity coverage, CRU’s experience translates into proficiency in covering the automotive sector.
CRU’s analysts work across commodity teams, using our in-house centralised macroeconomic data and forecasts, to ensure a detailed and consistent view on the automotive sector, as well as developments in automotive material use. This means that, for example, our views on lightweighting are reflected equally in both our steel and aluminium forecasts. Similarly, our electric vehicle (EV) uptake forecasts are driven by a robust model analysing policy, consumer preference and technology developments, and this model determines our forecasts for battery demand in the EV sector, analyse battery chemistries and therefore demand for different battery materials.
Large Global Team
Our investment in a large global team of analysts based in the UK, China, India, Chile, and United States mean that customers can trust CRU to capture important automotive market developments from across the world. With so many materials consumed in the production of automobiles it takes the comprehensive coverage offered by CRU to understand in detail the markets for and consumption of automotive materials.
Beyond our extensive list of standard products, customized reports from the consulting division of the company regularly help clients dive deeper into specific segments of the automotive materials marketplace. Projects range from helping automobile manufacturers understand procurement risks, to developing material selection strategies for long term planning.
Primary Research
CRU conducts thousands of hours of primary research every year and much of this is focused on automotive materials. Through field visits to automakers, rolling mills or battery production factories, as well as through their extensive networks of contacts across the value chain, CRU analysts and consultants have firsthand access to key automotive data and intelligence, allowing us to produce forecasts based on a holistic view of the whole industry.
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