Developing a new Plug-in Electric Vehicle ecosystem for automotive distribution

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Abstract:

The European Commission has recently stated an intention to cut the use of oil and gas fuelled cars in urban areas in half by 2030 and boldly aimed to ‘phase them out by 2050’. Whilst it is difficult for industry to plan for these extended horizons and timescales, it is clear that many carmakers are following a power-train diversity strategy that includes purely electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The establishment of an electric car infrastructure prompts the arrival of new entrants into the traditional automotive ecosystem of industries and businesses, and energy companies in particular will have a key role to play in the development of new business models. From interviews with selected industry experts and secondary data on the early stage experiments by carmakers, governments, energy companies and data integrators, a qualitative analysis is made of the implications of power-train diversity for the structure of the automotive industry and the nature of the secondary markets such as residual values, infrastructure development and energy prices that support it.