Apr 16 2024 56 mins 16
This week’s episode of the Ride AI podcast is a mind-meld between automotive analyst Ed Niedermeyer and tech-innovation scholar Horace Dediu about why the car industry is ripe for disruption. Their conversation is a reflection on the transformative power of past innovations like computers and phones, and the need to imagine a better future for mobility. Together they discuss:
The concept of unbundling the car for different trip types and purposes, similar to computing devices
Observation that the world seeks to improve cars, but they are already highly optimized
Critique of current approaches by companies like Tesla and Apple, which aim to fit new technologies into the existing car model
Emphasis on the need for truly disruptive innovation in mobility, either through cheaper, more accessible options or new directions of competition
Discussion on the potential for self-driving technology to transform mobility by enabling new experiences and connections
Examinations of the challenges of building an EV that is both cheap and has extensive battery range
Why investors are over-focused on cars as a platform at the expense of other autonomous driving use-cases, like agriculture, defense, and transit.
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