Riassunto analitico
In a world in which words as “sustainability”, “green economy” are increasingly of common use and part of our lives, also the automotive sector is starting to adapt in order to follow the “ecotrend”. Therefore, during last years, the idea of sustainable mobility has spread. Scandals concerning cars’ emissions’ data, the audience’s focus on new green solutions and the rising costs connected to resources as petrol, diesel and their decreasing availability, are only few of the motivations behind this important “movement”. The global automotive sector has entered a new era: the electric mobility era. The first innovator country is China with more than 600.000 electric cars registered, followed by Europe at the second place worldwide. In this scenario, the 70% of the European electric cars’ registrations belongs to Norway, Germany, Great Britain and France. “E-Mobility” has been already taking shape, new concepts of cars charged up and moved only by electricity are becoming the present. Italy role into this evolution is still marginal, the country is in strong delay compared to others, but something is changing and fast. Especially, most recently, diesel engines are suffering at the most, losing share in the industry, leaving the stage to hybrid vehicles and full electric ones. The thesis focuses directly on the Italian context, aiming at portraying the today’ status of e-mobility innovation by identifying its main characteristics by means of the comparison with the traditional diesel engine. Basing on the cited negative trend of diesel registrations opposed to a continuous increase and growth of full electric ones (even if in low absolute value), the dissertation is addressed to identify Italian e-mobility enabling and inhibiting factors in order to outline the possible future perspectives. The research is guided by the following main questions: - Which is the status and level of diffusion of electric cars’ technology in Italy? - Is it possible to identify a substitution effect in the electric and diesel mobility relationship? - How the Italian automotive sector is reacting from a competitive point of view? - Can government and public policies be considered as actively playing a role? - What to be expected for the future? Answers are given combining market data analysis and theoretical researches. Data are mainly from UNRAE association, elaborated and analyzed to study new cars’ registrations (2010-2018) by engine, brand and model, in order to outline the Italian automotive 2 industry status, and to make comparisons between diesel cars’ technology and the innovative electric one. Integral part of the work are the references to official studies by authors as E. M. Rogers (diffusion of innovation and technology) and Yannick Perez (electric mobility), together with studies about the “industry life cycle” and the “first mover advantage”. Furthermore, the role of Government and public entities is investigated, by presenting legislation and policies associated to the topic and several e-mobility incentivizing projects. Finally, future perspectives about e-mobility are showed with a strong focus on the innovation’s attitude of one of the most important market’s players: Volkswagen.
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Abstract
In a world in which words as “sustainability”, “green economy” are increasingly of common use
and part of our lives, also the automotive sector is starting to adapt in order to follow the “ecotrend”.
Therefore, during last years, the idea of sustainable mobility has spread.
Scandals concerning cars’ emissions’ data, the audience’s focus on new green solutions and the
rising costs connected to resources as petrol, diesel and their decreasing availability, are only few
of the motivations behind this important “movement”.
The global automotive sector has entered a new era: the electric mobility era.
The first innovator country is China with more than 600.000 electric cars registered, followed by
Europe at the second place worldwide. In this scenario, the 70% of the European electric cars’
registrations belongs to Norway, Germany, Great Britain and France.
“E-Mobility” has been already taking shape, new concepts of cars charged up and moved only by
electricity are becoming the present.
Italy role into this evolution is still marginal, the country is in strong delay compared to others, but
something is changing and fast. Especially, most recently, diesel engines are suffering at the most,
losing share in the industry, leaving the stage to hybrid vehicles and full electric ones.
The thesis focuses directly on the Italian context, aiming at portraying the today’ status of e-mobility
innovation by identifying its main characteristics by means of the comparison with the
traditional diesel engine.
Basing on the cited negative trend of diesel registrations opposed to a continuous increase and
growth of full electric ones (even if in low absolute value), the dissertation is addressed to identify
Italian e-mobility enabling and inhibiting factors in order to outline the possible future
perspectives.
The research is guided by the following main questions:
- Which is the status and level of diffusion of electric cars’ technology in Italy?
- Is it possible to identify a substitution effect in the electric and diesel mobility relationship?
- How the Italian automotive sector is reacting from a competitive point of view?
- Can government and public policies be considered as actively playing a role?
- What to be expected for the future?
Answers are given combining market data analysis and theoretical researches.
Data are mainly from UNRAE association, elaborated and analyzed to study new cars’
registrations (2010-2018) by engine, brand and model, in order to outline the Italian automotive
2
industry status, and to make comparisons between diesel cars’ technology and the innovative
electric one.
Integral part of the work are the references to official studies by authors as E. M. Rogers (diffusion
of innovation and technology) and Yannick Perez (electric mobility), together with studies about
the “industry life cycle” and the “first mover advantage”.
Furthermore, the role of Government and public entities is investigated, by presenting legislation
and policies associated to the topic and several e-mobility incentivizing projects.
Finally, future perspectives about e-mobility are showed with a strong focus on the innovation’s
attitude of one of the most important market’s players: Volkswagen.
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