Car Clinics, Powertrain Research, and Competitive Intelligence for Automotive

SIS runs car clinics where consumers evaluate full-size vehicles in controlled environments. We interview dealer principals, fleet managers, Tier-1 procurement officers, and OEM product planners. Research covers powertrain transition modeling, ADAS perception, battery chemistry benchmarking, and aftermarket revenue sizing.

SIS has conducted automotive research across 135 countries for 40 years. Named automotive clients include BMW and leading global OEMs.

Automotive Car Clinic and Consumer Research

Electrification and Battery Strategy

SIS interviews fleet managers, dealer principals, and charging infrastructure operators to assess real-world EV adoption patterns by market. Research covers LFP versus NMC battery chemistry tradeoffs, fleet electrification total cost of ownership, and the impact of the EU Battery Regulation on OEM sourcing decisions. The gap between stated purchase intent and actual conversion is where the insight lives.

Car Clinics and Vehicle Evaluations

Consumers evaluate full-size vehicles in a controlled facility. Discussion guides cover exterior design reactions, interior materials and fit-and-finish assessment, infotainment usability, and pricing relative to the competitive set. SIS runs car clinics at our NYC facility and at OEM-designated locations in Europe and Asia. Sessions use structured scales plus open-ended probing to capture both quantitative ratings and the reasoning behind them.

ADAS and Connected Vehicle Research

SIS studies consumer perception of advanced driver-assistance systems at L2+ and L3 levels through focus groups and structured interviews. Research covers trust calibration (when drivers override the system and why), feature awareness gaps, and willingness to pay for specific ADAS packages. Connected vehicle data monetization research interviews OEM product managers and telematics platform operators on subscription model viability.

Supply Chain and Tier-1 Intelligence

SIS interviews Tier-1 procurement officers, component engineers, and logistics directors to map supply chain risks. Research tracks semiconductor allocation constraints, raw material sourcing shifts (lithium, cobalt, rare earths), and reshoring decisions driven by the CHIPS Act and EU supply chain due diligence requirements. Supplier qualification audits assess quality systems, capacity, and financial stability.

Aftermarket and Dealer Network

SIS conducts B2B expert interviews with dealer principals, independent aftermarket distributors, and service directors to size aftermarket revenue opportunities. Research covers parts margin compression from OEM direct-to-consumer channels, service retention rates by vehicle age, and the impact of EV powertrain simplification on traditional service revenue. Installed base analytics model the serviceable fleet by segment and geography.

Concept and Design Testing

SIS validates exterior styling, interior ergonomics, and infotainment UI/UX before tooling commits. Research uses sequential monadic testing (respondents evaluate concepts one at a time in randomized order) to reduce comparison bias. Stimulus materials include clay model photography, digital renderings, and physical interior bucks. Pricing research uses Van Westendorp or Gabor-Granger methods calibrated to the competitive set.

SIS International – Automotive Market Research

ENGAGEMENT 01 // POWERTRAIN

ELECTRIFICATION RESEARCH

Interview the Fleet Managers and Dealer Principals Making EV Decisions

SIS conducts structured interviews with fleet procurement officers, dealer principals, and charging infrastructure operators to map real-world EV adoption by market. Research covers LFP versus NMC battery chemistry sourcing tradeoffs, fleet electrification total cost of ownership modeling, and the impact of the EU Battery Regulation on OEM cell procurement. The gap between stated EV purchase intent in surveys and actual fleet conversion rates is where capital allocation decisions go wrong.

ENGAGEMENT 02 // VEHICLE CLINICS

DESIGN AND CONCEPT VALIDATION

Car Clinics with Real Buyers, Not Desktop Surveys

SIS runs car clinics at our Flatiron District facility in New York and at OEM-designated locations in Europe and Asia. Consumers evaluate full-size vehicles under controlled conditions. Discussion guides cover exterior styling, interior materials and fit-and-finish, infotainment usability, and pricing against the competitive set. Pricing validation uses Van Westendorp or Gabor-Granger methods calibrated to the segment. The output goes directly into product gate reviews.

ENGAGEMENT 03 // SUPPLY CHAIN

TIER-1 AND COMPONENT INTELLIGENCE

Supplier Qualification and Bill of Materials Risk Assessment

SIS interviews Tier-1 procurement officers, component engineers, and logistics directors to identify supply chain vulnerabilities before they reach the production line. Research tracks semiconductor allocation constraints, raw material sourcing shifts for lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, and reshoring decisions driven by the CHIPS Act and EU supply chain due diligence requirements. Supplier qualification audits assess quality systems, capacity headroom, and financial stability.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE

Automobilforschung Built on Primary Data

SIS does not repackage syndicated automotive reports. Every finding is sourced from interviews with buyers, engineers, fleet operators, and dealer networks in the specific markets where the client operates.

Car Clinic Findings Reports for Product Gate Reviews

Structured findings from consumer vehicle evaluations: exterior and interior preference scores, infotainment task-completion data, competitive pricing benchmarks, and verbatim buyer reasoning. Delivered in a format that product planning teams bring directly into design-freeze and pre-production approval meetings.

Aftermarket Revenue Models by Segment and Geography

Bottom-up sizing of parts, service, and accessory revenue built from interviews with dealer service directors, independent aftermarket distributors, and fleet maintenance managers. Models account for EV powertrain simplification impact on traditional service intervals and the margin pressure from OEM direct-to-consumer parts channels.

Regulatory Readiness Assessments for Multi-Market Launch

SIS maps the regulatory requirements affecting vehicle architecture decisions across markets: Euro 7 emissions standards, U.S. CAFE fuel economy mandates, UNECE safety regulations, and the EU Battery Regulation’s due diligence and recycling obligations. Research identifies where compliance timelines affect launch sequencing and where design changes create cross-market cost exposure.

ADAS Feature Prioritization from Buyer Willingness-to-Pay Data

SIS runs conjoint analysis and discrete choice modeling to determine which ADAS features (L2+ highway assist, parking automation, blind-spot intervention) buyers will pay for at specific price points by segment. Research separates features that drive purchase consideration from features that generate press coverage but do not move metal off dealer lots.

THE SIS DIFFERENCE

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