The auto industry braces for a post-COVID world
It’s difficult to imagine right now, but there will be a time after the pandemic. And when that time comes, and we reflect on the devastation caused by COVID-19, what will be the image that best illustrates its impact on the automotive industry? Ventilators? Facemasks? Empty dealership forecourts? A strong contender will be the fleets of stationary oil tankers floating near shorelines, many queuing to dock after months on the water, others serving no purpose other than to store surplus oil.
As the world emerges from coronavirus lockdown, factories will restart, vapour trails will return to the skies, roads will fill up, and fossil fuels will flow again, but a surprise announcement by two of the world’s largest truck manufacturers has changed the debate over future propulsion. The May 2020 issue of Automotive World Magazine takes a closer look at the Daimler-Volvo fuel cell truck joint venture.
There will be a time after the pandemic, and it’ll be a time of altered attitudes and different behaviour. The automakers, suppliers and others with their sights set on future mobility—such as Nio, Lynk & Co and Havn, all featured in this issue—need to work out how to get through today, in order to be ready for a new tomorrow.
In this issue:
- COVID-19 could result in at least 20 million lost vehicle sales
- COMMENT: To succeed at CASE, automakers first need to succeed at COVID-19
- Fortified balance sheets essential for auto industry’s coronavirus survival
- The automotive industry suffers most under COVID-19, say materials suppliers
- Daimler and Volvo JV marks vote of confidence for fuel cell trucking
- One SAFE bet: new US vehicle emissions rule is headed for court
- Vehicle subscription: it’s a lifestyle, says Lynk & Co
- For Nio, seamless functionality is key to autonomous vehicle success
- JLR’s all-electric Havn service adds premium touch to ride-hailing FH
- Artificial intelligence: the spanner in the works for AV liability and regulation?
- Real-world insight will shape the autonomous experience, says Renault
- Distribution yards ‘ripe’ for autonomous trucks
- COVID-19 sullies otherwise positive trends in Brazilian trucking
- COMMENT: With crude prices in negative territory, what will be ‘the new oil’?
