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Morgan Stanley predicts radical auto industry consolidation

A lack of technological foresight and changing economic conditions may bring dramatic consolidation to the auto industry in the next 15 to 20 years. Industry analyst Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley believes that the number of major automakers could go from around 30 today to as few as 6 in that time. However, a catastrophe is avoidable.
Jonas' argument is that the world has more automakers than it can sustain. He contends that too many of them are more focused on next year's models than attempting to adapt to technological change. Without looking forward, they won't survive.
Tesla might be the lighthouse leading automakers away from the rocks. While still quite small, it has disrupted the status quo and shown that there's more than one way to prepare for new innovations. "With proper execution, Detroit may thank Tesla Motors for being that stiff board in the back of the head right when they needed it," said Jonas to The Detroit News.

Recent Tesla Model S buyers frustrated over new features

Tesla wowed the motoring world when it recently unveiled the all-wheel drive, dual-motor D version that added power and range to the already well-regarded Model S. At the same time, the company showed off a new suite of safe-driving tech like a forward-looking camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors to come standard on all models. While the new features might attract some new buyers into the fold, for a few current owners the upgrades aren't coming as a pleasant surprise at all. Some of them are rallying for Tesla to fix things somehow.
These disgruntled owners aren't upset about what any of the new features actually do; in fact, they love them. The issue is Tesla's secrecy before the reveal. A few of these folks bought their cars just a few months ago, some even in September, according to The San Jose Mercury News. If the upgrades had been publicized earlier, then they would have waited to order versions with the latest and greatest tech.
Some of them are already on the web lodging their complaints. According to The San Jose Mercury News, the website Change.org has competing petitions asking Tesla to find a way to retrofit the features, which the company says isn't possible, and another requesting the automaker to ignore the complainers.

Nissan exec says Tesla isn't a disruptor, but Uber is

Everyone seems to have an opinion on Tesla. Depending on whom you ask, the EV maker might be the world's most innovative company, only offering incremental improvements to the internal combustion engine, or just plain stupid. Unsurprisingly, Nissan North America's senior vice president of manufacturing and supply John Martin doesn't think the company is worth the hype either, but Uber might truly disrupt things in his opinion. Uber is already a serious threat to the taxi industry, according to Martin, and it's forcing changes in the market there. Plus, without needing to manufacture anything, the company is cheaper to run than an automaker. Other companies are already looking at entering the ridesharing business one day. Once autonomous tech becomes sophisticated enough, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are considering the idea. In addition, Tesla and Google are reportedly mulling similar possibilities for the future. As long as Tesla remains a luxury brand without a direct challenger to the Leaf, Martin doesn't seem too worried. "People ask me: 'When are you going to compete with Tesla?' And I ask them, 'When is Tesla going to compete against me,'" he said at a conference panel, according to Automotive News. With some major hires, Google is taking the auto industry seriously, and Apple appears to be, as well. However, Martin is also outwardly unfazed by this potential competition, Automotive News reports. Not only does this pair currently lack the manufacturing to build cars, but the industry offers far lower margins than they are used to, the Nissan exec believes. Related Video: