The Car Industry Goes Fully Radioactive
If all company bosses were as articulate and provocative as Sergio Marchionne, business journalism would be a cinch. Jargon-laden and gnomic pronouncements aren't his style.
The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV CEO served up his latest zinger on last week's earnings call:
"From a valuation standpoint ... I have never seen an industry which is as little loved as being an OEM today. For a period of time I thought that banking had reached the bottom but I think we have now surpassed them in terms of dislike."
Autonomous Vehicles Projected To Drive In-Car Advertising
Following mobile as the third screen, the car of the future is poised to become yet another screen where publishers and advertisers compete for attention.
A new report paints a picture of autonomous vehicles becoming a new frontier aggressively used by brands to build deeper digital relationships with customers.
The study by Forrester suggests that autonomous vehicles will reshape the global economy, dramatically impacting six industries: media, automotive, shipping and logistics, insurance, government and data security and privacy.
Autonomous cars will drive an advertising renaissance, according to the study. "Texting, setting the navigation and playing with the infotainment system all contribute to accidents," states the report. "But in a world where transport is autonomous, people will consider the physical act of driving the distraction."
House Advances Bill to Clear Road for Self-Driving Cars
Automakers each would be allowed to test up to 100,000 self-driving cars per year on U.S. roads, and states would be prevented from passing laws to prevent them from doing so under a bill advanced Thursday by a panel in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The measure, unanimously approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would allow the Secretary of Transportation to grant exemptions to federal motor vehicle rules that require cars to have human operators for 25,000 cars per automaker initially if automakers can prove they meet existing safety standards for traditional cars.
After a 12-month period, the number of exemptions per manufacturer would increase to 50,000, and it would go up to 100,000 in the third and fourth years.
Congress Kills Border Tax that Could Have Piled Thousands on to New Car Prices
Congressional leaders have signaled that they will scrap a border tax on incoming goods, including cars, as part of a larger tax overhaul proposal.
"While we have debated the pro-growth benefits of border adjustability, we appreciate that there are many unknowns associated with it and have decided to set this policy aside in order to advance tax reform," U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement Thursday.
Some estimates pegged the cost to consumers for a border tax at up to $17,000 on some cars, and automakers rallied this month to kill the tax provision.
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