Toyota Motor

Hyundai

This profile analyzes Hyundai's progress in electrification and automotive technologies in 2024.

Autonomous Vehicle Industries Now and in 10 Years

Over the past couple of years, IDTechEx has reported on the emergence of commercial robotaxi services but has always needed to caveat this with the fact that they have been heavily restricted. Well, in 2024, the shackles are coming off, and the industry is getting ready for take-off.

Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota was the largest car manufacturer by sales in 2023, with over 10 million vehicles sold. It was an early leader in hybrid technology, however it has been more cautious in its adoption of fully electric technologies. This IDTechEx profile focuses on Toyota's latest plans to decarbonize its vehicles.

Cenex Expo 2024

IDTechEx attended the Cenex Expo 2024 at Millbrook on 4th-5th September. This year's expo focused on showcasing the latest advancements in electric vehicle technologies, autonomous driving regulations, clean energy solutions, and smart transportation systems. Key topics discussed included sustainability, vehicle electrification, battery technologies, the commercialization of autonomous vehicles, and how policies and innovation can drive the future of clean transport. Around 200 exhibitors participated, mainly from the electrification supply chain, hydrogen fuel cells, and electric vehicle components sectors, including Toyota, Mercedes Commercial Vehicles, Nuvera Fuel Cells, HVS, and Ford. About 20 exhibitors focused on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), roboshuttles, autonomous buses, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and ADAS simulation. Despite the smaller number of exhibitors in this field, government-related stands, such as Innovate UK, provided valuable information.

Volume and Not Weight Rule out Hydrogen Combustion for Passenger Cars

Does the hydrogen combustion engine offer a viable route to continuing ICE car production? According to IDTechEx's latest article the answer is, at least for cars, no. But why?

Roboshuttles: A Promising Yet Challenging Mobility Solution

Roboshuttles are small, fully electric, and operate at Level 4 autonomy, making them an ideal last-mile solution. They were once highly anticipated in the autonomous driving industry as a promising mobility solution, and at one point, over 25 companies were competing in this space. However, IDTechEx has observed a yearly decline in the number of active companies from 2020 to 2024, and the industry has not advanced to the large-scale commercial testing phases as hoped.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is a Japanese automobile manufacturer founded in 1948. This profile will focus on Honda's offerings and strategy for the electrification of cars.

Southwest Research Institute — Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine

The Southwest Research Institute is a non-profit R&D organization based in San Antonio, Texas. It is leading a consortium of major players in the engine, automotive and energy industries to produce a demonstration hydrogen combustion powered class-8 truck. IDTechEx spoke with an institute engineer at SwRI about the hydrogen engine.

Subaru

Through 2023 and 2024 Subaru has been through a series of management changes. A key part of the change is a new focus and more ambitious plan for electric vehicles. This profile looks at Subaru's current product portfolio and technologies and evaluates its renewed electrification plans.

Battery Technology Activity

Innovation map for battery technology activity.

New Range Records Set for Hydrogen Cars and Why It May Not Matter

At the end of February 2024, the UK ran its second Hydrogen Week. During this week, Hyundai set two new records for the driving range of its fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). While certainly a significant achievement, will the ultimate range of FCEVs impact consumer opinions and adoption?

Current Affairs: The Trends Shaping EV Charging Technology

There is undoubtedly a huge push to build global DC fast-charging networks. The US government is providing more than $5 billion in funding and incentives as part of the NEVI program to build a coast-to-coast fast charging network, and many countries in Europe are rolling out similar programs following the AFIR regulations to spur EV charging infrastructure growth. 2024 will be a big year for EV charging, but, as IDTechEx discuss in this article, there's more to the story.

Nippon Steel Chemical & Material: Mesoporous Carbon Material

Nippon Steel Chemical & Material Co. Ltd. (NSMC), a subsidiary of Nippon Steel Corporation, has developed a new mesoporous carbon material. IDTechEx spoke to the company at the H2 & FC Expo, Smart Energy Week 2024 in Japan.

Electrolyzer Market: Consistent Uptick in Number of Green H2 Players

As green hydrogen increasingly garners recognition as a pivotal tool for decarbonizing various industries, the electrolyzer market is also observing a steady and consistent rise in the number of companies venturing into the development of electrolyzer stacks and production facilities.

Hitachi Zosen Corporation: PEMEL & Methanation Technologies

Hitachi Zosen Corporation (HITZ) is a major Japanese industrial and engineering corporation. HITZ has developed a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL) technology called HydroSpring. This profile covers HITZ's hydrogen and methanation technologies as well as the alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) and methanation technologies of its Swiss subsidiary, Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI).

Toyota: PEM Electrolyzer

Toyota Motor Corporation showcased its proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL) plant concept at the H2 & FC Expo, Smart Energy Week 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. The company will manufacture PEMEL plants in collaboration with Chiyoda Corporation.

Taxiing For Takeoff: The Promise of eVTOLs

Flying cars are very easy to hype. Most images of the future almost always include mass mobility in the air. It is one of the staples of any depiction of advanced modern societies and a trope of almost every science fiction movie or book (however dystopian). It is an exciting time where the level of technological advancement is reaching the stage of making electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft a feasible reality.

The Opportunities & Barriers Facing 3D Printing for Electric Vehicles

The electric vehicle (EV) market experienced another exciting year of growth in 2023. Following a 62% increase in electric car sales in 2022 compared to 2021, IDTechEx predicts a 16% increase in global sales for 2023. However, growth was somewhat constrained during the year due to the performance of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in Europe, particularly in the first half of 2023, partly attributed to subsidy reductions in Germany. Nevertheless, many agree that EVs represent the future of the automotive industry, particularly for passenger cars.

Metal vs Graphite Bipolar Plates: A Key PEM Fuel Cells Debate

Bipolar plates are crucial components in proton exchange fuel cells, representing a substantial portion of the value of the fuel cell stack. IDTechEx predicts that their market value will surpass US$2.5 billion by 2034. The choice between metal and graphite materials for bipolar plates is a significant consideration, with each option having distinct advantages depending on the specific application.

EV Fire Protection Materials, Protecting a US$3.5 Trillion Market

Electric vehicle (EV) fire safety continues to be a critical topic. Data continues to support the fact that EVs are less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, as a new technology, EVs get more press, and besides, even a very low occurrence rate still poses significant risks to vehicle occupants and surroundings.