Skip to main content

Smart mobility on the rise, says ABI Research

As extreme pollution and congestion in urban areas coupled with limited transportation options continues to challenge major cities across the globe, market intelligence firm ABI Research, predicts an imminent rise in smart electric mobility. Data analysis forecasts global electric vehicle revenue will hit US$58 billion in 2021, more than five times its market value in 2015. "The role of vehicle electrification in urban areas is part of a broader smart mobility model that includes shared vehicles, chargi
May 10, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
As extreme pollution and congestion in urban areas coupled with limited transportation options continues to challenge major cities across the globe, market intelligence firm 5725 ABI Research, predicts an imminent rise in smart electric mobility. Data analysis forecasts global electric vehicle revenue will hit US$58 billion in 2021, more than five times its market value in 2015.

"The role of vehicle electrification in urban areas is part of a broader smart mobility model that includes shared vehicles, charging options, and driverless electric vehicle fleets of cars, buses, trams, and light rail," says Susan Beardslee, ABI Research senior analyst. "No singular option prevails; in fact, innovative manufacturers are creating ways for them to converge."

Leading automotive manufacturers Ford and BMW, for instance, are looking to create electric bikes that could fit and charge inside of a car. The goal is for drivers to then be able to ditch their cars and use the bikes as a more eco-friendly mode of transportation to complete the last leg of long journeys. Similarly, Tier 1 companies, like Continental, are designing and manufacturing batteries and engines that can better accommodate small, personal electric vehicles.

China is one region pushing particularly hard to make electric vehicles a reality, with regional vendors like BYD outselling larger OEMs like Chevy, Nissan, and Tesla by miles. And as newer urban electric transportation categories continue to emerge, such as three-wheeled vehicles more commonly referred to as velomobiles, so too do opportunities for emerging markets and the elderly or disabled.

"The US is taking longer to embrace the trend, though, with many residents expressing hesitation to let go of their private, singular vehicles as we move toward a shared, smart mobility transportation model," continues Beardslee. "Once the price point of electric vehicles starts to drop, as evident with Tesla's Model 3 and the forthcoming Chevy Bolt, and manufacturers address range anxiety, we believe that the U.S. market will see a jump in its sales. Over time, we expect greater adoption through fleet purchases including Uber and Lyft."

Personal mobility companies VeloMetro and EcoReco, for instance, are embracing the shared fleet mentality. Both companies are rolling out innovative personal transport vehicles that they plan to pilot with universities and municipalities in the months ahead.

"While the market's current lack of sufficient standards and infrastructure is impacting the broader adoption of electric vehicles, we believe that the greater access, variety, and flexibility of electric vehicles and increasing urban congestion will positively influence future electric vehicle deployment and adoption," concludes Beardslee. "The long-term forecasting of global energy needs from Exxon shows the sobering impact of an unsustainable 35 per cent to 140 per cent increase in energy requirements. Global consortia and public and private partnerships will continue to be leading efforts resulting in necessary change to our transportation industry."

Related Content

  • May 22, 2012
    Vehicle ownership - a thing of the past?
    Convergence of electron-powered vehicles with connected vehicle technologies could mean that only a few decades from now the idea of owning a vehicle will be entirely alien to the road user. By Technolution chief scientist Dave Marples with Jason Barnes Even when taken individually, many of the developments going on and around vehiclebased mobility will bring about major changes in transportation. Taken collectively, the transformations we might expect are nothing short of profound. Enumeration of the influ
  • May 9, 2017
    Level 4/5 autonomous driving will be possible in the next five years, says research
    Growing consumer preference for convenience-enhancing technologies and automobiles-as-a-service options helped double the adoption of vehicles with automated driving features in 2016, says Frost & Sullivan’s mobility team. Going forward, large-scale investments from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will refine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive cloud-based technology solutions even further, enabling level 4/5 autonomous driving within the next five years. Retrofitted automated driv
  • April 25, 2012
    Global ADAS market will approach $10 billion this year
    Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have been expensive add-on technical features for luxury vehicles for over 10 years, but during 2011, or perhaps more accurately Model Year 2012, features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and low-speed collision mitigation will finally become available on higher-volume models such as the Ford Focus and Mercedes Benz C-Class.
  • February 2, 2017
    Low carbon vehicles ‘must be centred on consumers to succeed’
    A greater understanding of how low carbon vehicles can meet the needs of mainstream consumers is needed if the huge challenge of decarbonising transport in the UK is to be achieved, according to the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). The ETI believes the most promising opportunity is for an increase in the use and ownership of plug-in electric vehicles (hybrids and battery operated) but new market structures will have to be introduced to enable and support the most promising solutions. Many people