Pietro Perlo - Senior Director, Centro Ricerche Fiat 
Key Note speech - 27 October 2010

"Electromobility a reality in evolution asking for advanced embedded ICT solutions"

Abstract:  
The global production of electrical means from less than 100000 units in the 2000 is approaching 70 million units this 2010. For at least other five years the growth of the electrical mobility industry is likely to confirm the remarkable 40% CAGR registered in 2004-2009 being equalled only by that of Renewable Energies with which it is sharing several technological developments.

The implementation of advanced embedded ICT solutions (HW, SW) is currently the distinctive aspect of the impressive spread of Light Electrical Vehicle LEVs (bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, tricycles, quad-cycles). Larger EVs (cars) are characterized by high degree of complexity for which the development of new highly integrated solutions is necessary to assure the ever more stringent demands on safety, system robustness, efficiency-range, ergonomic use and cost.  

The advent of multifunctions personal devices prospect a radical change on how people, vehicle and environment-infrastructure interact, this offers completely new approaches to design and manage the on-board systems of the car while the car itself is a system of the environment. The on-board network, the network of information (internet) and the network of electricity (e-grid) are members of a larger ensemble the “networked electromobility” for which both wired and wireless connections can satisfy most needs.

It is now globally acknowledge that modern electromobility is beneficial to the overall society leading to radical primary energy savings an remarkable overall emission reductions. The electrical powertrain is conceptually simple and allow an unsurpassable fun-to-drive but at a systems integration level the technology it is still at his infancy; in this direction Intergovernmental and National ICT associations play an ever increasing crucial role to support the research needs for a rapid rate of change towards all forms of electromobility.