The New York Times, 11-17-2016, LOS ANGELES — For decades, the car business has been about style, performance, image and fuel efficiency. But suddenly, the industry is in a technological and sociological upheaval that may force automobiles — and the companies that make them — to change more in the next five years than they have in the last 50.

That was evident in this week’s AutoMobility LA conference, an event held by the organizers of the Los Angeles Auto Show, which will continue over the next two weeks.

AutoMobility is an apt name, because much of the innovation seems to involve making the car ever more like a giant smartphone on wheels. But social mobility is a factor, too, as carmakers confront the surging popularity of ride-hailing services, which means fewer people see a need to own a car, while the push toward autonomous vehicles portends a time when many cars will not need people to drive them.

Maybe this auto convention should be renamed the Los Angeles Technology Show, given the presence of companies like Intel, Cisco and Garmin here, all intent on making digital, internet-connected vehicles even more so. Digital security companies, like Argus Cyber Security and QNX, were also here, promising to protect networked cars against hackers.