A white paper published by Ricardo Strategic Consulting highlights the crucial influence of the consumer in the development of smart, connected and automated mobility with the urban environment of the future – underscoring the importance of rigorous market assessment for new innovations in mobility
In the coming years, the citizens of larger and more affluent ‘megacities’ – with populations exceeding 10 million – will be faced with a proliferation of mobility options based on new innovations in both technology and service. Understanding the likely future demands and aspirations of the early-adopter base of such urban environments is crucial in considering the potential commercial viability of future innovations in mobility.
Drawing upon the approach used in a recent in-depth project to understand the future mobility demands of the city and banlieues of Paris, the paper sets-out Ricardo’s approach to future market characterization based on the use of its personae perspective analysis framework. This method is based on the creation of a number of personae representative of the wider population, which can be used to understand how consumers consider multiple viable mobility options for their journeys, and how they base their decisions on both rational and emotional factors.
The approach can be particularly powerful in understanding the consumer psychology of potential earlier adopter communities for new transport innovations, ranging from electric vehicles either in personal or shared use ownership, to ‘mobility as a service’ products.
In the Paris study, consumers in a 5-10 year time horizon were found to be more selective than those of today when making journey choices, a trend considered likely as a result of the increasing proliferation of transport options, an increasing value placed upon the experiential aspects of journeys, and greater social pressures to make environmentally sensitive choices. Despite the wide variety of differing consumer needs, an increasing requirement for connectivity and a seamless journey was found to be a common theme among almost all consumer profiles.
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SOURCE: Ricardo
