I can see the future of the automobile–I just can’t hear it. I’m riding around General Motors’ secure proving grounds in Milford, Mich., in what from the outside looks like an ordinary Chevrolet ...

I was 18, fresh out of high school working at one of the most exciting jobs a teenager could get—a lot porter at a Chevrolet dealership. This was post-bailout, “new GM,” which was in full swing circa ...