The auto industry faces the dilemma of how to deal with industry disruptors in the shape of tech companies such as Google, Apple and Tesla.
Some company bosses regard them as competitors, while others seek partnerships and joint ventures.
Analysts are split on future trends. Some predict that in the future automakers could be just suppliers of cars as hardware, ceding market dominance to tech companies. But others see carmakers that can democratize technology, and make it reliable and accessible to the masses.
Seat President Luca de Meo says historically the auto industry seldom came first in new technologies but hints that disruptors could be overcome by the sheer capacity of automakers to realize change on a massive scale. He reckons that new technologies will only prove a success if they can deliver a substantial benefit to the customer.
But de Meo may be wrong to think that carmakers will have many years to prepare to compete in electric mobility against newcomers such as Tesla. He believes the tipping point at which electric drivetrains will overtake internal combustion engines is still a long way off, since their use remains limited by range, and the high price tag and shaky residual values scare customers away.
He bases his judgment on the fact that there are more people paying for a season ticket to a Barcelona football club than people buying electric cars in Europe at the moment.
What de Meo fails to see is the pace of change not only in Barcelona but worldwide. China wants 8 percent imports of electric cars next year — estimated to be 1 million cars at least. Most manufacturers are promising electric models by 2020, and some electric models are already successful in the markets, such as Tesla, the Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3.
What car-industry bosses need to realize is that the battle with disruptors has already begun, and the industry does not have that much time to prepare itself.
• Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist based in London.
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