A new report from ABI Research, a market foresight advisory firm, found that smart cities are increasingly pushing for more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of driving. This is occurring despite green friendly electric cars only projected to be about 2 percent of all sold cars in 2018. Local governments continue to move forward despite this lag, implementing zero emission zones and city centers restricted to Electric Vehicles (EV) only that help address city traffic and transportation challenges.
California is already on board with the shift to EV’s and is preparing to push their policies on ride-hailing companies. The state is “preparing a bill which would mandate 20% of miles traveled via ride-hailing services to be in EVs by 2023, rising to 50% by 2026,” explained Dominique Bonte, Vice Presidents End Markets at ABI Research in a press statement. “The combined effect of the proportionally higher uptake of EVs in car-sharing fleets and their much higher utilization rates will result in global electric mileage share to exceed 20% by 2030.”
Some car services are already supporting the usage of EVs. “Uber’s EV Champions program proactively pushes ridesharing electrification through education, support, and cash incentives for driver-partners,” elaborated Bonte.
From an economic standpoint, the shift to mobility services impacts companies that create and implement charging stations and grid infrastructure requirements, like Hevo Power and eMotorWerks. As demand for DC fast charging and future wireless public charging stations rises with the higher demand for EVs, companies are being forced to rethink future steps so the grid system is not overwhelmed. Foreseeable methods would include balancing software solutions, EV charging management and Vehicle-to-Grid systems, widespread adoption of micro-grids, and a more holistic, cross-vertical approach to energy management.
In parallel cities are embracing alternative transportation options that includes bikes, scooters, shuttles, boats, and even passenger carrying drones.
