Electrifying Roland Berger know-how for the IAA motor show, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants

Release Date: 2009-09-18

Right on time: New studies on e-mobility and the plight of automotive suppliers testify to our company's expertise in the auto industry

The world's largest showcase for the automotive industry, the Frankfurt International Motor Show (Internationale Automobil Ausstellung or IAA), is opening its doors xyesterday. The shine of sleek new models might temporarily obscure the fact that the industry is going through the worst downturn since World War II. One of the magic words for a rosier future seems to be "eco cars". The industry has finally picked up on the trend: Start/stop systems or brake energy regeneration can be found in many models, and all the big players will present their versions of hybrid and electric cars.

Offering ecologically friendly cars is one way for the automotive industry to eventually move beyond the vale of tears. But it is equally clear that the industry has some downsizing to do. Right on time for the Frankfurt auto show, our Roland Berger automotive experts present studies which address the hopes and fears pervading the industry right now.

"Powertrain 2020 – The Future Drives Electric"

As sales decline worldwide, the time is right to incorporate new technology into products, namely powertrain electrification. The authors of the new Powertrain study see the market for EVs developing much faster than that for conventional technologies, mainly due to governments' carrot and stick approach. They estimate that PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and EVs (Electric Vehicles) achieve a market share of around 20% in Western Europe by 2020, making this region the frontrunner in the field of electric mobility. Batteries represent the most attractive component market and will have a market size of between EUR 10.6 billion and EUR 29.8 billion in 2020. Overall, the coming changes in powertrain technology will reshape the mobility value chain, forcing consolidation and new partnerships as well as opening up new revenue and profit pools for existing and new players.

"Electric mobility: Growth impulse for energy providers"

This e-mobility study from our Austrian colleagues addresses the business strategies related to electric mobility with a focus on the options for energy providers. For those, electric mobility is attractive for a number of reasons, and the developing market presents them with various positioning options. These range from complete provider and infrastructure service provider to pure energy supplier. Most current activities are collaborations between carmakers, public bodies, energy providers and technology partners. Such collaborations produce complex interfaces, and can slow down progress in solving investment and profit sharing issues. The authors caution that energy providers – and, for that matter, car manufacturers – must be particularly careful in selecting their business model. Even more, they must be willing to take risks in order to fully develop the potential of electric mobility.

"Global automotive supplier study 2009: How suppliers can master the auto crisis"

The new automotive supplier study carried out by Roland Berger experts and investment bank Rothschild shows that 80% of all suppliers around the world will be in the red in 2009. Only massive government support programs have prevented a complete collapse of the industry, still the authors expect one in ten German suppliers to go broke by the end of the year. The goal of the study is to shed light on a number of pressing issues. How will regulatory standards on vehicle emissions develop in the foreseeable future? What are the longer-term technological options available to OEMs for meeting emissions requirements? What is the market potential for pure EVs and PHEVs in key automotive markets? And what impact will this have on the current automotive value chain – what new players will emerge, how will business models change, and what will OEMs' core activities and competences be in the future? The potential impact of these developments on OEMs and suppliers cannot be

Type:	NORMAL
Company:	Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Country:	Germany
Url:	http://www.rolandberger.com/news/2009-09-18-rbsc-news-IAA.html