It isn’t a “concern” for auto manufacturers. It’s a future business model. Instead of making and selling 100 cars through dealers and all that they’ll make 20 cars and run their own ride sharing businesses. Instead of having dealers and all that rigamarole, they’ll do away with all the middlemen and the costs. Instead of having cars that are bought and eventually paid for, they’ll make cheap econo boxes for which the payments are never ending. You, instead of paying $700 a month for a car you own and can eventually pay out, will pay $500 a month in perpetuity directly to Ford, GM, or Toyota for the privilege of sharing one of those other cars with half the town. And of course, you’ll not have much choice because the only cars available to private individuals will cost $500k.
That way, we reduce the congestion and pollution while still allowing the rich to enjoy their convenience and freedom. You proles will have adjust your lifestyles accordingly.
that may happen but I can tell you its a huge concern for them now and its reflected in how we do business with them. Ride sharing and autonomous automobiles, especially technology driven from companies other than the big 3, has the big 3 concerned about where they invest. I think they have a better handle on it now than they did a couple of years ago but their spending approach was very bearish just before covid.
