Cars have the ability to connect with apps such as Spotify or Apple Music, but what’s next for in-auto entertainment?
Volvo says it’s all about the apps.
“The best apps...making those super easy to use,” Atif Rafiq, the company’s Chief Digital Officer, told Cheddar. “That’s what we’re focused on.”
But it doesn’t stop there.
Volvo plans to make all of its fleets “at least” hybrid by 2019, an effort to build on its electric and self-driving car initiatives. The company recently announced that it will provide Uber with 24,000 XC90s, for its self-driving fleets.
Rafiq says that the Uber partnership is reflective of where the car industry is moving: autonomous driving as a service.
“We’re focused on both the consumer and these B2B markets when it comes to autonomous driving,” he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-volvo-is-driving-innovation-in-2018).
GM CFO Paul Jacobson joined Cheddar to talk about the automaker's Q3 earnings beat. Despite COVID concerns at some of its plants overseas as well as the ongoing global chip shortage, Jacobson said he expects the average sale price of GM's vehicles — around $50,000 — to remain the same going into 2022, even as inventory remains low. He also talked about plans to open more battery plants in coordination with the efforts to transform GM's fleet fully into electric vehicles.
Kevin Cohee, chairman and CEO of OneUnited Bank, joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to talk about the launch of its Greenwood debit card keeping alive the legacy of Tulsa, Oklahoma's historic Black Wall Street. Cohee also discussed the importance of shopping with Black businesses and investing in Black-led and owned financial institutions. "Our leaders have understood, since the end of slavery, the importance of us being organized in order to be effective in a capitalist society," he said.
Alex Wilhelm, a senior editor at TechCrunch, joined Cheddar to talk about the ups and downs of fashion rental company Rent the Runway as it went public on the Nasdaq. "In the case of Rent the Runway, the economics of its core business are a little bit suspect, I think, and the company's high debt load puts a pretty serious drag on its operations," he said. "And so when you consider it's going to spend a lot of its IPO paying down debt, you wonder what's going to be left over to fund future growth."
Following the 100,000 Tesla Model-3 order by rental car company Hertz, Uber announced its drivers will be able to rent Teslas for work beginning in 2023. Of the Hertz purchased Model 3 cars, 50,000 of those will be available to Uber drivers starting at $344 per week.
A wave of companies spanning several industries is reporting their Q3 earnings reports on Wednesday. Strategic marketing across brands is said to have played a role in what's looking like a successful quarter overall.
