What’s Now? Chapter 3 – BMW Faces the Future of the Driverless Car

The future of the automobile industry, while still blurry, is beginning to come into focus. Experts agree that self-driving cars are the future. But will we own one of these cars? Or will a self-driving Uber pick us up and take us where we want to go as needed? Planning for these potential futures are challenges facing all carmakers.

Chapter 3 briefly explores the influence of technology with the example of the driverless car. “The Ultimate Driving Machine Prepares for a Driverless World” (Fortune, March 1, 2016) digs deep into this future from the perspective of German carmaker BMW. The image on the right is a BMW Vision concept car.

Conduct a SWOT analysis on BMW as it looks at this future. Identify two strengths, two weaknesses, two opportunities, and two threats.