There’s huge amount of buzz about fridges so smart that they can notify you when you run out of certain groceries or even order them for you. It’s a phenomenon that’s causing many people to pause for thought.
Articles about our opinions and considerations on certain subjects, providing food-for-thoughts.
As EV sales continue to increase, car manufacturers are planning to launch hundreds of new models in the next 5 years. Here the big question arises: How to successfully launch your EV in an immature market?
Electrical vehicle (EV) sales worldwide grew by about 61% CAGR from 118,000 in 2012 to over 2 million in 2018. However, even though the global automotive landscape is gradually shifting towards electrification, there are still some countries with slow EV market growth.
Over the years, governments have taken various steps to support the shift towards electrification. Here are some policies which are currently being enforced to encourage adoption of electric vehicles:
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Limitation on the availability of ICE vehicles license plates
Some regions enforced total or partial exemption for low-emission vehicles (incl. EV) from increment control measures restricting the availability of license plates in urban areas.
Interestingly in China, a license plate for ICE vehicles could cost more than the vehicle itself because of the lottery system the government implemented. In contrast, EV licenses are given through a queuing system, which makes it easier for people to get a license. No wonder they are the largest growth contributor to global EV sales.
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Exempt from access restrictions to urban areas
These measures take the form of access allowances, which are granted only to vehicles that meet strict exhaust emission standards. Such measures have already been widely applied in European cities, along with exemptions from other road space rationing measures, such as alternate-day travel based on license plate numbers.
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Exempt from usage fees for specific portions of the road
One of the most iconic measures of this nature has been announced by London. It consists of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), set to come into force in 2019 or 2020 at the latest. The ULEZ is an area in central London within which all cars will need to meet exhaust emission standards (ULEZ standards) or pay a daily charge to travel.
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Dedicated parking and access to charging infrastructure
Electric car support measures relative to dedicated parking and public access to charging infrastructure are generally best implemented either at the local or municipal level or via private actions.
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Allowing access to bus or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Measures favouring EV access to the road network over ICEs can have a sizeable impact not only on the increased short-term value of electric cars (imputable to greater usage opportunities) but also on the economics of electric cars over time.
To know more about our experience in e-mobility, please contact Dam.
Europe is characterised by huge cultural diversity – which is also reflected in how people live and the composition of households across the region.
The automotive industry is currently undergoing an exciting transformation which could bring a significant impact to the tyre industry.
Kids are now growing up as digital media natives, spending a significant amount of their day in front of a variety of screens.
After smart watches, head-mounted displays, and fitness activity trackers, smart clothing is the next wearable technologies to look out for.
Smart clothing can be defined as any wearable textile which incorporates modern technology, giving the wearer benefits such as connectivity to activity monitoring and apps. Smart clothing uses electronic fabrics which allow digital components such as batteries, sensors, and lighting to be embedded in them.
Around 4.12 million units of smart clothing were shipped worldwide in 2017. As more companies are currently trying to develop the concept of smart clothing, this number is predicted to increase up to 19 million units by 2022.
Why is this interesting?
Currently, smart clothing products are mostly intended for sports and personal well-being. However, applications for everyday fashion or everyday convenience are yet to be fully explored. For instance, we can browse the internet and easily find smart yoga pants and smart fitness shirts, but it is not as easy to find clothes that can pay for our meals or adjust temperatures when worn.
Furthermore, as other new innovations, there are still other factors which would determine consumers’ readiness to adopt smart clothing. We monitor all future opportunities for your brand and help you build roadmaps to take full advantage.
Contact us to find out more.
Nowadays it has become possible for people to run businesses from outside offices and almost anywhere around the globe as long as internet connection is available.
With a population of almost 1.4 billion people, China is one of the largest markets for car makers. However, despite being the world’s leading car producing country in 2015, car sales in China have been experiencing a market slow-down.
After 10 years of rapid growth, Chinese car sales took a turn and declined in 2018. Approximately 23 million new passenger cars were sold during the year. This number is even lower than 2016 sales which amounted to 24 million units sold.
One of the reasons for this decline in car sales might be the China’s cooling housing market. It seems that there is a strong correlation between buying a new house and buying a new car for Chinese consumers. Since fewer people bought a new house, there was also less demand for new cars.
Another reason for this decline could be the change in Chinese consumer behaviour. The second-hand car market is now an attractive option for Chinese car buyers. Despite still being image-conscious, Chinese car buyers are starting to realise that few people on the streets can really tell the difference between new or second-hand cars. More people are seeing cars as no longer a luxury or status symbol, but only as means of transport. It is predicted that by 2020, second-hand car sales will surpass new car sales.
There are many other factors that could affect the Chinese automotive industry. Let’s not forget about developing trends such as ride-hailing and car-pooling, which could also bring opportunities and threats to the market.
If you’d like to find out more about our knowledge in the automotive industry and Chinese consumers, please contact Nimrod.
Car manufacturers are facing a big shift in the way that people view car ownership and in the basic interest people have in owning a car. The trend is most pronounced and growing fastest amongst the millennial generation – the group that car manufacturers might have looked to traditionally as their future market.
In 2017, a KPMG study for Business Insider Intelligence has even predicted that by 2025 over 50% of people believe that half of today’s car owners will no longer want to own a car. It’s a massive shift and in an industry that plans years ahead a stark warning for fast changing consumer sentiments and behaviours.
Millennials are identified as leading this new trend. As this groups comes to maturity and moves to the city in search of work, they are adopting lower cost, resource-sharing, and more convenient on-demand services. Two key factors are also seen to influence their choices:
- Public transportation is getting better
More and more people are using public transport. In the Asia-Pacific region, 2.29 billion more passengers used public transport from 2016 to 2017 alone. As smart and connected cities evolve, we are anticipating further transformation of the transportation system, improving connections and convincing more people to abandon the personal car as a preferred option.
- Ride-sharing
Ride-sharing has been growing rapidly over recent years. While driving and owning a car is still enjoyable, it also means paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance, and repairs – all of which require a large chuck on the household budget. We believe that millennial consumers will opt for ride-sharing services more and more for the on-demand convenience and low-cost.
Contact Dam to find out more about our automotive experience.
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