November - 2017

Change is coming to the automotive industry

"The auto business could dramatically change as automakers develop ride-share companies, autonomous-drive vehicles and electric models that may not require as much service." Dealerships have options in dealing with these changes but the change needs to happen now. For the Shamas family, the decision to sell seven auto dealerships in Southern California was not easy. After all, the family has been selling cars in and around Los Angeles since 1955. Still, Carol Shamas' husband,

Volvo Cars Will Supply Uber With Up to 24,000 Self-Driving Cars

Uber plans to buy up to 24,000 self-driving cars from Volvo, marking the transition of the U.S. firm from an app used to summon a taxi to the owner and operator of a fleet of cars. The non-binding framework deal could offer San Francisco-based Uber a way to overcome setbacks at its autonomous driving division in Silicon Valley’s race to perfect self-driving systems. Combining Volvo’s cars with Uber’s self-driving system builds on their nearly three-year relationship and comes

BCR launches car-sharing service in Bucharest

BCR, the largest lender in Romania, together with its leasing division, a BMW dealer and a software developer who designed the dedicated app, will launch the first car sharing service with a significant number of cars in Bucharest, reports local Profit.ro. The service will use electric BMW cars. The project will start with only 10 cars, but aims to reach a few dozen soon. The car sharing system is not well known in Bucharest, but is popular in Cluj-Napoca. Cluj-based firm Get

The $100 billion race to win the mobility game

A whopping $111 billion has been invested in mobility start-ups and technologies since 2010, according to McKinsey & Company. More than half the money invested since 2010 has been focused on car-sharing and autonomous-drive solutions, the company reports. Since 2014, $9.6 billion has been spent on technologies related to car-sharing. A new report paints a clear picture of just how much money automakers, suppliers, tech companies and venture capital firms are spending to remak

Subscription-Based Car Buying Picks Up Steam

Cadillac is pitching a service that lets subscribers swap cars almost like Netflix DVDs. Credit: Cadillac Join us in New York this Wednesday and Thursday for Ad Age Next, a new event where top marketers and innovators such as Procter & Gamble, Amazon, Wayfair, Google, Walmart, The Washington Post, Burger King, Twitter, Bloomberg and Headliner Labs will explore AI, chatbots, voice marketing, rapid-fire creative iteration, next-level ad blocking, VR and even the way we see the

How the sharing economy is transforming technology

It's not all Uber and Airbnb, the sharing economy has something to teach business as well In recent years, the sharing economy, a term stemming from the open-source and collaboration movement to describe peer-to-peer economic and social activity, has become a prevalent phenomenon for consumers and businesses globally. This economic system pretty much does what it says on the tin: assets or services are shared between individuals and organisations – either free or for a fee –

Car Rental Companies Turning Corner Or Driving To Disaster?

Are rental car companies turning the corner or driving towards extinction? To a large extent, the answer you’ll get to this question depends on whether you ask customers or stockholders. Car rentals now represent just 28% of ground transportation for business travelers, versus 65% for ride share services Lyft and Uber, according to a recent analysis of 10 million receipts by expense management company Certify. And a substantial decline in the number of young people holding dr

The five conditions essential to successfully operate autonomous carsharing fleets in the future

" The subject of autonomous driving is currently everywhere. Many automobile manufacturers, suppliers and mobility newcomers are working feverishly on the development of autonomous vehicles. Both the business community and government agencies are investigating ways in which autonomous vehicles can be used, and pilot trials are being carried out all over the world. The future of the car will be autonomous there's almost no doubt about it. " click on link above to view report

This is how Waymo plans to standardise the autonomous car interface

Having a uniform interface of interaction can help set a benchmark for how humans will communicate with cars in future. Autonomous cars are pretty much geared up to take the mainstream stage by storm. With technologies being increasingly refined to make the artificial intelligence safer and easier to operate, pioneers in this field are increasingly focusing on the finer aspects of autonomy in cars. These are the aspects that will make considerable differences for the end-user

Tesla Enters American Insurance Market

The Silicon Valley disruptor already challenges insurers outside the U.S. Tesla has entered the insurance business. The recent launch of InsureMyTesla in the U.S. pits the disruptive automaker directly against insurers, which are already concerned that autonomous vehicles threaten their business models, according to Business Insider. InsureMyTesla offers new car replacement for the first year in the event of total loss, along with options such as 24-hour roadside assistance a