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Driving In NeutralPublished by: CarbonFree Published: Mar. 14, 2006 - 37 Pages Table of Contents
AbstractThe automobile addresses the consumer’s hierarchy of needs at two levels. It satisfies a secondary need by providing a means to travel and, as a visible display of the owner’s wealth and status, it also satisfies tertiary needs. Automobile manufacturers are well aware of the role their product plays within a modern industrial society, as evidenced by the way their marketing messages have evolved over the years. By addressing multiple needs, the large incumbent vendors have been able to dominate the transport market for almost a century. While there has been rationalisation and the integration of manufacturers into large groups, there have been few new entrants into a market that grew rapidly soon after petroleum became widely available.Today, however, the automobile industry faces a number of serious challenges. Companies within the energy sector are desperately seeking alternatives to imported oil - the energy source around which most of the refuelling infrastructure that supports automobile use has been built. Automobile manufacturers themselves are attempting to develop new vehicles that are less dependent on fossil fuels. Meanwhile new players are entering the automobile market with products that are better designed to meet the consumer’s tertiary needs at a time when there is widespread concern over the impact that emissions from automobiles are having on the environment. Incumbent manufacturers, who have maximised the market for the automobile by marketing them as both a practical tool and a fashion accessory, now see their business model under threat as ‘green motoring’ becomes fashionable. There is also a change of sentiment within urban planning departments and other government agencies who, for many years, have taken a positive approach to automobile ownership and helped put in place much of the of the infrastructure that made the automobile indispensable for a majority of people. Today these same government agencies are designating areas of cities ‘automobile free’, encouraging new models of automobile use such as car clubs and are introducing parking restrictions and congestion charges. Despite these factors, the next generation automobile vendors attempting to enter one of the largest markets in the world are finding it difficult to displace firmly entrenched incumbent manufacturers. Support infrastructure for fossil fuel power transport has been built up over several decades and replacing, or duplicating, overnight may prove prohibitively expensive. In addition, the incumbent vendors such as General Motors, Toyota and BMW are attempting to reinvent themselves and reposition themselves in a market they fear provides too many opportunities to new entrants. This report is based on research into the companies and technologies that are creating new models for automobile ownership and use. Also within this report is an assessment of the new fuels, such as hydrogen, that next generation automobile vendors hope will provide the power for their products. Get Full Details About This Report >> |
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