Aurélien Fleurot / Credits: CHEN XIAOGEN / IMAGINECHINA / IMAGINECHINA VIA AFP 7:45 a.m., April 8, 2024
After a phase of partnerships, such as between Renault and Google or between Stellantis and Amazon, more and more technology companies are investing in the automotive sector with great ambitions. A fundamental trend which has become possible thanks to the evolution of cars, more connected and electric.
What if technology giants became the car manufacturers of tomorrow? This is at least becoming an underlying trend which is arriving after several partnerships such as with Renault and Google or between Stellantis and Amazon. Now, technology companies are investing in the automotive sector with great ambitions. The latest two examples confirm this trend.
First there is Samsung, the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, which is announcing a revolutionary battery for 2026. The South Korean giant promises that it will allow an electric car to be recharged in 9 minutes and will have a record lifespan. And then there is Xiaomi, the Chinese electronics group which has just launched its first car. A sedan of which 100,0000 copies were ordered in 48 hours.
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An evolution of the market
These two newcomers are taking advantage of market developments. “The arrival of the electric vehicle has the tendency to break the barrier of the thermal vehicle and as a result, this opens the possibility for new players to look at a global market of more than 90 million vehicles which is much more open today than it was a few years ago", explains to Europe 1, Guillaume Crunelle, head of automotive activities at Deloitte.
But succeeding in mass-producing a car while managing to differentiate yourself is not something for everyone. Apple has just abandoned its project, after 10 years of work, 2,000 employees mobilized and a sum close to 10 billion dollars spent in vain.