General Motors: Vision for the Future

Rick Wagoner's speech at the Consumer Electronics Show covered much of what I've been thinking about the future of the automobile. I was very impressed with the breadth and depth of GM's vision as I read the transcript.

Three points that stand out are driverless vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle (and network) communication, and electric drive. I've touched on these things in other posts. Certainly not the only one, so it seems there is some conceptual convergence within the automotive industry.

In the speech there was also discussion of hydrogen and other advance propulsion methods. But ultimately, it all comes down to voltage and current. No matter where the energy comes from, whether it's oil, coal, biofuel, or nuclear, the future is electric.

There's a long road from vision to reality. It's anybody's guess how events will eventually unfold but it is abundantly clear that General Motors does not lack vision. I hope and believe it will come to pass.