From Mike Ramsey’s WSJ article about Ford reconsidering its status as an automaker in a world being remade by ridesharing and robocars:

“Over the past several years, Ford’s attention has turned to mobility – or rather, preventing immobility. During a speech on June 24, [incoming CEO Mark] Fields talked about Ford becoming a ‘mobility company.’ He has argued that auto makers should be part of discussions about how to ease gridlock and congestion in the world’s growing cities.

Some rival auto makers are expressing similar concerns in similar language. ‘New technologies are changing how we think about automobiles and transportation,’ Osamu Nagata, president of Toyota Motor’s North American engineering and manufacturing operations said in a statement Friday.

The threat urban congestion poses to the auto industry is becoming clearer as big cities in China, the world’s largest vehicle market, have begun limiting new car registrations.”