Is a Next-Generation EV more Sony than Tesla?

[voyager]

More Foxconn than Volkswagen?
More Apple than Ford?
More GE than GM?

In other words, will the car remain that basically same craftsman-like product that car makers
always said it is and would be? Despite of the replacement of the ICE for electric drive...

Isreali company REE already said that one of the last considered typically carmaker's expertise,
suspension technology and vehicle dynamics, can be put together and managed electronically...

Here are some latest products from electronics / electrical appliance producers:

Huawei

Foxconn

Sony

Xiaomi

 

[Schweppes]

Personally I'd like to see cars go back to the old days, where a manufacturer makes the frame/propulsion and coach builders do the body and interior.

 

[ThomasD]

Like this

big-limos

Big Limos, your #1 custom limousine builder & limo manufacturing company specializes in building high quality executive coaches and limo fleets.

www.big-limos.com

 

[ZenRockGarden]

Traditional carmakers had increasingly outsourced pieces of their cars to the point where yes, the main in-house competencies tended to have narrowed down to the Engine, the frame/unibody and the job of integrating the parts.

Although I don't use quite your words, I think we may see a major shift as the world moves to electric drivatrains.

The prediction is there will be far FEWER makers of the drivetrain. Like 3 or 4. Economies of scale will mean that only a few huge makers actually manufacture the motors, batteries, and make-it-go pieces. Everyone else will put their own cabin and interior on top one of the platforms - this is already happening in the form of the coming Honda Electric SUV which is built on.... GMs Ultium platform.

If I had to guess, you'll see it cook down to Tesla, Hyundai/Kia, GM, and maybe one other such as VW.

But this won't mean the end of all the other brands - in fact it likely ushers in a rush of new nameplates with niche markets because the electric-skateboard-like platforms are outstanding to put whatever-you-want on top of it. Make a pickup, a mini hatch, a retro-sled, a george-jetson-ufo-on-wheels - with the make-it-go parts all handled for you, we're back to the 1900's with "coachbuilders" who put cars on top a frame-and-engine that you literally personally bought from someone else. Should be fun.