Presentations and other materials have been made available from the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Electric Vehicle (EV) Ecosystems Project workshop on challenges and opportunities facing electric vehicle development and deployment, including on topics such as energy utility infrastructure and synergies between advances in technology and improvements in energy efficiency.
17 April 2012: Presentations and other workshop material have been made available from the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Electric Vehicle (EV) Ecosystems Project March 2012 workshop, which was titled “New Economic Opportunities and Business Models for Electric Vehicles.” Participants at the workshop highlighted emerging opportunities and challenges facing the electric vehicle industry.
Participants met in sessions covering: challenges and opportunities in the automotive sector; enabling technologies and market requirements; business models and commercial opportunities; and moving forward and creating opportunities. In various presentations, speakers discussed, inter alia: the important role played by research and development in giving customers a range of mobility solutions; the description of the electric car as a “new game” and the complications this represents for cities and manufacturers; the needs and challenges associated with energy utility infrastructure; and synergies between advances in technology and improvements in energy efficiency.
Speakers also presented on the responsibilities to be borne by companies as they strive to minimize their operational impacts through increased use of EVs; the requirements for compatibility between EVs and recharging infrastructure; and the need to replace traditional value chains with user- and city-centered models in the EV sharing system. [Press Release: EV Ecosystems Project Seminar][Speakers’ Presentations]