Skip to main content

Innovations in micro-vehicles will help boost mobility

Global congestion presents a serious barrier to economic growth. Some estimates suggest this costs the world economy close to US$1 trillion in lost revenue. However key economies including Europe, North America, Japan and China are amongst those preparing for green commuting. Some 16 of the key Automotive OEMs are working on more than 110 short distance vehicles, with approximately 50 models being already production ready. The remaining 60 are in concept stage, but expected to become production ready by 202
April 4, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Global congestion presents a serious barrier to economic growth. Some estimates suggest this costs the world economy close to US$1 trillion in lost revenue. However key economies including Europe, North America, Japan and China are amongst those preparing for green commuting. Some 16 of the key Automotive OEMs are working on more than 110 short distance vehicles, with approximately 50 models being already production ready. The remaining 60 are in concept stage, but expected to become production ready by 2020. The emergence of such micro-mobility vehicles is expected to fight congestion, ease parking space identification and aid in faster commutes in crowded city centres. These will primarily be used for commutes of 1.5-25km, but may be used for longer journeys of up to 72km. Over 70% of these unconventional mobility models are expected to be electric.

Frost & Sullivan is holding a web conference, entitled The Rise of a Next-Generation Sustainable Mobility, taking place on Tuesday, 17th April 2012, at 3 pm GMT. This will introduce key participants in the global market for micro mobility solutions and the models they are planning with vehicle characteristics such as speed, driving range, vehicle homologation and seating arrangements. It will also present insights into why global key OEMs have already invested more than $300 million in this market, as well as drivers and restraints related to current market dynamics.

Automotive OEMs will have to prepare for intense competition in an emerging segment while planning to offer an integrated mobility beyond cars. China is seen as a major market for such vehicles given its fast growing economy. It features many congested cities with narrow roads and a growing difficulty for parking.

Related Content

  • ITF helping to plot the future of urban transport mobility
    December 2, 2013
    The 8th APEC Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo on 4-6 Septembersaw high-level discussions on how to enhance connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region through high-quality transport. As a guest, the International Transport Forum (ITF) was also heavily involved in the event, as Guy Woodford reports A transport Connectivity Map visualising Asia-Pacific’s ideal transport network in 2020, and a Quality Transport vision for the region encompassing convenience, safety, security, and sustainability, will b
  • Increasing electric vehicle sales in Central and Eastern Europe?
    June 15, 2012
    Projections suggest that electric vehicle sales in Central and Eastern Europe will hit 60,000 by 2017. The estimate comes from a report by Frost & Sullivan and suggests that Central and Eastern Europe will see growing sales of these vehicles, bringing strong market potential for manufacturers. The Central and Eastern European nations have a population of over 100 million people and a solid macroeconomic environment. The report says EV sales could top 62,000 units by 2017, increasing from approximately 245 u
  • Significant diesel hybridisation trend in Europe
    April 30, 2012
    Over the last two decades, diesel engines have become more popular among European consumers, due to their higher fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emission values and fun-to-drive perception when compared to gasoline engines.
  • Diesel hybrid vehicles reduce emissions
    May 8, 2012
    The introduction of diesel hybrid vehicles in Europe will help reduce CO2 emissions. Automotive OEMs are now developing and introducing low-emission vehicles and by 2015, every other new car sold in Europe will have CO2 emissions in the range of 101-120grammes/km, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan.