The auto industry is back at it. In the wake of near collapse, manufacturers are on the attack and on multiple fronts. Americans are shifting (slowly) away from an auto-scentric view to a more multimodal paradigm. Did anyone get to go to Rail~Volution this weekend at the Westin (some really great information and a lot of energy)? But the car companies won't give up without a fight.
Exhibit A
Advertising - Audi recently put out a new ad to promote their "clean diesel" A3 TDI. As they put it, it's more "fun" to do your part by driving their car rather than using any alternative to the automobile. It's quite funny how they show the negative aspects to alternative travel methods and not a single negative aspect to driving a car.
Exhibit B
Design Competition - Lexus is sponsoring the Parkitecture Design Competition. As Americans decide to use other transit options, the need for multiple cars within their family is shrinking. Lexus thinks otherwise. The competition promotes the concept of 1) a free-standing building (great use of land area) and 2) the need to store up to three autos (though they do not state this is for the hypothetical family but they also do not state that you should consider in the design the access by multiple families).
With big budgets and already-established mechanisms, the auto industry has the potential of slowing and/or steering the multimodal paradigm shift that has been brewing. How can we sustain and continue this shift, given this bear's desire to monopolize?
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