E-Mobility

Electronic mobility – is it really the future of transport?

• Electromobility – also known as e-mobility – is the principle of using electric propulsion for a wide range of transportation types.
• Automakers the world over are under intense pressure to switch from combustion motors to e-technology, at a time when countries are setting tangible targets to reach net-zero emissions.
• India, for instance, has set the target to become net-zero by 2070, which convinces analysts that there is no future for companies that shun the electronic mobility revolution.
• The value of Tesla alone, Elon Musk’s trillion dollar EV company worth more than about a dozen carmakers combined, is a good indicator of just how imminent a future of e-mobility is.
• In Europe, the Germany-based Volkswagen Group is now dominating the EV market, where the company reported having had a 26% market share in the first half of 2021.
• E-mobility is not only transforming the car industry: e-scooters are taking over many European cities, reducing demand for taxis and other forms of transport.
• However, critics say e-mobility is far from where it needs to be to replace traditional modes of transport on a mass scale, citing infrastructure issues, cost and subdued consumer interest.
• The batteries that power EVs are a big problem in rolling out the technology more widely - as they contain rare metals that are often sourced from some of the poorest places in the world.