Taas Master
Thoughts On Transportation as a Service
Waymo Takes on LA to Understand Congestion
In a recent Forbes article, David Margines (Waymo product manager for mapping) asks if the traffic congestion in Los Angles is different than the congestion experienced in San Francisco. This is important for Waymo to understand as the company rolls-out its autonomous...
Being an Auto Dealer in an Autonomous Vehicle World?
The CEO of CDK Global Inc, Brian Krzanich, doesn’t believe autonomous vehicles will eliminate the need for automotive dealers. Automotive News is reporting (subscription required) that Krzanich recently told dealers during a conference that people will continue to own...
Can Rivian Succeed with a Direct-to-Consumer Vehicle Sales Model?
Automotive News is reporting today (subscription required) that Rivian, the electric truck and SUV startup, will utilize a subscription service as the retail model to consumers. Other automakers (mostly luxury auto brands) have tried subscription retail models...
Has Tesla Invented the Million Mile Battery?
According to an article written by Steve LeVine at Medium, Tesla may have invented the million mile battery. Based on patents filed by Tesla and an academic paper co-authored by a respected battery researcher (Jeff Dahn) on contract with Tesla, other top battery...
Waymo Might Not Be as Valuable as We Think
CNBC is reporting that Morgan Stanley analysts have cut their valuation of Waymo by 40%. Morgan Stanley’s valuation of Waymo is still a hefty $105 billion. But this valuation level is down from $175 billion previously. The most significant factor contributing to...
The Wall St. Journal Reviews Porche’s Electric Taycan
A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Porsche Taycan seems to be a "best effort car by an auto company determined to lead." Dan Neil of the Wall Street Journal seems to agree. The difference between Dan and me, however, is he has now driven the all-electric Taycan, and...
GM Will Use Alexa as More Automakers Succumb to Silicon Valley for Infotainment and Operating Systems
General Motors is bringing Amazon Alexa to the infotainment system of its vehicles next year. This was announced during the Amazon Devices event this week. Alexa will be added via over-the-air updates on model year vehicles of 2018 and newer. This Alexa announcement...
Will Tesla Beat Uber?
In an interesting Barron’s article, Larry Ellison (Oracle’s founder and executive chairman) reportedly said at a recent event that he does not see the investment logic for WeWork and Uber. While discussing Uber, he asserted that the company has no technology and no...
Amazon is Going Green and Rivian is Part of the Solution
The Amazon-led $700 million investment in Rivian last February is beginning to make sense. It seems that Amazon's plan to meet the goals of the Paris climate accord 10 years ahead of schedule will include the purchase of 100,000 Rivian-produced electric delivery vans....
Is the UAW (United Auto Workers) on Strike Against General Motors Because of Electric Vehicles?
Today, there are 48,000 UAW GM employees on a labor strike against the automaker in the United States. Business Insider is suggesting that GM's investments in developing EVs are exacerbating the labor dispute. Through June of this year, GM only sold approximately...