This contribution, starting from the analysis of the technological and economic context of the electric car, intends to argue that the spread of the electric car is determined not only and not so much by the specific technological choices made by car and battery producers, but above all by the capacity to organise and manage the integrated action of a series of players, traditional and new (car manufacturers, battery producers, producers of car management systems, companies that run the transport service, the energy distribution network, energy producers, governments and so on) creating networks, alliances and coalitions. In this sense, the chapter describes the introduction of the electric car as a particularly complex innovation in that it requires the co-ordination of a series of heterogeneous yet complementary factors, and which includes not only the entire auto sector, but also elements and actors traditionally external to it. The need to coordinate and integrate complementary technological competencies is fundamental to develop and introduce elelctric cars. As a consequence, the success of EVs seems to depend on the adoption of a new business model, that of innovation platforms, pivoting, as far as car manufacturers are concerned, on auto manufacturers, service, and, as regards individuals on new consumption behaviour (the purchase of the car separately from the ownership of the batteries, or car rental). This organisational model for innovation is co-ordinated by key companies which take responsibility for the integration of the competencies and technologies of the various actors, and is well exemplified by the experience of Better Place.

ELECTRIC CARS: WILL IT BE BOOM OR ANOTHER FALSE START?

ENRIETTI, Aldo;PATRUCCO, Pier Paolo
2012-01-01

Abstract

This contribution, starting from the analysis of the technological and economic context of the electric car, intends to argue that the spread of the electric car is determined not only and not so much by the specific technological choices made by car and battery producers, but above all by the capacity to organise and manage the integrated action of a series of players, traditional and new (car manufacturers, battery producers, producers of car management systems, companies that run the transport service, the energy distribution network, energy producers, governments and so on) creating networks, alliances and coalitions. In this sense, the chapter describes the introduction of the electric car as a particularly complex innovation in that it requires the co-ordination of a series of heterogeneous yet complementary factors, and which includes not only the entire auto sector, but also elements and actors traditionally external to it. The need to coordinate and integrate complementary technological competencies is fundamental to develop and introduce elelctric cars. As a consequence, the success of EVs seems to depend on the adoption of a new business model, that of innovation platforms, pivoting, as far as car manufacturers are concerned, on auto manufacturers, service, and, as regards individuals on new consumption behaviour (the purchase of the car separately from the ownership of the batteries, or car rental). This organisational model for innovation is co-ordinated by key companies which take responsibility for the integration of the competencies and technologies of the various actors, and is well exemplified by the experience of Better Place.
2012
Sustaining Industrial Competitiveness after the Crisis: lessons from the automotive industry
Palgrave
173
200
9780230348165
Car industry, Competitiveness, Electric vehicles, Innovation, Structural change.
Enrietti A.; Patrucco P. P.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/90522
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