My interpretation would be that cars are necessary to live in places where urban design assumes that we'll use cars to get around. Many cities are designed this way.

Similarly, phones are required now for some activities, like online banking. First it was an option, then it became the norm.

Exactly.

General Motors contributed significantly to the decline of passenger rail in the USA.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_consp...