By the end of 2000, the company hopes that will reach 1 million to 1.5 million. With the formation of its new GM unit, the giant automaker is betting it can boost revenues billions of dollars a year through digital, in-car services and hardware. There will be a digital explosion of technology in vehicles. It's the real tectonic shift. GM isn't the only automaker expecting to hear the cash register ring.
Cost is one of the biggest hurdles the industry faces.
But as with home electronics, prices are falling rapidly. Today, they're standard equipment on even some entry level products. Paul A. Eisenstein is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.