Inspiratia InfraTech Takeouts

At the same time as new infrastructure sectors emerge and approaches to asset
management evolve, private vehicular transport is also on the cusp of a new era.
Innovations in
mobility '
Electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous vehicles (AVs), vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
charging infrastructure and mobility-as-a-service solutions (MaaS) are all
coming to market almost simultaneously, with potentially radical implications
for emissions, driving habits and even threatening the concept of personal car
ownership.
Perhaps the most immediate innovation to make a significant impact on cities
around the globe will be EVs. TfL's Sumner explained his employer's approach,
saying, "For us what's really important is to make sure EVs aren't just aimed at
private ownership, but also at taxi private hire, freight, and at fleets. We believe
one of the key ways to make that happen is to make sure there are enough rapid
charging points in central London."
But, as is the case with many infratech initiatives, there is still work needed to
fully accommodate these new technologies. Octopus Energy's Tim Heal stressed
that more sophisticated marketplaces are needed to allow V2G deployment
to become widespread, as well as for the experience of customers to be
fundamentally simplified so that they can be encouraged to switch from petrol.
Perhaps further afield, but potentially more seismic, is the nascent AV industry,
which Appyparking's Dan Hubert claimed would lead to a drastic fall in car
ownership among the populace. However, bureaucratic issues in the different
approaches to this taken by councils, at least in London, would need to be
cleared up before car sharing could mature.
On the other side of the coin, according to Hubert, is the notion that institutional
fleets of AVs will increasingly become the norm, particularly in cities where
owning a car is less vital for navigating between neighbourhoods.
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