Europe gears up to play pivotal role in sustainable mobility and has a chance to take the lead in innovation and technology as its economy gathers pace.
Growth and fresh opportunities
Globalisation is associated with an increase in transport demand and has made the mobility of people, ideas and goods a driving force and an essential feature of our modern societies.
In recent years, technical progress and restrictive regulations have been combined to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and unit emissions. And we, CECRA, have accompanied our members, dealers and repairers in their reflexions to identified privileged lever for action: on the one hand to make a qualitative shift towards less consumer and less polluting modes, and on the other hand to develop environmentally friendly services.
Free competition, innovation, independent entrepreneurship and consumer’s freedom are the cornerstones of today’s automotive market and even more so in the future.
“CECRA is committed to the belief that in order to develop sustainable mobility services, close collaboration between all stakeholders in this ecosystem is necessary. To go further in this approach, we recently joined the MaaS Alliance to actively participate in the building of the European framework for Mobility as a Service ” says Jean-Charles Herrenschmidt, president of CECRA.
Innovation is as important for small business as for large ones, no business can remain stagnant and expect to survive for very long in today’s competitive economy.
SMEs have the power to achieve a lot, can adapt to new trends and change by innovating. It is possible for them to develop sustainable choices while identifying what really motivates their clients.
Sustainability and profitability must work in pair and going for an eco-friendly plan will improve the customer experience and its daily life. Let us supporting responsible mobility without opposing the different modes of transport but by promoting the dedicated service to the right users.
The key is knowing our customers
It is important to give the people an incentive to go for sustainable choices. The industry‘s duty is to accompany and develop ecological behaviour. The customer needs and desires constantly evolve. Move freely, gain access, communicate, trade and establish relationships in a way that is compatible with the preservation of the environment are the expectations of the European consumers. Environmental value plays an essential role when consumers are purchasing. Opting for more transparency, they are increasingly spending their money with brands that reflect their values and think about the impact on the environment.
Customer centricity is a key part of driving customer experience excellence, but the company has to have an integrated data-driven understanding of the customer. Access to in-vehicle data will powerfully enrich the current client field knowledge and will allow all stakeholders to manage an inspiring customer experience.
Mobility services of a significant quality open up a wide range of possibilities for companies to develop sustainable services.
Policymakers are involved
European institutions are supporting innovation, the European Commission’s Horizon2020 initiatives devoting €80bn to funding research and development up to 2020.
It is important to encourage and grant recognition where it is deserved. CECRA is particularly attentive to the future of mobility. It gathers best practices observed in the field and share them with its members.
Mobility in Europe is at an important crossroad and policymakers are working on how to design more effective approaches to support innovation. Analysing the ecosystem, understanding the complex interactions between regional, national and pan European stakeholders, designing researches are just some of the challenge the European bodies are facing.
Future perspective
Finally, companies that aim to satisfy customers and at the same time help improve the world have proven to be some of the most innovative. They have the opportunity to provide solutions while growing. So what are we waiting for?
A platform of services
“In the years to come, trucks will all be green powered and fully autonomous, monitored by a fleet management team, whose job will be to identify and resolve problems remotely and analyse the data created by the truck to optimize their performance. Future will be connected; the workshops will also be fully digitized, with machines taking care of the repairs and engineers keeping them working. Interactions will be planned automatically through digital schedules that will keep exchanging information with trucks in need of preventive maintenance. The mobility market will consolidate. No matter the size, only companies providing clients with a platform of 24/7 services and paramount quality will remain.”
Gianandrea Ferrajoli, Vice-President and president of the CIV division, CECRA
Mobility for all by Station F
Innovation is a pillar of the future Mobility Orientation Law: this is why the CNPA is now using its start-up network to build a contribution adapted to the challenges of mobility for all. It is now necessary to think of “mobility pathways” and to have a vision of the sector if we want to respond to the evolution of users’ mobility needs (which are different in large urban centres, peri-urban areas, medium-sized towns, rural areas, etc.). Accessible, shared, connected, clean and safe, let’s build a responsible mobility strategy. StationF is the advanced expression of this with our Moove-lab “powered by” Via-Id.
Station F, CNPA’s mobility initiative – CNPA a member of CECRA
About CECRA
CECRA, established in 1983, is the European federation bringing together national professional associations, which represent the interests of motor trade and repair business and European Dealers councils. CECRA represents on a European scale 336,720 motor trade and repair enterprises. Together they employ 2,9 million people. CECRA provides representation to its members within the European Institutions with the aim of following-up as well as influencing the decision-making process.
For more information
Bernard Lycke Director General: bernard.lycke@cecra.eu