On Tuesday 4 June, our Auto Futures team brought together leaders and pioneers from across the mobility spectrum to discuss the path to a more sustainable future.
Taking place at Thomson Reuters HQ in London, Auto Futures Live: Smart Cities, New Solutions was Auto Futures’ first ever live panel debate for journalists and mobility professionals.
It was a debate full of predictions at the speed of uptake of electric vehicles and mobility solutions within cities.
Bloomberg NEF founder and panel moderator, Michael Liebreich, began by questioning the likelihood of meeting forecasts that over half of vehicles sold by 2040 will be electrified, before challenging the panel to debunk mobility ‘myths’ and question ‘megatrends’.
KPMG’s Natasha Patel described the company’s ‘Mobility 2030’ vision and the drastic changes electrification, autonomous and connected technology will have on the way people and goods are moved in the future. KPMG believes 70% of car sales will be electric by 2030, but Natasha emphasized the need for change to be extended from cities to entire nations to “really turn the dial on emissions”.
Mike Peirce of The Climate Group spoke about their EV100 initiative where 40 global companies have committed to a 100% transition of their fleet to electrification by 2030, but warned it’s not enough. He described upfront costs, little choice in key markets and a lack of charging infrastructure as key barriers to the new technology that need to be overcome.
Podpoint CEO Erik Fairbairn perceived the muted reaction in the audience at lofty electrification predictions as a positive sign at the current rate of adaptation and change. He described the necessity for educating people about the benefits of new technologies and allowing them to become part of normal conversations at the dinner table and in the press, before they can be implemented to the public on scale.
Shared transport is the focus for Zeelo COO Stéphanie Rivet. She talked about her company’s use of data analysis, surveys, social media and macrotrends to build routes around traveller’s needs, and how the growing population in cities means these extra people need to be able to travel smartly and efficiently.
“Auto Futures Live brought together leading executives from in and around the rapidly-developing mobility sector, from established transport authorities and automakers driving change to start-ups and environmental groups looking to clean up cities around the world,” said Auto Futures Editor Alex Kreetzer. “By bringing together an expert panel and media representatives from around the world, the event broke the fourth wall and produced refreshing and stimulating content for all involved.”
You can watch all the Auto Futures Live highlights and listen to a recap of the event in a podcast with Auto Futures Editor Alex Kreetzer and Podpoint CEO Erik Fairbairn – just the follow the link: https://www.autofutures.tv/category/editorial/events-editorial-content-genre/auto-futures-live/
