Mobility of the future: Electric vehicles and autonomous driving
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Smart mobility. Mobility of the future. 

Smart mobility is the mobility of the future. Although electric mobility has been a reality for a while now, it is set to become much cheaper, more efficient and more sustainable. That's because autonomous driving will eventually have a huge impact on our mobility. How mobility is developing and why investors can profit.

Mobility of the future: Cleaner and smart

It is undeniably the case that mobility is poised to undergo a massive change. After all, the manufacturing sector and politicians are discussing smarter and more environmentally friendly mobility solutions. The discussion is focusing on a shift towards clean drive systems for vehicles, ships and aircraft and the autonomous networking of these systems. There are various reasons behind this push for change.

The environment urgently needs new mobility models

CO2 emissions rose by 1.7% in 2018 to an historic high of 33.1 gigatonnes, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This is the highest annual increase in emissions since 2013. A large proportion of these CO2 emissions can be attributed to our global mobility.

Ironic? According to the University of St. Gallen (HSG), 97-99% of cars in Switzerland are parked most of the time; according to their calculations, in Switzerland a car is driven on average for around 55 minutes a day. New mobility solutions should help neutralize the powerful CO2 footprint. 

Trend toward electric vehicles and sharing

An additional driving force behind the environmental debate is millennials and the younger generations. Their increased striving for environmental responsibility and sustainability is the cornerstone of a global movement on climate change. They are calling for a sustainable product range. This includes mobility sharing models and new drive systems, such as electric vehicles powered by electricity from renewable sources. But in order to reach these digitally savvy generations, it is desirable to have the latest digital technologies in addition to environmentally friendly ones. One example is the networking of electric vehicles via WLAN, or possibly soon via 5G.

Invest in the mobility of the future

The requirements mentioned above are presenting mobility with new challenges. But as Christine Schmid, Head of Investment Solutions, confirmed at the 2019 Credit Suisse Investment Conference, they also offer new sectors for investment. She sees the following investment opportunities in the area of mobility among others:

  • Innovative and environmentally friendly mobility solutions must be aligned to environmentally oriented consumer behavior and limit CO2 emissions.
  • Sustainable approaches are unavoidable due to stricter regulatory measures. 
  • Easily accessible transport solutions are in strong demand with regard to population growth and urbanization. 
  • Autonomous driving offers more efficient mobility in urban areas thanks to technological progress.

Mobility as we know it faces challenges – or new momentum

Christine Schmid

Smart mobility: Electric vehicles learn to drive autonomously

Smart mobility seems to be the umbrella term for numerous problem-solving approaches. These range from development right through to autonomous driving. Electrification is spreading rapidly at high growth rates from a low level, and automation is progressing in stages. Functions such as park assist, lane assist and safety brakes are already installed in many cars today. Experts estimate that, by 2030, around 20% of all the vehicles on the market will have a certain amount of automation. This means that at low speeds, they almost completely take the strain off the driver.

The increasingly popular car-sharing concept is also becoming more widespread. "For 50% of young Europeans, car ownership is no longer crucial," says Christine Schmid. But mobility is a basic requirement in today's society. A new type of mobility is therefore becoming more and more established: Modular mobility is a combination of public and other modes of transport such as cars. A private car can be for personal use, but also for public transport.

Mobility is a basic requirement in a modern society

Christine Schmid

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