Creating engaging, though not distracting, in-vehicle experiences that enhance driving and maximize safety represents an intimidating and inspiring opportunity for automotive designers – who have already made great strides. The widespread adoption of connectivity means that artificial intelligence in the form… Read More
Author: Roger C. Lanctot
Designing Connected Car Cockpits
5G Auction without Action = Fraud
“We don’t need 10 Mbit/s, but rather basic bandwidth and guaranteed latency. We need coverage!” thus spoke BMW Senior Vice President of Electronics Christoph Grote at the recent Automobil-Elektronik Kongress in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Grote was making this plea in the context of the onset of 5G technology.… Read More
Could Trump Slump Give Mobility a Bump?
Reports from Reuters last week suggested that the European Union member states “should brace for U.S. tariffs on several fronts in the coming months,” based on the comments of a senior German official who had met with “U.S. officials and lawmakers” in Washington. Among other sectors in the Trump Administration’s… Read More
5G Faith & the Automotive Industry
As the automotive industry slowly comes to terms with the implications of 5G connections in cars there are few outside the industry that understand the significance of this technology transition. It isn’t just a technology turning point. It is an emotional turning point for the industry as well.
Announcements are beginning… Read More
Where Have You Gone, Lee Iacocca
The automotive industry is a funny business. It is simultaneously ruled by ego driven “visionaries” and penny-pinching bean counters. (Don’t believe me? Just ask Bob Lutz.) This id-superego tension plays out in business section headlines every day most recently including the death of FCA’s Sergio… Read More
Ecomotion 2019 We are All Jews
While listening to Krista Tippet’s National Public Radio program “On Being” recently I learned of the Hebrew expression familiar to Jews: “tikkun olam.” The expression captures what is described in Wikipedia as an obligation observed by all Jews “to repair the world.”
To be sure, this is an over-simplification of the meaning… Read More
SpaceX: Starlink to Carlink
When SpaceX launched 60 satellites into orbit last month – the first of a planned fleet of 12,000 such satellites which will ultimately deliver terrestrial Internet access in concert with earth-bound stations – astronomers were alarmed at the apparent impact on earth-based observatories from light pollution.… Read More
Getting Real about Vehicle Data
There is a lot of talk about data being the new oil fueling the automotive industry. Industry interest began in earnest in 2016 when McKinsey published a report – “Monetizing Car Data” – that noted in the executive summary that the car data market could be as large as $450B-$750B by 2030.
McKinsey: Monetizing Car Data – https://tinyurl.com/y85pk8nu… Read More
Uber Lyft and the Price of Greed
Uber and Lyft blew it with their initial public offerings over the past couple weeks. Both companies opted to cash out founders and early investors while tossing pennies to long-supportive drivers in the form of bonuses. The short-term cash out focus could sound the death knell of these market leaders.
Both companies extracted… Read More
Uber’s Sandcastle
As Uber’s initial public offering arrives this is a good moment to consider what kind of employment model for the future we all, as employees and employers, would prefer to adopt: Amazon or Uber?
One of my sons has interviewed with Amazon. The other has his Amazon moment today. My across-the-street neighbor works for Amazon Web Services.… Read More
The Data Crisis is Unfolding – Are We Ready?