Car Sharing Prophets and Losses

Car Sharing Prophets and Losses
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-15-2019 at 12:00 pm

Industry analysts are fond of painting terrifying pictures of catastrophic market changes resulting from disruptive technologies or business models. Nowhere is this more evident, of late, than in the automotive industry where everything from artificial intelligence to automated driving is expected to upend current thinking… Read More


McKinsey Mangles Micromobility

McKinsey Mangles Micromobility
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-08-2019 at 12:00 pm

Micromobility – characterized by shared bicycles, scooters and other wheeled devices – was all the rage in 2018 and that enthusiasm has carried over into 2019 – if McKinsey is to be believed. McKinsey published a white paper last week touting the glories of micromobility and a potential market of $300B-$500B by 2030.… Read More


Jeephack Repercussions

Jeephack Repercussions
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-04-2019 at 7:00 am

Automotive cybersecurity is an intractable nightmare with significant though inchoate implications for consumers and existential exposure for auto makers. This reality became painfully clear earlier this month when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear FiatChrysler Automotive’s appeal in a class action lawsuit over … Read More


CES 2019 Stormy Weather for IBM

CES 2019 Stormy Weather for IBM
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-03-2019 at 12:00 pm

Ginni Rometty, chairman, president and CEO of IBM was kind enough to take on the task of an hour-long keynote at CES 2019 in Las Vegas last week. She used the opportunity to highlight three areas of computational innovation at IBM – deep data, broad AI and quantum systems – with the help of three partners: Delta Airlines, Wal-Mart… Read More


Secretary Chao Unchained @ CES 2020

Secretary Chao Unchained @ CES 2020
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-31-2019 at 10:00 am

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has agreed to mount the stage at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to share her vision of the positive economic impact of technology unleashed from regulatory oversight. It’s a powerful message but it’s going to be a tough sell.

Chao is likely taking the… Read More


Remote Control: Crazy Likes Company

Remote Control: Crazy Likes Company
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-20-2019 at 12:00 pm

Three years ago Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller hacked an FCA Jeep to demonstrate the ability to remotely control a vehicle. The stunt was intended to make the point that the automotive industry had a problem with cybersecurity and the consequences of failing to deal with this vulnerability could be catastrophic.

As 2019 arrives,… Read More


CES 2019 The Year of De-Appification

CES 2019 The Year of De-Appification
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-13-2019 at 7:00 am

CES 2018 saw the proliferation of digital assistant applications in cars (and homes, of course) with Harman International, Panasonic and Visteon showing multiple digital assistant implementations with in-dash infotainment systems. Panasonic showed a hybrid Alexa system capable of working off line and Harman showed a system… Read More


CES 2019 V2Vegas A Talking Car Turning Point

CES 2019 V2Vegas A Talking Car Turning Point
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-08-2019 at 12:00 pm

The often pedantic debate over how cars will directly communicate with other cars and infrastructure will culminate suitably at CES 2019 with multiple C-V2X announcements and demonstrations. Foremost among those demonstrations will be parking lot drive-arounds at the Rio Resort Hotel put on by Ford Motor Company, Audi of America… Read More


CES 2019 Audi and Samsung

CES 2019 Audi and Samsung
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-06-2019 at 9:00 am

When Nvidia changed its automotive market messaging from an infotainment-centered theme to autonomous driving two years ago – pronouncing the coming tidal wave of robotaxi development – it matched the almost identical epiphany reached by Intel years prior. Automotive infotainment is a low volume, low revenue… Read More


CES 2019: Dashboard Dreams

CES 2019: Dashboard Dreams
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-06-2019 at 8:00 am

The annual trek to Las Vegas arrives this year with visions of sinusitis, chapped lips, flat feet and new concepts for automotive cockpit systems. It is no coincidence that the plaza in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center is dominated by automotive exhibits – along with multiple automated driving demonstrations across the… Read More