Strategy – Page 10211 – I wish I had more to offer

@VW Group: Volkswagen honors top suppliers in 2019

For the 18th time, Volkswagen has presented the Volkswagen Group Award to its top suppliers throughout the world. A total of eight companies in six categories reflecting future-oriented topics were honored. This year, the awards were presented to the winners by mail instead of in person as is usually the case. Frank Witter, CFO of… Continue reading @VW Group: Volkswagen honors top suppliers in 2019

@Daimler: COVID-19 pandemic: Accelerating digitalisation in sales and after-sales

Executive Update on ‘Best Customer Experience 4.0’ – fact sheet including quotes from Britta Seeger Key facts on Mercedes-Benz’s global sales strategy: With its global sales strategy ‘Best Customer Experience 4.0’, Mercedes-Benz consistently focuses on its customers and their needs. Digital offerings in sales and after-sales are increasingly coming into focus. Customers want to be… Continue reading @Daimler: COVID-19 pandemic: Accelerating digitalisation in sales and after-sales

Ford’s top lawyer leaving automaker to take job at Coca-Cola

CLOSE Bradley Gayton, general counsel at Ford Motor Co. is leaving to take a job at Coca-Cola. (Photo: Eric W. Perry) A 39-year Ford veteran will take over as the top lawyer for the automaker as it loses Bradley Gayton to the Coca-Cola Co. John Mellen, associate general counsel at Ford, is to become general… Continue reading Ford’s top lawyer leaving automaker to take job at Coca-Cola

Dr. Klaus Patzak appointed new CFO of Schaeffler AG

2020-07-20 | Herzogenaurach Dr. Klaus Patzak has been appointed as a member of the Board of Managing Directors, effective from August 1, 2020 Dr. Patzak will succeed Dietmar Heinrich as head of the Finance & IT function Dietmar Heinrich will leave the company on July 31, 2020 The global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler announced… Continue reading Dr. Klaus Patzak appointed new CFO of Schaeffler AG

@VW Group: We Charge: Volkswagen’s new charging service has over 150,000 public charging points

Volkswagen is rolling out its own charging service to coincide with the market launch of the ID. family: With We Charge, customers will be able to charge their electric vehicles at over 150,000 public charging points all over Europe. The We Charge charging card gives them easy access to these charging points. Customers have a… Continue reading @VW Group: We Charge: Volkswagen’s new charging service has over 150,000 public charging points

@Toyota: Toyota Introduces a New Brand Design Across all its Communications

Toyota Motor Europe introduces a new brand logo and design language New visual design for a mobility-first digital age European roll-out begins with the launch of the new Toyota Yaris Toyota is introducing a new brand design in Europe with a reworked version of its brand logo and typography. It signals a new era for… Continue reading @Toyota: Toyota Introduces a New Brand Design Across all its Communications

Jeep Unveils Renegade 4xe And Compass 4xe PHEVs

Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe: the Jeep® brand’s take on the plug-in hybrid Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe are the first electrified Jeep® models in the EMEA Region Plug-in hybrid technology makes the new Jeep 4xe SUVs pioneers of the brand’s ’green‘ evolution The new Jeep 4xe models mean the brand’s future is connected, electrified,… Continue reading Jeep Unveils Renegade 4xe And Compass 4xe PHEVs

@Ford: Mellen Named Ford’s General Counsel, Succeeding Gayton; Jennings Made Purchasing Vice President, Company Officer

Jonathan Jennings’ new position enables Lisa Drake to focus exclusively on role as COO for North America automotive DEARBORN, Mich. – July 20, 2020 – Ford Motor Company today announced senior leadership changes, naming a new general counsel and promoting another executive to a vice president and corporate officer role. John Mellen, longtime associate general… Continue reading @Ford: Mellen Named Ford’s General Counsel, Succeeding Gayton; Jennings Made Purchasing Vice President, Company Officer

