Luke Gear Principal Technology Analyst

Bio

Luke is a Principal Analyst at IDTechEx where he leads the electric vehicle and future mobility research. Luke oversees more than 90 forecast lines which depict future mobility scenarios across land, sea, and air over the next 10-20 years.

Based out of London, Luke speaks regularly at industry events sharing the latest electric vehicle market and technology trends, including the Battery Show where he currently sits on the advisory board. He has provided keynote presentations and technical masterclasses across three continents.

Education

Luke holds a Master of Physics with First-class honours from the University of Bath, and studied a variety of topics including photonics, nanoscience and condensed matter. Luke's career in sustainable energy began with a Master's placement at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, where he helped improve the efficiency of some specialist scientific software. His work contributed to the ITER project, a large fusion experiment in Southern France.

Research Field

Luke writes multiple market research reports a year covering electric vehicle markets and components, and interviews hundreds of companies and start-ups for primary research. Luke's expertise includes electric motors, power electronics, Li-ion batteries and battery supply/demand, hydrogen fuel cells, charging infrastructure, electric cars, electric trains, electric trucks and commercial vehicles, electric two wheelers, electric boats and ships, and more.

Consulting

Luke has delivered bespoke consultancy projects to multinational companies and start-ups seeking investment. Luke has worked on projects including:

Assessing demand growth for specific metals in electric vehicle powertrain components. An international council wanted a forecast of demand for copper created by the growth in electric vehicles and its associated infrastructure. IDTechEx carried out a detailed assessment of the markets, identified and analyzed the key components using or likely to use copper, and developed various detailed market forecast scenarios.

Benchmarking and opportunities for an electric motor technology. A manufacturer of electric motors for electric vehicles approached IDTechEx to provide an independent assessment of their technology and compare it to the options available on the market currently. This had the goal of assisting with their upcoming investment funding rounds. IDTechEx analysed parameters including performance (power, torque density, efficiency etc), costs and environmental impact. The motor technology was also evaluated against competing market options within relevant vehicle segments (cars, trucks etc.). An overview of the relevant patent landscape was provided along with total market forecasts and a specific addressable market forecast for the technology.

Assessing the market opportunity for a novel battery module. A multi-million-dollar technology and research company approached IDTechEx for commercializing a novel battery module with unique thermal management capabilities. IDTechEx validated the cost advantages of the module in different environments and leveraged an extensive network to carry out an assessment of the competitive and market landscape. A detailed analysis on pricing, technology choices, battery system structure and typical cooling techniques were provided, allowing the company to position their product more effectively on the market.

Due diligence on a new energy storage technology. IDTechEx provided an appraisal of a start-up company's technology. The goal was to assist in appraising the technology being developed and to expand their knowledge on the development and commercialization of energy storage technology. IDTechEx provided a critical appraisal of the energy storage device that had been under development, including a validation of the underlying principle and design of the company's devices. Market opportunities and risks to commercialisation were outlined, while the strengths and weaknesses of the device were evaluated against competing technologies on parameters including energy density, cost, safety, and stage of development.

Media Engagements

Luke regularly engages with mainstream media to discuss the latest electric vehicle market and technology trends. Examples include:

Speaking at Forthcoming Events

Electric & Hybrid Marine

RAI, Amsterdam - 20 - 22 Jun 2023

The Electric & Hybrid Marine conference is one of the largest conferences in the world dedicated to promoting low carbon technologies for the maritime sector, with around 200 exhibitors, 1,500 attendees, and a three-day conference, each day with three tracks. The exhibitors are predominantly battery, fuel cell, and propulsion system suppliers, as well as regulatory standard bodies such as DNV. IDTechEx analysts will be presenting on fuel cell and battery systems for the maritime sector.