Can/Will NHTSA Rein in AVs Bad Boys?

Can/Will NHTSA Rein in AVs Bad Boys?
by Roger C. Lanctot on 09-08-2021 at 10:00 am

Autonomous Vehicle AV Bad Boys

There’s a new sheriff in town at the U.S. Department of Transportation in the form of Department Secretary Pete Buttigieg with an acting deputy in Acting Administrator Dr. Steve Cliff at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA has served notice on bad boy Tesla CEO Elon Musk that it is investigating

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Are We Done with ICE Vehicles?

Are We Done with ICE Vehicles?
by Roger C. Lanctot on 08-22-2021 at 10:00 am

Are We Done with ICE Vehicles?

U.S. President Joe Biden served notice on the automotive industry that he expects auto makers to shift 50% of vehicle sales to those with electric power trains by 2030. Of course, he included plug-in hybrids in the mix – perhaps in deference to Toyota – and Tesla was oddly absent from the announcement made on the South… Read More


GM on BARRA’d Time

GM on BARRA’d Time
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-25-2021 at 10:00 am

GM on BARRAd Time

Midway through her seventh year running General Motors it’s time to assess the legacy of CEO and Chairperson Mary Barra, the first woman to run an automobile company.  Of the 14 CEOs that have led GM, Barra’s term in office has been exceeded by only four of her predecessors:  Alfred Sloan Jr. (May 10, 1923 – June 3, 1946), Roger

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Automakers to Blame for Semiconductor Shortage

Automakers to Blame for Semiconductor Shortage
by Bill Jewell on 04-23-2021 at 8:00 am

Top Automotive Semiconductor Suppliers

Automakers worldwide have scaled back production due to a shortage of semiconductors. Companies which have announced temporary halts on production include Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Daimler (Mercedes) and Stellantis (merger of Fiat-Chrysler and Peugot).

IHS Markit estimates… 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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Elon Musk’s Aspirational Automation

Elon Musk’s Aspirational Automation
by Roger C. Lanctot on 11-01-2020 at 8:00 am

Elon Musk Aspirational Automation

Tesla Motors kicked off the release of its latest earnings with news of record results and the release of the company’s Full Self Driving beta. Leading up to the earnings, most attention was focused on whether Tesla will meet its original target of 500,000 vehicle shipments this year in spite of the negative impact of the pandemic.

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COVID-19: Through the Rearview Mirror

COVID-19: Through the Rearview Mirror
by Roger C. Lanctot on 07-02-2020 at 10:00 am

COVID 19 Through the Rearview Mirror

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the business of reporting news into a funhouse mirror where reality is distorted, up is down, and hopes for improving health and marketplace conditions are simultaneously raised and dashed on a daily basis. The latest news-driven whiplash moment arrived this morning care of the Detroit Free Press

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Getting Real about Vehicle Data

Getting Real about Vehicle Data
by Roger C. Lanctot on 06-09-2019 at 9:56 pm

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/y85pk8nuRead More


Tesla’s Cat in the Bag

Tesla’s Cat in the Bag
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-18-2017 at 8:00 pm

Some day soon, maybe this year or next, Tesla Motors is going to let the cat out of the bag that its cars are not only connected but are also subject to remote control. Remote control isn’t the sort of feature that consumers look for in their personal transportation, so it isn’t likely to be something Tesla is going to bring… Read More


MWC 2017: The 5G Emperor’s New Clothes

MWC 2017: The 5G Emperor’s New Clothes
by Roger C. Lanctot on 03-03-2017 at 10:00 pm

A very odd phenomenon is sweeping the automotive and wireless industries and was in full flower at MWC 2017. The onset of 5G connectivity has wireless carriers excited over the high bandwidth, low latency and high availability applications inherent in this new network technology – to say nothing of network slicing for targeted… Read More