Master's Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences Krefeld (School of Business and Economics), language: English, abstract: Today's world of mobility is characterised by a high degree of dynamism and change is becoming apparent. Currently, around 45 million passenger cars with conventional combustion engines, powered by diesel or petrol, are registered in Germany. The share of electric vehicles is still well below one per cent. Nevertheless, the voices for sustainable and environmentally friendly transport are becoming louder. One political measure in this respect is the implementation of driving bans in major German cities for some conventional combustion cars. Car electrification is a solution for converting cars with conventional combustion engines to electric drives. In the context of this thesis, car electrification is regarded as a transition solution towards a nationwide electrified transport network of new electric cars. A comprehensive concept of a business model approach from a start-up perspective has been developed based on the analysis of the environment, industry, and customer needs. Analysing the structure of the electrical conversion industry revealed that the subject of car electrification is hardly widespread and that current suppliers have only converted a smaller number of cars. Besides the small scale of implementation, the operational execution by existing suppliers can be considered weak in terms of competitiveness and sustainability. The analysis of the needs of potential customers of car electrification using qualitative and quantitative methods has led to incredibly valuable insights for the development of the business model approach. A high openness to purchase was expressed, considering some of the factors mentioned, such as a test drive with an electrified car before purchase and a durability guarantee of the conversion. The high relevance of initial acquisition costs compared to operating expenses in the purchase decision for passenger cars is another precious insight. The business model approach developed based on the findings obtained differs fundamentally from the strategies of today's providers. By incorporating the existing infrastructure of workshops and service points, proximity to the end customer and scalability of the business operation can be achieved. Partnering with universities and industry are two critical elements in the development of a sustainable, secure, and user-friendly technical solution.

This contributed volume collects insights from industry professionals, policy makers and researchers on new and profitable business models in the field of electric vehicles (EV) for the mass market. This book includes approaches that address the optimization of total cost of ownership. Moreover, it presents alternative models of ownership, financing and leasing. The editors present state-of-the-art insights from international experts, including real-world case studies. The volume has been edited in the framework of the International Energy Agency’s Implementing Agreement for Cooperation on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (IA-HEV). The target audience primarily comprises practitioners and decision makers but the book may also be beneficial for research experts and graduate students.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the status quo of competing business models for electric vehicles and to analyze them to assess their future success in terms of strategy and financial performance. Based on a case study approach, the business models Better Place and the traditional plug-in electric vehicle business model are presented. Their different setup regarding value creation, configuration of the value chain and the revenue model is presented based on a business model framework. On the basis of the business model setup and interviews with market experts, both business models are analyzed in terms of strategy through a SWOT analysis and in terms of financial performance through a financial analysis. The results are discussed to assess the likelihood for success. The analysis shows that both models are currently not profitable and depend on similar drivers to become profitable. In addition, the Better Place model would require automotive companies to produce electric vehicles with exchangeable batteries and the plug-in electric vehicle business model needs for customers to adjust to the restrictions of electric vehicles regarding range and recharging. The reluctance of automotive companies to accept an exchangeable battery is the key hurdle that limits future success of the Better Place business model while the high flexibility of the plug-in electric vehicle business model allows for adjustments to deliver almost similar value propositions to customers.

Development of electric vehicle (EV) conversion process can be implemented in a low-cost and time-saving manner, along with the design of actual components. Model-based system design is employed to systematically compute the power flow of the electric vehicle propulsion and dynamic load. Vehicle specification and driving cycles were the two main inputs for the simulation. As a result, the approach is capable of predicting various EV characteristics and design parameters, such as EV performance, driving range, torque speed characteristics, motor power, and battery power charge/discharge, which are the necessity for the design and sizing selection of the main EV components. Furthermore, drive-by-wire (DBW) ECU function can be employed by means of model-based design to improve drivability. For the current setup, the system components are consisted of actual ECU hardware, electric vehicle models, and control area network (CAN) communication. The EV component and system models are virtually simulated simultaneously in real time. Thus, the EV functionalities are verified corresponding to objective requirements. The current methodology can be employed as rapid design tool for ECU and software development. Same methodology can be illustrated to be used for EV tuning and reliability model test in the future.

Digital transformation is not about technology--it's about change. In the rapidly changing digital economy, you can't succeed by merely tweaking management practices that led to past success. And yet, while many leaders and managers recognize the threat from digital--and the potential opportunity--they lack a common language and compelling framework to help them assess it and guide them in responding. They don't know how to think about their digital business model. In this concise, practical book, MIT digital research leaders Peter Weill and Stephanie Woerner provide a powerful yet straightforward framework that has been field-tested globally with dozens of senior management teams. Based on years of study at the MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR), the authors find that digitization is moving companies' business models on two dimensions: from value chains to digital ecosystems, and from a fuzzy understanding of the needs of end customers to a sharper one. Looking at these dimensions in combination results in four distinct business models, each with different capabilities. The book then sets out six driving questions, in separate chapters, that help managers and executives clarify where they are currently in an increasingly digital business landscape and highlight what's needed to move toward a higher-value digital business model. Filled with straightforward self-assessments, motivating examples, and sharp financial analyses of where profits are made, this smart book will help you tackle the threats, leverage the opportunities, and create winning digital strategies.

Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.

The electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle play a fundamental role in the forthcoming new paradigms of mobility and energy models. The electrification of the transport sector would lead to advantages in terms of energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but would also be a great opportunity for the introduction of renewable sources in the electricity sector. The chapters in this book show a diversity of current and new developments in the electrification of the transport sector seen from the electric vehicle point of view: first, the related technologies with design, control and supervision, second, the powertrain electric motor efficiency and reliability and, third, the deployment issues regarding renewable sources integration and charging facilities. This is precisely the purpose of this book, that is, to contribute to the literature about current research and development activities related to new trends in electric vehicle power trains.