Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles Coverage Areas

The Electric Vehicle Research Service explores the convergence of key enabling technologies that will drive adoption of Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrains at scale, ranging from novel materials and battery chemistries to battery management systems, connected services and digital twins.

With deadlines looming around the world to ban new sales of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, the automotive industry must rapidly address a number of remaining challenges, including scaling production, bringing down costs, reducing exposure to scarce materials, optimizing battery lifecycles, increasing charging convenience, and managing the introduction of a significant new load to the grid. The Electric Vehicle Research Service examines how new materials, chemistries, semiconductors, connected services, and software platforms will enable the vision of zero-emission mobility within the next 15 to 20 years.

While meeting these challenges within a tight deadline, the automotive industry must also address the broader implications of the loss of the ICE, which has historically served as both a high barrier to entry and a key brand differentiator. Therefore, market incumbents must brace themselves for competition from a number of EV-focused newcomers, as well as finding new means to define and differentiate their own brand in a post-ICE world. The Electric Vehicle Research Service tracks the emerging supply chain dynamics that are being driven by EV adoption, including vertical integration, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) attitudes to ownership versus partnerships, and the role of Tier One suppliers.