Reinventing the Wheel

Major automobile manufacturers are undergoing what could be the greatest transformation in their history. Previously viewed strictly as carmakers and loved by their fans for the individual features of their products, they are turning into providers of comprehensive mobility strategies. New markets are arising around fields such as electric mobility, autonomous driving, digitalization, and connectivity. Carmakers are therefore rethinking their entire product creation processes in unprecedented ways—they are having to manage ever greater levels of complexity and strategically rethink established development principles.

For this tremendous transformation to succeed, a cultural transformation is needed as well. Old silos have to be dismantled and new ways of thinking and working introduced in far-sighted ways. Making cars is no longer sufficient on its own. Instead, developers have to integrate entire mobile ecosystems—including new charging technologies for electric vehicles, the interplay of different mobile devices, and cutting-edge, smart customer services.