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Electric Cars Are Splitting The Automobile Industry In Half
The automotive industry is on the verge of massive disruption. The decisions companies make today might determine their fate.
In an industry as established as the automotive industry, it’s rare to see the industry leaders diverge as fundamentally as they are today. By vehicles sold, Toyota and the VW Group are the two largest automakers in the world. When it comes to the future of electric cars, the two companies have taken firmly opposed stances.
On one side, we have Volkswagen (VW) Group, which also owns Audi and Porsche. In the aftermath of their Diesel emissions scandal, VW Group has re-invented itself with the help of new Chairman Herbert Diess. Diess has taken an aggressive stance towards electric vehicles, putting the urgency of the transition in clear terms for his managerial team. The message was simple: if we don’t adapt quickly, we die.
Nokia is probably a good example of how such a change can happen — if you’re not fast enough, you’re not going to survive. — Herbert Diess, Chairman of the VW Group
