Future development in automotive industry: short-term and long-term solutions for electrification.

The primary objective of this work is to analyze challenges and opportunities of the automotive sector electrification and, therefore, to identify solutions intended to address the critical aspects through the study of scientific literature, Stellantis intelligence, and market analysis. The thesis is organized in 3 chapters. In the first one, a comprehensive analysis of the current status of electric mobility and its associated issues is presented. This includes a review of the latest regulations, technical limitations, and customer perception. The aim is to identify the factors able to promote the diffusion of electric vehicles and those that hinder it, especially in Europe. The second chapter involves an analysis of the Chinese automotive market. China is one of the leading countries in terms of fleet electrification, and several Chinese companies are planning to sell electric vehicles in the European market, potentially reducing the market share of European carmakers, many of which are part of Stellantis group. This chapter examines the characteristics of Chinese brands and the marketing strategies they apply to increase customer acceptance and purchase intentions towards their products. The third chapter presents possible solutions to promote the diffusion of electric mobility, with a particular emphasis on the European automotive market. Proposed solutions to the issues presented in the first chapter include both technical and marketing-related strategies; some of these strategies are already being tested by Chinese companies. Battery recycling and battery swapping systems, among others, appear to be the most promising long-term solutions while concepts like battery-as-a-service, along with offering multiple battery packs, could play a decisive role in the large-scale deployment of electric cars in the short-term.