🚋 Mobility Futures #21

Happy Monday 👋

China solidified its dominance in the global EV market with a 76% share in October 2024, driven by robust domestic demand and last-minute buying before a government subsidy expired, despite Western tariffs. Archer Aviation secured a $500M deal with Soracle, a Japanese JV, to supply up to 100 Midnight e-aircraft for urban air mobility. Saudi Arabia launched the world’s longest driverless transit system (109 miles), showcasing Zaha Hadid Architects' design. Latin America’s first electric tug debuted in Turkey, advancing sustainable shipping with 70+ tons of bollard pull. Meanwhile, ABC Technologies agreed to acquire TI Fluid for $1.8B, marking a major auto sector consolidation.

What's new?

HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveal industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

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🚘 Ground Mobility

🚗 China Dominates Global Electric Vehicle Market with 76% Share. China's share of the global electric car market rose to 76% in October 2024 due to strong domestic demand, offsetting risks from Western tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Also, China's car sales likely surged in November as carmakers offered discounts and buyers rushed to take advantage of the government trade-in subsidy before it expired.

⚠️ Volkswagen Workers in Germany Protest Potential Job Cuts and Plant Closures. Volkswagen employees in Germany have initiated warning strikes in response to the possibility of mass layoffs, wage reductions, and plant closures.

🔥 South Korea Addresses EV Battery Safety Concerns After EV Fire. A fire involving a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan in South Korea prompted the government to overhaul its EV policies, focusing on battery safety and enhanced regulations. The new measures include mandatory battery disclosures and a state-run certification system to improve consumer confidence and safety.

🛬 Aviation

✈️ Archer Aviation to Sell Up to 100 Electric Aircraft to Soracle. Archer Aviation, an electric airplane manufacturer, signed an agreement with Soracle, a joint venture of Japan Airlines and Sumitomo, to sell up to 100 Midnight aircraft worth approximately $500M. Soracle plans to offer electric air taxi flights in cities with traffic constraints or geographic barriers.

✈️ Autoflight's First eVTOL Flight in Japan. AutoFlight, a Chinese company, conducted its first flight of an eVTOL aircraft in Okayama, Japan. This successful demonstration supports Japan's "Setouchi Community AAM Infrastructure 2028 Project" and paves the way for future test flights across multiple cities.

🚁 BNDES Approves Funding for Eve Air Mobility's eVTOL Development. BNDES, Brazil's national development bank, approved $40M in funding for Eve Air Mobility to support the development of eVTOL aircraft.

🚋 Rail

🚇 Saudi Arabia Opens World's Longest Driverless Transit System. Saudi Arabia inaugurated a new driverless transit system that is the longest in the world, measuring 109 miles long and featuring a station designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

🚇 Hitachi Rail delivers Greece's first driverless metro system. Hitachi Rail delivered Greece's first-ever driverless metro system as part of a contract to provide digital signaling and metro trains. The system covers a 9.6-kilometer route with 13 stations. This project aims to reduce traffic congestion and CO2 emissions, with the metro expected to remove 56,000 cars from the road daily.

🚆 First Battery Trains for North Rhine-Westphalia in 2026. Regiobahn will introduce three Mireo Plus B battery trains on its RE 47 route in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, starting in the summer of 2026 for 5.5 years, bringing emission-free mobility.

🚢 Marine

⚡ Enap and SAAM Launch Latin America's First Electric Tug. Enap and SAAM, two organizations, launched Latin America's first electric tug at the Sanmar shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey. The tug features over 70 tons of bollard pull and supports sustainable maritime logistics.

🚢 France's First Hydrogen-Powered River Vessel Launched by Sogestran Group. The Sogestran Group launched the ZULU 06, France's first hydrogen-powered river vessel, marking a groundbreaking milestone in sustainable transport.

🌍 UK Considers Adding Shipping to Emissions Trading System. The UK government is reviewing its emissions trading system to include the shipping industry from 2026 following the EU's FuelEU Maritime regulation.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

HolonIQ is now tracking reskilling and upskilling initiatives critical in bridging workforce gaps. Impact industries are rapidly evolving, fueled by technological advancements, decarbonization, geopolitical dynamics, and socio-economic factors. To that extent, these sectors require considerable workforce/professional development initiatives to enhance workers' capabilities, boost economic growth, and promote social well-being. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🚗 UNDP and Partners Launch Electric Mobility Skilling Programme. In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Makerere University Innovation Pod (UniPod), and Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), an Electric Mobility Skilling Programme was introduced to equip students with cutting-edge skills in electric vehicle technologies.

🌧️ Boston Secures $9.8M Grant for Climate Resilience Workforce Expansion. Boston has received a $9.8 million federal grant to create over 1,200 climate resilience jobs in four years, focusing on coastal protections and green infrastructure. The funding supports roles in construction, storm response, and wastewater redesign while establishing the Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance to enhance training accessibility. Mayor Wu highlighted the program's security against federal rollbacks, and local businesses, like Parterre, underscored the urgent need for skilled workers in the field.

🌿 New City College Wins Prestigious Green Gown Award for Green Skills. New City College (NCC) earned the Green Gown Award for Next Generation Learning and Skills, recognizing its groundbreaking ‘Green Skills Revolution’ curriculum. NCC’s innovative low-carbon courses, supported by £10 million in partnership projects, focus on electric vehicle maintenance, energy efficiency, and solar power. With state-of-the-art labs and specialized staff training, NCC equips students, apprentices, and workers with essential green skills, positioning itself as a national leader in sustainable education and workforce development.

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Deals of the Week

💰 ABC Technologies to Acquire TI Fluid for $1.8B. ABC Technologies, an auto supplier, announced a deal to acquire TI Fluid, a U.K.-based auto supplier, for $1.8B after months of negotiations.

💰 Crossbay raises $717.4M for the second logistics fund. Crossbay, a logistics company, raised $717.4M for its second logistics fund called Crossbay II.

🚗 TagMaster Acquires Quercus Technologies - A Supplier of Digital Parking Solutions. TagMaster, a supplier of smart city solutions, acquired a 92.5% stake in Quercus Technologies, a company that designs and manufactures video-based digital solutions for the parking industry.

📦 Amsterdam's Cargoplot Raises $4.1M for E-Commerce Logistics Platform. Cargoplot, an Amsterdam-based platform for e-commerce importers and freight forwarders, raised $4.1M in an equity funding round.

🚚 Egyptian Logistics Startup Nowlun Raises $1.7M Seed Round. Egyptian freight forwarding platform Nowlun secured $1.7M in seed funding to enhance its logistics platform and expand operations.

🚚 GPS Trackit Acquires Fleet Management Company Zonar. GPS Trackit, a company providing fleet management solutions, acquired Zonar, another company in the same industry, in a move described as a 'significant step forward' for fleet management.

🚚 Radiant Logistics Acquires TCB Transportation. Radiant Logistics, Inc., a provider of technology-enabled global transportation and logistics services, acquired TCB Transportation.

💰 Volvo Sells Stake in Lynx & Co. to Zeekr. Volvo, the Swedish automaker, sold a 30% stake in its software company Lynx & Co. to Zeekr, a Chinese electric vehicle startup.

💰 AirX Charter Secures Series A Funding. AirX Charter, a Maltese company, closed its Series A funding round.

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