Baratta Center for Global Business Hosts Inaugural Roundtable on the Auto/Mobility Value Chain

The Baratta Center for Global Business hosted a roundtable on the auto and mobility value chain on December 5, 2023. 

Moderated by Anil Khurana, executive director of the Baratta Center for Global Business, the roundtable featured speakers from Accenture, Applegreen Electric, Blue Solutions, the Center for Automotive Research, Jacobs, Michelin, Bosch, the Siemens Foundation, Tevva, and the U.S. Department of State.

The key themes of the discussion were the auto-to-mobility transition (i.e., internal combustion engines to EV/ hydrogen); instability and disruptions in global supply chains (e.g., delays in the delivery of microchips and batteries); the importance of critical minerals and other supplies; and the evolution of EV ecosystems at both global and country levels (including challenges and hurdles).

As an example, one of the speakers, David Roberts, board director of Tevva, outlined the several choices Original Equipment Manufacturers have to make, including the type of energy for the vehicle (battery or hydrogen), working with battery partners, sourcing key components and systems, and China-dependent battery supply chains.

Eugene Moore, CEO of Applegreen Electric discussed the differences between the United States and European charging infrastructures and suggested that while the United States is ahead by building a strong subsidy and grant-aiding environment, Europe has focused on efficient standards and interoperability.

To follow, a working group on the mobility, automotive, and transport value chain with more than 20 corporate and government representatives has been set up to focus on some of the key challenges raised at the roundtable and take the ideas to businesses, policymakers, investors, and customers around the world.

– Joe Jasper, associate director of marketing and events for the Baratta Center for Global Business and the Steers Center for Global Real Estate