RESEARCH PAPERINFOGRAPHICVIDEOUNSUSTAINABLE ECONOMICS
Volvo delayed the EX90’s production start by five to six months. CEO Jim Rowan cited “the complexity of the software code” as Volvo shifted toward core computing and developed more software internally
Stellantis paused its Level 3 autonomous-driving program before rollout. The company cited limited demand, while reporting also identified significant expense, technical hurdles, and uncertainty about customer interest.
Volkswagen’s software unit CARIAD recorded a €2.431 billion operating loss on €1.327 billion in revenue in 2024. After a broad restructuring, CARIAD described the organization as approximately 30% leaner; its operating loss narrowed to €2.2 billion in 2025
Ford ended development of FNV4, its clean-sheet zonal electrical architecture, after escalating cost and delays. Ford described the change as combining two electrical architectures into one common path, while reporting said the program was terminated
These were not underfunded teams with small ambitions.
They were some of the industry’s most serious attempts to change how vehicles are developed.
No amount of software investment can out-engineer a fragmented architecture underneath it.