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Editorial

  • Magazine Article
  • 20AVEP09_01
Published September 01, 2020 by SAE International in United States
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  • English
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The mobility industry is moving unsteadily toward some sort of “new normal,” its definition still ambiguous. Since COVID-19's arrival, I've spoken with many engineers and a few industry leaders about the challenges they'll face in the post-pandemic world. One ongoing hurdle they agree on is the capital crunch facing their companies and how it is affecting funding for the enormous R&D demands of vehicle autonomy and vehicle electrification.

This vital topic was covered in “Rebuilding the Automotive Sector's Capital Base,” one of the Center for Automotive Research's 2020 Management Briefing Seminars online sessions. One panelist, Rod Lache, veteran analyst at Wolfe Research, vividly described the legions of tech startups who have failed in the autos space, as “melting ice cubes.”