Car manufacturing does not fit the big tech business model

It has been a staple rumour in the auto industry for a number of years: the Apples and Googles of the world, with more money than they know what to do with, are preparing to take the plunge into vehicle manufacturing. To casual onlookers, it may have seemed more than just idle talk: Google’s Firefly, the steering-wheel-free prototype used in early testing, was at one point synonymous with self-driving technology. Apple’s secrecy on all matters automotive has only stoked the rumour mill, with whispers of the top-secret ‘SG5’ lab just recently resurfacing. And when Sony shocked CES 2020 with its Vision-S electric vehicle (EV) concept, it showed just what tech companies were capable of.