The automotive industry is one that is abundant in innovations, inspiration and technical wonderment. It’s an industry that evolves at a rapid pace for two reasons. The first is to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s modern motorist. And the second is because carmakers want to be industry leaders and not followers.

Because things happen so fast in the auto industry, it can often be a challenge to keep abreast of the latest news and changes. Are you an aspiring auto journalist? Perhaps you just have a keen interest in the auto industry for various reasons?

In either of those cases, you will doubtless want to keep your finger on the pulse. You want to be one of the first people to learn of any new developments. In this handy article, you will learn how to do just that! Here is what you need to know:

What news interests you the most?

The auto industry is pretty broad if I’m honest. If you wanted to learn the latest news about everything in the industry, you just wouldn’t have enough time to absorb all news stories!

It makes more sense to drill down into one or more specific parts of the industry. For instance, do you have an interest in new cars that get brought to market? Maybe motorsport and Formula One in particular pique your interest? Or you might have a fascination with the technology side of the industry?

As you can see, there are plenty of sectors within the auto industry that you can keep a track of. That’s why you should consider which ones interest you the most and follow them.

Use a laptop to keep your finger on the pulse

Desktop computers are cheaper than their laptop brothers. But if you want to stay up-to-date with the latest auto industry news stories as they happen, you will want to do so wherever you are.

I know that you can use mobile devices like tablets and smartphones to do the same job. But laptops offer bigger screen real estate for viewing stories and press images. Plus you have more flexibility if you want to write your own unique news stories based on the latest auto industry headlines.

You don’t need to spend lots of money buying something like an Apple MacBook Pro for your laptop needs. A simple Windows-based laptop from a well-known laptop manufacturer will do.

Set up an account with a news aggregator service

Once upon a time there used to be an awesome free service called Google Reader that everyone used. It would let you add RSS feed links to your account and organize your news stories so that you had your own online newspaper of sorts.

The sad news is that Google retired the service. There was nothing wrong with it, but I guess Google decided they couldn’t monetize it like most of their other services. But the news isn’t all that bad. That’s because there are plenty of other news aggregator services that do the same job!

Let’s face it; the last thing you want to do is visit the website of every single car manufacturer or auto industry news service every day. The smart way to check out the news when it happens is to use a news aggregator.

Some services are free, and some are premium ones. Do spend some time researching which one offers the best features for your needs. Most sources for auto industry news like this website offer RSS feeds that you can subscribe to.

Visit the major auto shows

There are plenty of auto shows both in the United States and throughout the world. One of the best ways of learning what’s new in the auto industry is to visit them! These auto shows are open to both the motoring press and members of the public. And they are a great source of information on the latest car news.

I should warn you that most shows only let the motoring press inside first. If you are a freelance journalist, I imagine that you won’t have any problems getting a press pass. The other benefit is that auto shows are less crowded when only the motoring press are inside them!

Examples of auto shows include:

• Paris Motor Show;

• North American International Auto Show (Detroit);

• New York International Auto Show;

• Frankfurt Auto Show;

• Tokyo Motor Show.

Bear in mind that you will need to pay an entrance fee to visit. The fee isn’t that much, so you don’t need to worry about going broke to visit them or anything!

Another point to consider is that car manufacturers don’t exhibit at all car shows. That means if you want the latest news on a specific brand, for example, you might have to make a trip abroad.

Work in the industry

Some people might consider this as a way of getting insider knowledge. To all intents and purposes, it is! Certain positions let you gain details on new developments that even the motoring press don’t know about.

I don’t condone the use of industrial espionage as it can get you into a lot of hot water. But if you are a motoring enthusiast, it’s a great way of finding out about stuff before other people do. It also shows you what direction the company you work for might be taking in the future.

Being privy to insider information isn’t a bad thing as long as you don’t share it with others. Not unless you’re allowed to, that is!

Attend trade fairs

Sometimes you can learn a lot about where the auto industry is heading by visiting some trade fairs. They are different to auto shows in that you will come across stands by auto parts suppliers. You will also find tech companies and other organizations with a vested interest exhibiting at trade fairs too.

For example, electric and hybrid car technology is a hot topic at the moment. You might come across exhibitors that develop new electric motor or battery technology.