A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to 5G Cars

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to 5G Cars
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-14-2021 at 8:00 am

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to 5G Cars

Prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic car makers were inching toward putting their 5G connectivity plans into action.  There was a growing recognition, at the time, that no one wanted to miss the 5G car boat – and no car maker would want to be stuck selling 4G cars in a 5G world.

The onset of the pandemic was a shock to the system. 

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What’s Wrong with Car Connectivity

What’s Wrong with Car Connectivity
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-07-2021 at 8:00 am

What is Wrong with Car Connectivity

I have run into far too many clever automotive executives lately who seem to believe that “we” as an industry have solved the car connectivity challenge. Consumers love built-in car connections and that’s the end of the story – or so they believe.

Sadly, this is not true. Consumers surveyed by Strategy Analytics in China,… Read More


Elon Knows When You Crash

Elon Knows When You Crash
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-21-2021 at 8:00 am

Elon Knows When You Crash

It’s true. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, knows when you crash your Tesla. He just isn’t obliged, in the U.S., to do anything about it. And he’s not alone.

Here it is, 2021 and buyers of cars in the U.S. can’t count on getting automatic crash notification (ACN) included in their next new car.  Even those cars equipped with ACN require

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Morgan Stanley’s Tesla, Ford Misses

Morgan Stanley’s Tesla, Ford Misses
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-07-2021 at 10:00 am

Morgan Stanley Tesla Ford Misses

Gamestop isn’t the only source of wild stock market gyrations. In fact, one might argue that the crazy valuations gravy train got its start at a humble little car company called Tesla Motors. Tesla’s stock has more than doubled in value from $400, six months ago, to more than $850 today.

Competing, so-called legacy, auto makers… Read More


Qualcomm Takes the Wheel

Qualcomm Takes the Wheel
by Roger C. Lanctot on 02-03-2021 at 6:00 am

Qualcomm Takes the Wheel

Qualcomm took center stage in the automotive industry this week to state its intention to dominate future dashboard infotainment systems. Long known for its wireless connectivity presence, Qualcomm took the wraps off its ramping up infotainment design wins for its Snapdragon 3 platform while revealing its next generation

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How Airshield Can Save Transportation

How Airshield Can Save Transportation
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-31-2021 at 6:00 am

How Airshield Can Save Transportation

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated public transportation of every variety from buses and taxis to airplanes and trains. The combination of remote work and evolving economic shutdowns impacting restaurants, entertainment venues, schools, and tourism have sapped transportation demand while mitigation measures have reduced… Read More


Playing Pandemic Roulette in Cars

Playing Pandemic Roulette in Cars
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-24-2021 at 10:00 am

Playing Pandemic Roulette in Cars

A study published in ScienceAdvances has shown computer simulations of the movement of virus-laden airborne droplets in cars. The objective of the study appears to be to assess the degree of driver-to-passenger and passenger-to-driver exposure given different open-or-closed window configurations in the context of modeled… Read More


Uber v Alto Ride Hail Streetfight

Uber v Alto Ride Hail Streetfight
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-17-2021 at 10:00 am

Uber v. Alto Ride Hail Streetfight

Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Instacart and Doordash were successful in their nearly $200M effort to pass California’s Proposition 22 in November – to allow gig operators to avoid treating their drivers as full-time employees with all of the associated employee benefits and legal protections. In the midst of a devastating pandemic… Read More


Car Wars 2021

Car Wars 2021
by Roger C. Lanctot on 01-10-2021 at 10:00 am

Car Wars 2021

A strange narrative took hold in the U.S. at the end of 2020 that vehicle sales were in decline, that cars weren’t selling. The reality is something quite different. In spite of nearly two solid months of auto factory and dealership shutdowns, automotive sales surged back in 2020 – a phenomenon that manifested globally with regional

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Tesla’s Musk Mocks Marketing

Tesla’s Musk Mocks Marketing
by Roger C. Lanctot on 12-27-2020 at 10:00 am

Teslas Musk Mocks Marketing

The Automotive News had a standout year in 2020 – thriving at a time when many publishers suffered. With factories and dealerships shuttered in the spring due to the pandemic, the outlook was bleak but the Automotive News dug in amplifying its reporting with multiple podcasts and video content documenting the ups and downs

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