Selected Problems of the Automotive Industry—Material and Economic Risk

Abstract

This article is a synthetic, brief review of the literature, reports and references on the transformation of the automotive industry into zero-emission cars, in particular electric cars. It analyzes the technological and economic aspects of changes in the automotive industry regarding the transformation to zero-emission cars. Despite great de-emission parameters, the production of electric cars does not have a zero carbon footprint. The acquisition of critical elements, their production and the production of other components and materials needed for their construction have an environmental impact. The supply chains of materials for the construction of batteries for electric cars are characterized by significant risks related to, among others, a lack of diversification and limited flexibility. The dominant supplier of rare elements for batteries is China. The article analyzes the impact of prices on the demand for electric cars and compares them to internal combustion cars. Research shows that most electric cars are sold in China, the USA and Europe (about 95% of the supply). The costs of cars are of great importance, which, given the current reduction in the purchasing power of consumers, make the forecasts of the dynamic growth of electromobility very cautious, and even stagnation in the purchase of electric cars is expected in the second half of 2023.

Electromobility: Logistics and Business Ecosystem Perspectives Review

“…The term 'stakeholder' will be pivotal in this context, helping to unearth deeper insights and potentially drawing new conclusions from the classical and bibliometric analyses. The dynamism of the transportation and energy sectors necessitates continuous updating and refining of our understanding, particularly as it pertains to stakeholders [184,185] who have the capacity to shape and direct the trajectory of advancements [138,186].…”

“…The move away from cash in logistics processes is also intensifying, and it is also becoming more common to move away from physical payment cards and replace them with digital versions on phones, watches, or wristbands. This removes the operational time of the activities undertaken and introduces the possibility of collecting more data [138]. What is more, individual devices can communicate and transmit data in real time.…”

Optimizing Last-Mile Delivery: A Multi-Criteria Approach with Automated Smart Lockers, Capillary Distribution and Crowdshipping

“…Green initiatives have resulted in the emergence of what are known as Smart Cities, which combine economic growth, improved living standards and a reduction in the negative effects caused by commercial activities such as logistics, transportation and city mobility [21]. Furthermore, sustainable mobility is described as the movement or transport of people or objects that is compatible with economic growth, social cohesion [32,33] and environmental protection [34] while incurring low social, environmental and energy costs. Choosing automated smart lockers would have a positive impact on the city's economy and ecology, including the following contributions issued in this study that promotes sustainable mobility in city centers [35]:…”

Roadblocks to Implement Electric Freight Transports : Challenges for Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers and Hauliers

“…Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers (CVMs), are in the mid of a tremendous technology shift from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) technology to electromobility, and face challenges concerning supply chains (Richert and Dudek, 2023), new actors and constellations in the industry; product development and battery technology (Altenburg et al, 2016;Mule et al, 2021), the aftermarket business (Dombrowski and Engel, 2014;Ropin and Supan, 2020), and the necessity to reinvent their business models (Tungur and Engwall, 2014). Likewise, the transition to electromobility affects the entire freight transport sector.…”