A couple of days ago we wrote about General Motors abandoning its Cruise robotaxi. This is not surprising. Robotaxis are really computers on wheels, and the driver is software - artificial intelligence. General Motors is not a software company. This may seem like an obvious statement but it has profound implications. Software companies are used to rapid prototyping, rapid cycles of creation, testing, destruction, corrections and a new round of testing. Companies that work with material things simply cannot match this level of speed. In large measure it’s psychological – even if you hire young computer team, the management still has “physical world limitations” mentality. Tesla and SpaceX do try to replicate this software process – that’s why spectacular explosions of the Starship are considered part of the development plan – but keep in mind Elon Musk made his first fortune in computer software, so the push comes from the top, and he has the u ... read more

Yesterday General Motors announced that it was exiting the Cruise robotaxi business. Previously GM claimed robotaxis would generate $50 billion revenue by 2030. But as Yogi Berra famously said “It is dangerous to make forecasts, especially about the future.” After assessing the competitive space, and the investments they would have to continue to make, GM decided to pull the plug on Cruise. Wall Street analysts were positive about the news – GM spent around 10 billion dollars so far, with not much to show for the expense.  Even with the rapid improvement in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving is a difficult and complex endeavor.  It’s one thing to drive on an empty highway, it’s another matter altogether driving in a city during the rush hour. Anybody who has seen Waymo vehicles on the streets of San Francisco or has watched videos of said Waymo cars performing less than brilliantly, has some inkling of how far we have to go. Not that h ... read more

How often do you ask yourself, “Who’s taking care of my car?” If the answer is unclear, it might be time to reassess your vehicle maintenance routine. Even though cars are much more reliable and better built than they were 40 years ago (all mechanics we know, and we know a lot of them, are in agreement on that), cars still need regular maintenance. Granted, there are plenty of sensors in your car that will alert you to developing problems – something cars from 40 years ago did not have – yet regular maintenance remains the first line of defense against breakdowns, and it significantly lowers total cost of ownership, and extends your vehicle’s lifespan. So establishing a connection with a reliable auto repair shop is vital for your car’s wellbeing and your peace of mind. Just like choosing a doctor for your health, selecting the right mechanic ensures your car stays in top condition, prevents costly surprises, and keeps you confidently on the r ... read more

The study asks responses from over 100,000 purchases and lessees of vehicles acquired in 2024. Study focuses on the first 90 days of ownership. Internal combustion engine vehicles averaged 180 problems per 100 vehicles. On the other hand, battery electric vehicles got 266 problems per 100 vehicles. That’s 48% higher. The study shows that EVs, even though they have fewer parts and systems, ended up requiring more repairs than regular, gasoline powered cars. We understand that newer technologies used in EVs may increase number of problems – but most everybody expected that fewer parts and systems would result in fewer problems – simply because there is less stuff that could break. Apparently this is not the case. Tesla gets the blame for dragging down EV score, which makes sense considering the huge number of Tesla vehicles sold. One sore point was the removal of traditional turn signal controls and traditional wiper control – these changes are not seen as benef ... read more

One of the more interesting announcements at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show was that Nvidia and Mercedes are working on AI in the Mercedes-Benz automobiles.   While Mercedes is researching self-driving cars, in the meantime they offer AI enhancements to the overall automobile use experience. Mercedes announced that it will offer a Virtual Assistant which is supposed to offer a mix of proactive and empathetic interactions. It is supposed to model four emotions and adapt them to the needs, preferences and moods of the humans. While personally I don’t want my car chatting me up, it might come in handy when kids are riding in the back – let the AI handle “Are we there yet?” questions. Mercedes will, supposedly, train large language model (artificial intelligence) to know the history of Mercedes vehicles, but also the know the manual/handbook for a particular model, as well as status of the vehicle information.  Drivers will be able to have a conversa ... read more

Hertz car rental company is selling about 20,000 electric vehicles, including Teslas. Apparently the cost of collision damage for EVs is causing Hertz to rethink their commitment to convert 25% of their rental fleet to electric vehicles by the end of 2024 - clearly this will not happen. Sine a number of customers driving EVs were involved in collisions, Hertz decided to lessen the chance of future collisions involving EVs, by limiting the torque and speed of their EVs. It has not been widely reported, but collision shop owners are thrilled with the EVs, as their high acceleration results in increased probability of a collision, at least until drivers get used to driving EVs. So while there are headwinds facing the EV industry, as individuals we may benefit from Hertz's sale. You can check out their website, apparently in addition to Tesla's Model 3, they also have BMW's i3 and Chevrolet's Bolt for sale. Naturally when you consider used EV purchase, you should keep in ... read more