SHIFTx, an annual lecture series that focuses on next-generation transportation, is set to be hosted by the SHIFT Mobility conference in Berlin on September 2nd and 3rd. The mixed reality event, which will be held in person on the ground in Berlin and also virtually via live-stream to anyone across the globe, including right here on Dealerscope. As in previous iterations, SHIFTx will explore pressing questions facing the future of transportation. Topics include the future potential of autonomous vehicles, how to de-carbonize transportation, and the question of whether or not we still need our cars.
SHIFT Mobility, a convention, exhibition, and content hub all wrapped into one multi-platform experience, aims to challenge conventional systems of thought surrounding transportation. On the need-for-cars question, Alain Visser, CEO of Swedish-Chinese auto manufacturer Lynk & Co, thinks that there is no longer a need to individually own cars when it’s possible to share them. In the SHIFT release, Visser says: “Why would you spend a lot of money for something you just use four percent of the time? It is insane.”
At SHIFTx, Alain Visser will be joined by Johann Jungwirth, VP of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) at automotive computer vision company Mobileye, and Boyd Cohen the Founder and CEO of open mobility marketplace Lomob. Jungwirth will discuss the revolutionary potential of autonomous vehicles. “Self-driving vehicles will have a bigger impact on future mobility than the transformation to electric vehicles”, says Jungwirth. “94% of 1.35 million traffic deaths per year are caused by human drivers, and tens of million injuries, finally we have a solution in sight.” Meanwhile, Cohen, who is a veteran at SHIFT Mobility having previously spoken during the 2019 conference, has said, “The future of mobility will be intuitive, seamless and multimodal. Fewer vehicles will be owned by the end user, and instead, we will have easy access to any type of vehicle for single and multimodal journeys inside cities and also for journeys between cities.” With this model, Boyd seeks to propose a method for decarbonizing our global transportation.
Given the rising popularity of e-bikes, e-scooters, electric vehicles–even electric trucks–there are many roads to achieve that goal.
SHIFTx will examine topics such as New Urbanism, New Dimensions of Mobility, Renewable Energy, and Data Driven Mobility. The entire conference is open to the public and will be live-streamed for free on Thursday, September 2nd and Friday, September 3rd for free at https://shift-mobility-ifa.com/.
