In the last year electric vehicles have become a more closely integrated market - pure electric and hybrid whether on land, water or airborne. Many profitable niches are emerging just as the largest major sectors are changing in importance. Electric vehicles, or e-mobility, use an electric motor for propulsion, as opposed to an internal combustion engine (ICE). They can be powered by an electrical energy source that is external to the car (by plugging it in) or charged on the vehicle (such as by a fuel cell or ICE). Hybrid versions can incorporate both an electric and conventional ICE drive train. The appropriate infrastructure and vehicle performance (cost, range, lifetime etc) are key to the adoption rate of the technology.
The topic is far broader than the narrow view of cars. Electric cars will eventually be dominated by a few giants; however, the components and enabling technologies are applicable to many other types of vehicles – land, sear and air. Billion dollar businesses will be created for those supplying components and vehicles to these “niches”. The electric vehicles of the future are likely to combine several enabling technology platforms.