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GM has a massive distribution, storage, and service network that Uber will have to replace if they are going to stop relying on drivers buying, storing, and mai
by numbsafari 9y ago
GM has a massive distribution, storage, and service network that Uber will have to replace if they are going to stop relying on drivers buying, storing, and maintaining their personal cars.
This absolutely will be a big shift for the existing manufacturers, likely resulting in major cuts in manufacturing employment.
The question is: are they taking steps to be prepared for the change, or will the change catch them off guard?
It seems like GM is preparing itself, at least on the tech side. Is it taking similar measures to bolster and prepare its balance sheet? That’s unclear to me. But that’s what I’d be looking for.
- MR4D 9y agoI don’t disagree with your comment, but wish to add one important note: Once cars are pure electric (not hybrid), then that maintenance network becomes fairly worthless. I think Tesla has shown how little maintenance an electric car needs, and how much smaller the related infrastructure becomes.
- mantas 9y agoAny car still has suspension, brakes, electronics, body, tires and all the small gimmicks .. And autonomous cars will bring on even more sensors and electronics. Existing maintenance network already deals with sensors and electronics.
- coding123 9y agoNo no no you see the way this works is let's say the car you are in gets a chip in the windshield from a rock... It will immediately dial home for a solution which will most likely be to drive itself off a bridge to get a total replacement, and forge the records by generating a video of a non-driverless car swerving into it, with a database of license plates of known driver based cars..