Faster, Smarter, Greener: The Future of the Car and Urban Mobility (The MIT Press)

by Venkat Sumantran

Standardization worked well for economics but offered limited market appeal. Product differentiation worked wonders in the market but could ruin economics. Henry Ford and Alfred Sloan had advanced theories that occupied opposite ends of the pendulum’s course. Many automakers found that the golden mean was elusive. Often the large automakers oscillated between phases. For some, economics dictated that cars shared so much commonality that all the sister brands looked alike. For others, cost savings were squandered on excessive differentiation. The bottom line, however, was simple: customers wanted variety so that their cars were different from the ones their neighbors owned, but customers also wanted affordable cars. Variety and economy were both important.