Bloomberg News reporter Tim Higgins has been covering the automotive industry for seven years. Based out of Bloomberg’s Detroit bureau, he covers the North and South American transportation beat, reporting on General Motors. A Missouri School of Journalism graduate, Tim also earned an MBA from Michigan State University. He recently returned from covering the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, one of the largest shows for carmakers in the world.
In Depth spoke with Tim to discuss his experience with Bloomberg and covering the automotive market.
How long have you been an automotive reporter, and what drew you to it originally?
In 2007, I jumped at a chance to cover the car business for the Detroit Free Press, thinking the U.S. auto industry was on verge of becoming a massively interesting and important story.
The auto business covers a wide swath and attracts a lot of different readers. Autos touch on business, culture, personalities and, during the past five years, politics.
I arrived in Detroit just a few weeks before DaimlerChrysler indicated it might be willing to shed Chrysler. Things just grew more intense from there. After covering the U.S.-backed bankruptcy reorganization of General Motors, I joined Bloomberg in 2010 and have covered the automaker’s subsequent resurgence.
What changes have you noticed in the industry during your time covering it?
The whole industry is just much more competitive – not just in the U.S. but around the world. U.S. automakers in particular are building better cars and trucks than seven years ago, and their finances are cleaned up so they can now focus on the business of making vehicles.
What are the most important trends developing in the automobile world?
Automakers talk a lot about improving fuel efficiency, developing electric vehicles, putting more entertainment-like technologies in their cars and focusing more on luxury brands, especially for U.S. and Chinese consumers.
Do you feel that as a reporter for Bloomberg News, you have any particular advantages in covering transportation?
We’ve got a large tool box at Bloomberg. We’ve got robust data to draw from and quick access to information. Plus, we have so many subject matter experts to help elevate our coverage.