🚋 Mobility Futures #24

Happy New Year! 🎉

In 2024, hybrid vehicles surpassed electric vehicles in demand, shifting toward a practical balance between sustainability and convenience. This change highlights a strategic pivot in the mobility industry's decarbonization efforts. Meanwhile, Volocopter GmbH, a German aviation company, filed for insolvency after failing to secure necessary funding despite extensive fundraising efforts. In China, a new 58.6 km rail link between Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports reduced travel time from 90 to 40 minutes, with the $1.3B project mostly underground. The ship recycling industry faced economic struggles in 2024, and DeepWay raised $102M in a Series B funding round to continue developing its autonomous robots.

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

🚗 Hybrid vehicles surpassed electric vehicles in 2024. In 2024, demand for electric vehicles cooled as hybrid vehicles gained popularity, offering a practical balance between sustainability and convenience. his shift indicated a strategic pivot in the mobility industry's journey toward decarbonization.

🚖 China Dominates Global Automobile Sales. China accounted for 41% of global automobile sales in November 2024,  reaching a record 3.316 million vehicles sold, driven by steady market growth. Further, the sales were followed by the US, India, Japan, and Germany.

🚌 Qatar Unveils Sustainable Transportation Master Plan 2050. Qatar unveiled its Transportation Master Plan for 2050, which prioritizes sustainability and aims to generate economic benefits through reduced vehicle operating costs, energy savings, and lower fuel consumption.

🛬 Aviation

💸 Volocopter Files for Insolvency. Volocopter GmbH, a German company, filed for insolvency due to failure to secure funding for its future business operations despite intensive fundraising efforts.

🚁 China establishes a new department for low-altitude aviation. China created a new official department to promote the development of the low-altitude aviation market, which includes crewed and uncrewed aerial vehicles operating below 1,000 meters.

🛩️ Eve Air Mobility and Jeju Air launched a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for eVTOL flights. The concept focuses on Urban Air Mobility (UAM) requirements and opportunities in South Korea. The study aims to establish a safe, sustainable UAM ecosystem, leveraging insights from customer surveys and industry collaboration.

🚋 Rail

🚄 New rail link connects Shanghai airports. A new 58.6 km rail line connecting Shanghai's two major airports, Hongqiao and Pudong, will reduce travel time between the two from 90 to 40 minutes with trains running every 15 minutes. The $1.3B project is mostly underground and includes plans for further extensions.

🚆 China Railway Unveils 450km/h High-Speed Train. China Railway unveiled its newest and fastest high-speed train, the CR450, capable of reaching speeds up to 450km/h at an exhibition in Beijing.  The train is set to operate with enhanced energy efficiency, passenger comfort, and intelligent systems.

🚋 Austin Transit Partnership Launches New Urban Rail Project. Austin Transit Partnership partnered with AECOM to build a new modern rail line in Austin, Texas. The project aims to improve connectivity, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance accessibility to public transportation in the city.

🚢 Marine

⚓️ Challenging Year for Ship Recycling Industry. The ship recycling industry faced a tumultuous year due to economic turmoil, with expectations of continued challenges in 2025. Stricter environmental regulations and fluctuating steel prices further compounded the industry's difficulties, squeezing profit margins.

🚢 HJ Heavy Industries Announces Hydrogen Ship R&D Initiative. HJ Heavy Industries announced an initiative for research and development of hydrogen-powered ships, which are considered high-tech and eco-friendly.

⚓️ Samsung Heavy Industries Wins Major Shipbuilding Contract. Samsung Heavy Industries, a major South Korean shipbuilder, secured a $508M deal to build ships, reinforcing its position as a key player in the global maritime industry.

🛠️ 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.

⚡ New York State funds $45 million in apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for clean energy construction and development to build a diverse pipeline of skilled workers. This initiative is a partnership between the New York State Energy Research Development Authority and the Finishing Trades Institute of New York, focusing on energy efficiency and building technologies, and aims to address workforce needs and ensure an inclusive energy transition.

🌱 Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts have partnered to expand workforce training in the green jobs sector. The Dorchester-based training hub will host its first 10-person cohort starting in February, offering paid technical training, essential job skills training, and career connections in clean energy fields like weatherization, HVAC, energy auditing, and solar. The program aims to bridge wage and economic opportunity gaps in communities affected by climate change.

🔋 Micron Technology has committed $3M to the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University in New York to support workforce development. The funding will help create a specialized Semiconductor Hub within the institute's Onward to Opportunity (O2O) career training program, connecting transitioning service members, veterans, and their families with careers in the semiconductor industry. This initiative aligns with the CHIPS and Science Act and aims to bridge the gap between veteran talent and industry needs.

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

🚚 DeepWay raises $102M Series B funding. DeepWay, a robot-ruck startup backed by Qiming Venture Partners, raised over $102M in a Series B funding round. DeepWay was founded as a joint venture between Baidu and Lionbridge.

✈️ Kilit Group Acquires Southwind Airlines. Kilit Group, a Turkish company, acquired Southwind Airlines, an airline based in Turkey.

💰 American Express GBT acquires CWT for $570M. American Express Global Business Travel acquired its rival travel management company CWT for $570M in a major deal in the corporate travel sector.

🚗 Hankook Tire acquires Hanon System. Hankook Tire Technology completed the acquisition of new shares to acquire Hanon System, a global automotive thermal energy management company.

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