Mobility and the Road Ahead - S6

clean mobility must be " supportive of life, " which means it must contribute
to " a healthier environment for the people in the world. "
The larger question then becomes how to achieve these overarching
and potentially opposing goals.
Regulating the future of mobility
On a global scale, the reduction of greenhouse gases is seen as a
major concern and key component in helping reduce pollution and
slow climate change. To this end, 187 countries responsible for 97%
of the world's climate pollution signed the landmark Paris Agreement
in 2015 to substantially reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, limit the
global temperature increase and help developing nations in their
climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
John Bennett, VP and CTO of Meritor said that, because of these
and other initiatives, " If you look globally, the legislation for carbon
dioxide reduction has become more and more
aggressive, and it's prompted our customers,
the OEMs, to develop strategies for how
they're going to meet greenhouse-gas reduction
targets. "
Part of those plans, he said, involves electrification,
while others are focused on optimizing
current core products and technologies, such as
diesel, and making them more efficient.
In either case, Bennett said there is no question
that these legislative initiatives " have driven the
industry much more quickly than the industry
would have moved without legislation. "
American Axle & Manufacturing's Pistagnesi agrees that legislation
has been a driving force behind mobility solutions, especially in the
development of electric vehicles. " Certainly, we are spending a lot
more of our development time and a lot more of our development
dollars right now around full battery electric propulsion technology
because we see that trend increasing at a faster rate. "
computing, true artificial intelligence and ADAS and autonomous
driving solutions will play an important role in supplanting legacy
engines with cleaner, more efficient electric propulsion systems.
Chen sees no single technology being transformative on its own,
and thinks a combination of technologies will redefine the solutions
that power transportation across the globe.
" What I think is
the most effective
strategy for a
company is to
stay ahead of the
curve, not chase
regulations. "
- Bob Purcell, Via Motors
Mobility's future all about economics
There is no question that consumers and manufacturers are
increasingly realizing the importance of transitioning to cleaner
energy sources. But a perception persists that the cost may be too
high, both in terms of money and efficiency.
In the passenger-car market, for example, companies like Tesla
have gained market share and awareness by promoting an all-electric
future. In reality, however, many EV buyers still have fears about
range anxiety and the time it takes to fully recharge batteries, especially
on longer trips.
Until battery charging infrastructure becomes
more widely accessible, and charge time becomes
efficient, this is likely to hamper the adoption of
fully electric vehicles. Still, the panelists all agree
that electric is going to gain acceptance, especially
as battery costs continue to drop.
This is already the case in the delivery market,
where Purcell noted that buyers are finding that
midmile delivery vehicles offer an enticing economic
proposition. " Electric vehicles in those
classes have price parity with a diesel-powered
truck, " he said. " We're not asking anyone to pay
a premium.
Driving forward
Beyond legislation
While many agree that legislative efforts have been an important
driver of mobility, not everyone agrees that companies should react
to what the market appears to want.
" What I think is the most effective strategy for a company is to stay
ahead of the curve, not chase regulations, " said VIA's Purcell. " Help
to create a world where the regulations become a nonevent ... offering
superior value propositions to the consumers so that they're
pulling the technology before the government has to regulate that
you do it. "
Yansong Chen, vice president of engineering at Ricardo North
America, agrees that other factors, such as developing advanced
technologies, are at least as important as legislation in shaping
the future of mobility. In her opinion, the enablement of advanced
6 * MOBILITY AND THE ROAD AHEAD
Despite demand to put cleaner vehicles on roads, internal-combustion
engines aren't going to be replaced anytime soon. But they will
be enhanced by and supplemented with growing fleets of hybrid,
electric and other alternatively powered vehicles as costs drop and
technical limitations are conquered.
" We've never really seen consumers willing to get less car for their
money, " Pistagnesi said. " So, you know, at the end of the day, they're
going to have to see the value proposition. For a lot of people,
[buying a vehicle] is the second-largest purchase they will make in
their life. Those vehicles will have to come to parity. "
Said Purcell, " It's not often that you're going to go through a fundamental
transformation in a multitrillion-dollar industry. " While the
cost and effort to affect change may seem high now, he thinks the
benefits and historic import are worth the cost.
" This is unprecedented ... and with change comes opportunity and
risk, " he said. " Always keep the glass half full; opportunity is what
you're going for, creating the new solutions that will make you, and
your company, the leaders. "
Mobility and the Road Ahead

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