Renault Group sells 1,256,658 units in first-half 2020, down 35%

The Renaut Group today released its sales performance numbers for the January to June 2020 period. The numbers have clearly, as they are for all automakers, impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Renault Group suspended sales and industrial activities in most countries from mid-March and saw its sales fall 34.9% to 1,256,658 units in the first half,… Continue reading Renault Group sells 1,256,658 units in first-half 2020, down 35%

An Interview With NVIDIA: “Make All Cars Autonomous”

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Published on July 19th, 2020 |

by Alex Voigt

An Interview With NVIDIA: “Make All Cars Autonomous”

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My articles about the incumbent automotive industry are usually not at all friendly, and that is not done on purpose but is a result of a never-ending series of missed opportunities, wrong decisions, and ill-advised strategies they regularly annoy me with.

A full decade has passed in which I get angry when I listen to so-called industry leaders saying what they are doing, not doing, have decided to do, or concluded. Writing is probably my way of getting rid of that anger. Writing is my Anger Therapy.

The examples I could list are almost endless, but one of my top 10 was the decision from Daimler to sell its stake in Tesla in 2014. I called it one of the dumbest moves in the history of automakers for two reasons: #1 Financials, #2 Technology.

First of all, the nearly 10% stake in Tesla that Daimler originally purchased in 2010 would be worth about $80 billion today, almost twice Daimler’s $45 billion market cap on Friday.

And secondly, by selling its stake, Daimler lost the arguably even more important seat on the Tesla Board of Directors, and with that critical access to information about batteries and autonomous technology that is essential to Daimler’s survival.

Daimler lost its ability to negotiate a potential new deal for Tesla to supply drivetrain technology to Mercedes-Benz, as it had for the B-Class. In those early days, Daimler did not believe Tesla would be able to deliver and considered the B-Class as a proof of concept. Even after Tesla provided a good electric battery and drivetrain, Daimler did not take the technology for battery electric vehicles seriously.

That lack of understanding of the future technology and demand for sustainable transportation is expressed in its first and only BEV designed in house, the EQC, a vehicle that has missed all expectations with only about 700 vehicles sold so far. To compare, the objective for 2020 is 50,000 units. “Too late, too expensive, and too boring,” a core investor said about the EQC in the last shareholder meeting, in which CEO Ola Källenius announced an employee layoff. Daimler revealed this week that it will let 20,000 employees go to save €2 billion.

My anger boiled up again when I listened to a live press event 2 weeks ago in which Källenius and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang released news about their strategic partnership on autonomous cars. I started my therapy session and wrote an article. (See that link.)

My thoughts received a lot of support and positive comments from my audience, which was expected — although, you never know. What was not expected is that after the article was released I received a request from NVIDIA asking if I would be interested in a conversation with the company’s Senior Director of Automotive, Danny Shapiro.

Usually, what you expect as an author after you express your not-so-friendly words in an article about a partnership between two companies is to NOT get an invitation for further events or conversations. I was positively surprised, but assumed that the request was initiated as a corrective measure about what I said and wrote, but I happily accepted.

I learned later, though, that I had been wrong.

Instead of trying to correct me or expressing justifications and explanations, like Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, did on LinkedIn, NVIDIA was truly only interested in a conversation, and I have therefore now gained even more respect for it.

It would be useful to have a conversation with the Senior Director of Automotive for NVIDIA, but I figured it would me much more valuable if I could publish the interview for others to see, and NVIDIA agreed to it. So, here it is, my conversation with Danny Shapiro, Senior Director of Automotive at NVIDIA, about autonomous driving, software, and the future of transportation. The summary title: “Make All Cars Autonomous.”

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About the Author

Alex Voigt Alex Voigt has been a supporter of the mission to transform the world to sustainable carbon free energy for 40 years. As an engineer, he is fascinated with the ability of humankind to develop a better future via the use of technology. With 30 years of experience in the stock market, he is invested in Tesla [TSLA], as well as some other tech companies, for the long term.

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