Ecosystem Strategy for E-Mobility: Achieving Growth through Uncertainty

In 2020, the world has been afflicted with one of the worst public health crises in the past century. Nearly 30 million people have been infected with COVID-19 and nearly 1 million have died. This crisis has led to a global economic slowdown as countries grapple with trying to control the spread of the pandemic. This crisis has also led to societal shifts that are unprecedented in scope and speed as tens of millions of employees have suddenly shifted from daily commutes to remote work. 

All of this is layered on top of the climate crisis that has been developing for many years. Although the scope of the personal tragedy and economic destruction has been enormous, it has exposed many opportunities for fundamental change. Companies have realized that for many job roles, remote work is viable. Sudden, drastic changes in vehicle miles travelled have provided evidence of the positive impact on air quality and traffic safety. Remote work for many has already been extended well into 2021, and a significant proportion of the workforce will now be permanently remote.

Automakers, suppliers, and regional transportation planners and policymakers have a unique opportunity to make radical changes. Transportation networks have already been disrupted. Reconfiguring streets and implementing multimodal mobility ecosystems likely face far less resistance during this period, as residents will be returning to a changed world anyway. It is the time to experiment with what e-mobility should look like in the 2020s and beyond.