Startups in Silicon Valley would tell you that the automotive future is near, and it involves car sharing, autonomous driving, and all-electric motors. It’s a future most traditional automakers also believe in.
But just when that future will arrive is up for debate, which creates an expensive conundrum for established international automakers. With a huge global workforce and pension obligations to millions of retirees, automakers—unlike tech startups—really can’t afford to make wrong or mistimed bets.
