Motor industry at crossroads
Executives see new technologies changing the game more than mergers such as PSA’s purchase of Opel
Geneva — The motor industry is facing seismic changes with the rise of electric vehicles, automated driving and car sharing set to eclipse even big mergers such as PSA’s purchase of Opel as a focus of attention, executives at the Geneva auto show said. Peugeot maker PSA Group said on Monday it would buy loss-making Opel from General Motors (GM), creating Europe’s biggest car maker after Volkswagen (VW) and sparking speculation of more consolidation. However, some industry executives said the deal was unlikely to alter the landscape, with changing consumer habits and new rivals in Silicon Valley and China likely to have a much bigger effect on car makers. "My feeling is that the industry as a whole and brand positioning will change in the next 10 or 15 years, and that comes in addition to traditional consolidation," said Herbert Diess, the head of VW’s passenger car division. "We are really in a transitionary phase for the industry. There are new competitors on the horizon like Tesla...
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