The human-first future of mobility

After 17 years in automotive design and innovation, I've witnessed the industry's most exciting transformation since the invention of the automobile. Software has unlocked a chance to rethink what a vehicle can be, turning cars into intelligent products that evolve with their owners.

The opportunity before North American Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) is extraordinary. By embracing software-enabled vehicles and human-centered design, we can create mobility experiences that don't just transport people from point A to point B, but anticipate needs, adapt to preferences and seamlessly integrate into the fabric of daily life.

Reinventing the automotive experience

Hardware will always be the core of automotive genius. What is changing is how software can enhance that core in exciting new ways. When digital intelligence orchestrates seats, climate, lighting, audio and suspension together, the car responds to people in the moment.

Recent demonstrations show vehicles performing 360-degree turns using individual wheel motors and intelligent braking systems. While these are not everyday features for the average consumer, they reveal the canvas we’re working with.

This is about reimagining what vehicles can accomplish when hardware excellence meets software intelligence. We can make vehicles not just capable, but delightful.

The personalization opportunity

The vehicle represents one of the most exciting opportunities in personalization. It's a super-defined space where we know exactly where the customer will be positioned. Unlike homes or offices, every vehicle has predetermined speakers, displays, seats and interaction points. This constraint enables innovation with precision.

Imagine these human-first, software-enabled experiences:

• For an off-road adventurer, their vehicle becomes an intelligent co-pilot, automatically adjusting suspension settings, enhancing environmental awareness through sound design and loading trail-specific navigation that considers real-time conditions.
• For a luxury hypercar owner, their vehicle remembers personal, IoT-enabled garage settings, automatically adjusting ride height for speed bumps and loading track-specific configurations before they arrive at the circuit.
• For the family traveler planning a road trip, their EV preconditions intelligently, coordinating maintenance and ensuring the vehicle runs flawlessly for the journey.

In each of these examples, brand promise becomes a living experience enabled by software. This deepens loyalty by honoring what people love most about their vehicles.

The human-centered mobility ecosystem

Widening the lens from the vehicle itself, we can use intelligent software to reimagine the entire customer experience. Every touchpoint — from initial research through purchase, ownership and beyond — can come together seamlessly, always with the customer at the center.

The mobile app is no longer an accessory to the hardware. It is the new hub of the ownership journey. Today, that journey still feels fragmented. The opportunity is to give customers a single companion that connects financing, charging, service and in-vehicle intelligence in one simple experience. Don’t think of a passive companion app, but of your very own intelligent assistant.

This is the vision for seamless, all-in-one mobility platforms. Simple cues like “I’m planning a trip” should trigger proactive support, powered by AI that understands context and learns from every interaction. Your mobility assistant anticipates your needs rather than waiting for inputs, transforming vehicle ownership into a joyful, effortless experience.

Partnerships that unlock new value

When vehicles improve through software updates and last longer, new business models emerge. This opens the door to strategic partnerships that benefit everyone in the ecosystem.

For example:

• Insurance companies can offer personalized, usage-based rates that reward safe driving.
• Utility companies can gain intelligent grid management partners as more EVs enable bidirectional charging, turning vehicles into distributed energy storage.
• Entertainment platforms can deliver tailored content experiences.
• Infrastructure providers can integrate with vehicle systems for frictionless charging, parking, and seamless payments.

The OEMs who connect these relationships most thoughtfully and prioritize customer experience will lead the way.

Reimagining the sales experience

The vehicle sales experience is ripe for transformation. Rather than digitizing the current process, we can totally rethink how consumers shop, finance and buy.

Instead of inventory-driven transactions, imagine consultative experiences led by sales professionals with deep knowledge about vehicle capabilities. This requires investing in employee experience alongside customer experience; ensuring sales teams have comprehensive training, access to the right tools and the support to deliver on the brand promise at every interaction.

Complementing a well-trained human staff, agentic AI systems can serve as “always-on” virtual experts to carry on the sales conversation. In parallel, these digital agents can execute essential background tasks that streamline the closing process.

The path forward

North American OEMs already hold a powerful advantage: deep relationships with millions of loyal drivers and decades of engineering excellence. When we combine this foundation with software-enabled innovation, we can create truly human-centered experiences that make every journey better.

The companies that succeed will:

• Create unified, human-centered digital experiences across all touchpoints
• Build software competencies internally while forming value-additive strategic partnerships
• Develop business models that extend beyond regular vehicle sales and span from private consumers to fleet operators
• Invest in employee training and customer understanding to transform the sales process
• Focus on brand-aligned innovation that elevates the driver experience

The road ahead is open and the technology is here. Let’s build mobility experiences people cannot imagine living without.