The electric vehicle: More than a new powertrain

• The mobility industry has been responding to a global demand for higher sustainability for many years, and the electric vehicle (EV) is one answer.
• The acceleration toward EV production is shaking up the automotive industry in ways no one could have predicted.
• How manufacturers respond could mark an industry revolution not seen in decades.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) face growing pressure to address a dramatically shifting automotive industry and customer landscape:

• Sustainability needs are growing and maturing, especially among young people, and particularly where mobility is concerned.
• New customers, who live in urban areas and are more likely to use multi-modal urban transportation, are inclined to use digital channels to stay updated on the latest technology developments.
• The circular economy is pushing the automotive industry to make environmentally friendly vehicles along their whole lifecycle—from green production using renewable energies to responsible battery disposal and chemical recycling.
• Fast evolving technologies are reshaping the passenger vehicle through Connectivity, Autonomous, Sharing and Electrification (CASE) trends.

Pushing the e-revolution along, EVs are becoming increasingly sophisticated. For example, Tesla Inc. pioneered the concept of selling wirelessly updatable vehicles, demonstrating that it is possible to transfer updates and new features to the vehicle much in the same way consumers download new software to their smartphones. Today, other traditional automotive manufacturers are following suit.