Is the car still interested in manufacturers?

A few days ago, Hyundai Motor Group announced the deployment of two robots based on its Plug & Drive (PnD) modular platform – presented for the first time in CES 2022 – and integration of a technology of autonomous driving. Tried in Seoul inside the Rolling Hills hotel to deliver customers to the rooms, but also to support the last mile delivery of a shopping complex, these single-wheel units combine intelligent steering and Lidar sensors challenge because they, at one time, were not a concept conceived by a innovative start but the creation of a builder has been around since the last century (1967 to be exact).

A search that ultimately turns out to be nothing special. Caught in between regulations especially strict in terms ofelectromobility and giving difficulties which are slow to be resolved, the car brands have gradually abandoned their original core business (automobile manufacturing) to expand their areas of expertise. The builders thereby becoming rental companies, bankers, developers or even bicycle dealers…

From four to two wheels

the proof is Peugeot that, in addition to owning a Cycles Peugeot catalog consisting of some fifteen models, the Lion is the first car brand who ventured into the market for scooter by developing the E-Kick in 2016. A year later, it was BMW who offered his BMW Motorrad X2 City electric scooter, designed in collaboration with cycle manufacturer ZEG. By the end of 2020, the brand Ford has, for its part, acquired the American start-up scooter self-service Spin. An acquisition aimed at creating a new division, Ford Smart Mobility, to change the status of Car manufacturer towards “supplier of mobility “. A label that is also important for chairat the origin of the eXS KickScooter scooter designed in collaboration with Segway.

Two more buildersturned towards the channel of motorcycles and scooters, also decided to start cycles. Last October, the Japanese Yamaha thereby drawing three electric bicycles to launch planned in France in the first quarter of 2023. The German Porsche, he released, in 2021, his own VAE inspired by the Porsche Taycan: the eBike Sport and eBike Cross. However, these models can be found in an elitist price list, as they cost between 8,000 and 10,000 euros. Finally, the luxury brand Bugatti and the high-end Swedish Polestar also brought luxury electric racing bikes to the market.

Builders become lessors and bankers

The car brands therefore their products are different, but so are their mission sheets. The proof is branded mobility of the Renault Group, movewhich partnered with start-up Logiroad to develop solutions to reduce the cost of maintaining road infrastructure and improve the road safety. Similarly, Mobilize Financial Services – formerly Diac and a subsidiary of Renault group – recently entered the world of insurance and even released a new entity dedicated to long term lease : Mobilize Lease&Co. Its purpose: to extend and standardize the Renault Group rental offers in Europe as well as in Latin America, to achieve, by 2030, a armada one million vehicles compared to 350,000 today. Because you are never better served than yourself…

At the same time, in July 2022, the automotive group Stelantis also announced the establishment of a new program forlong term lease focused on electric vehicles to ensure competitive prices for its customers: “Electric As You Go”. In the appropriate area ofcar subscription, this time Citroën who thought of a new way of “mobility consumption” with different energies, a variable duration of commitment and monthly mileage. The French subsidiary of the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki has completed a merger with the lessor ALD-Automotive with the aim of giving birth to Suzuki Lease, an offer of BtoB long-term rental.

Application developers

MyRenault, Mercedes Me, Suzuki Connect, etc. The builders now have the opportunity to prove that they internally master the various aspects of technology by connecting their car to smartphones client. But also by building apps intended to make life easier for drivers. Volkswagen Group France thus aiming to participate in the democratization ofelectromobility by launching Shargy, a application thinking of creating the largest community of charging stations for individuals in French territory. Volvo Carsfor its part, called on the knowledge of Epic Games to offer a technology photorealistic visualization in real time with this new generation of Cars.

In the desire for modernization and creativity, there are many builders is also moving towards the NFT sector but also autonomous mobility. French automotive supplier Valeo and German premium manufacturer BMW thus signed a partnership agreement for processing functions Dill next generation of brand models Premium german In the radius of innovationsit turns out that fields of experimentation are more important in the field of Sports Car than the average car. To give freedom to futuristic concepts and less restrained than for mass productionthe manufacturers therefore turned away from the factories to obtain more and more earnest participation in the circuits.

Champions of decarbonization

Of builderssome car brands have become, by electrifying their range, charging station operators. The American You are here is the most convincing illustration of this, he who has 800 Superchargers in Europe alone. Vietnamese VinFasthe decided to work with Shell Recharge Solutions for the installation of charging at home of its customers. Mercedes-Benz France, for its part, has hired the services of the Charles autonomous charging robot from Mob-Energy. Positioning itself as innovation testers such as autonomous driving therefore, some brands are also betting on experimentationhydrogen on a large scale like Toyota and its laboratory city Woven City. Jack-of-all-trades, the Japanese manufacturer also offers its car sharing service will be offered to the inhabitants of Valenciennes by Kintoits brand dedicated to the services of mobility.

In the same vein, the German group volkswagen presented its “goTOzero” project on the Greek island of Astypalaia as an example of total decarbonization of mobility and a leading area for sustainable tourism. lighter, Porsche inaugurated, in France last summer, a pop-up store in the seaside resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, a concentrate of the brand’s universe, with a focus onelectric. Aiming to fight its own way against global warming, Volvo Cars has set up an “Accelerating to Zero” structure, shown as “ a large group of stakeholders committed to facilitating and accelerating the transition to zero-emission mobility ». Mobility therefore the word seems to have been substituted car in speeches.

Therefore, there will only be builders Chinese who believe in “cars”? Like the BYD group, which will launch two new car brands… The automotive sector is in any case increasingly invested by electronics and telephony giants such as Apple where foxconn. The Taiwanese company specializing in electronics aims to develop 5% of the global market for electric car by 2025. To do this, it hopes to produce vehicles on behalf of another heavyweight ofautomobile industry : You’re here. At the same time, and following the creation of their joint venture, the car manufacturer Honda and the Japanese giant sony jointly started marketing a electric vehicle premium in 2026. The car therefore should still exist in a decade but will no longer concentrate all the efforts of the “automotive” brands. question of safety…