Automobility - Building and Profiting from the Future of Mobility
Creating the Future of Mobility
venture capital, investment advisory, automotive, management consulting, legal services, merchant banking
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In recent years, we have witnessed successive waves of technology innovation that are transforming the automotive industry. Mobility needs are increasingly being served through a user-centric business model, which has triggered the entry of a new class of competitors that see the vehicle as a rolling smart device that is monetized as a digital platform. We are at the inflection point of a secular shift and exponential rise of the electric and shortly thereafter followed by autonomous mobility technology. This is paradigm-changing development in the automotive industry, requiring a complete rethinking of the way to deliver value to the users of these smart mobility devices.

 

To succeed, companies must expand their focus from the product (the automobile) to the utility derived from the product (“automobility”), and create a business model and digital ecosystem optimized to provide digitally enabled solutions for both car owners and mobility services users.

 

Automobility engages with clients to build and profit from the future of mobility through a portfolio of consulting, scouting, investment and business development services. To learn more about our thesis on the future of mobility, click here

WHAT IS AUTOMOBILITY?

TEAM

bill

The world’s leading global expert on the development of the automotive industry and the future of mobility. Nearly 4 decades of experience in the auto, electronics and information technology industries. Currently serving as the Chair of the Automotive Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Bill Russo

Founder and CEO
bevin-jacob

A tech enthusiast with expertise in business innovation, investment advisory, and go-to-market execution, Bevin will use his experience to foster sustainable solutions. He has served early stage start-ups, mature global companies and intra-prenuerial businesses.

Bevin Jacob

Partner and Co-Founder
Uri_1

A broad experience of over 2 decades in the hi-tech industry, working across a range of management roles and leading dozens of large scale multi-million dollar technological projects with major international companies. He brings experience in B2B to B2C transitions including development of new ecosystems and business models.

Uri Kushnir

Managing Partner, Israel
Stav Shvartz

Cross-border investment professional, with experience working and living on 4 continents with deep expertise in the Chinese automotive sector. Over a decade of strategy and business development experience, working with OEMs, startups, tech conglomerates and banks.

Stav Shvartz

Managing Partner, Israel
emily-wang

Lead consultant and engagement manager with experience in new market entry, M&A pipeline and due diligence, organization structure, and business model design.

Emily Wang

Associate
Benjamin Fan

Experienced strategy and management consultant expertise in market research, market entry, marketing and branding strategy and organization optimization, etc. Passionate about the future of automobile, he is ready to bring insight and know-how from consumer goods and healthcare industry to shape the future with clients.

Benjamin Fan

Senior Consultant
Twyla Zhang

Had both communication marketing and consulting experiences in cross-industry sectors, including energy, automotive, FMCG, finance and healthcare. Led projects in market entry, market insights, marketing communications, new products development, etc. Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Michigan State University and an MBA from CEIBS.

Twyla Zhang

Senior Consultant
emily-ren

Office manager with proven experience in multinational organizations working in professional sales and administrative assistant roles.

Emma Ren

Office Manager
Philippe Thegner

A wealth of expertise with particular focus on Automotive Aftermarket, Aftermarket Retail, Business Development, P&L Management, Product Management and Global Sourcing. Currently serving as Chair of the Automotive Aftermarket Supplier Association in China.

Philippe Thegner

Senior Advisor
Jayce Lu

Previous experiences as a financial consultant cover a wide range of industries, including energy, automotive, finance and Internet industry. Previously at PwC as a Senior Associate, he held successful track record in IPO consulting and PE buyouts. He is also an experienced investment manager who was heavily involved in fund operations, project investment and post-investment management.

Jayce Lu

Analyst
new

With years of experience in the automotive industry as a consultant with a particular focus on the innovation and financing. Having participated in various projects, such as IPO, market research and due diligence, etc.

Lorenzo Song

Consultant

SAMPLING OF OUR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

Automobility provides investment advisory, merchant banking and business development services for investors, corporations and startups.

Our portfolio companies are curated based on their fit and relevancy to our thesis on the future of mobility, with a particular emphasis on markets with a high potential to commercialize their technology.

MEDIA

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEDIA MENTIONS

Media Source : Politico The German carmaker faces a triple threat from China, a lagging EV transition and labor worries. POLITICO September 16, 2024 BY JORDYN DAHL In Volkswagen’s heyday at the turn of the decade, then-CEO Herbert Diess and Tesla chief Elon Musk had......

Media Source : Motor Trend Click here to the Audio Link There is a new chapter being written in our automotive history. Coding the Car 2.0 reveals the transformation taking place in the industry, with software taking the driver’s seat! Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) are evolving......

Media Source : Bloomberg Click here to the Audio Link China’s electric car makers are facing pressure on several fronts, with a price war at home and tariffs overseas. Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility, predicts weaker conditions ahead for many carmakers except those......

Media Source : The Financial Times World’s second-biggest economy is slowing, appetite for foreign brands has weakened and local competition is intense The Financial Times, August 11, 2024 by Edward White and Thomas Hale in Shanghai, Madeleine Speed, Daniel Thomas and Claire Jones in London......

Media Source : China Daily Global August 1, 2024 By JULIAN SHEA in London | China Daily Global The surge in Chinese electric vehicle sales across Europe in June was mainly driven by looming tariff threats, newly released data reveal. According to analytics company Dataforce,......

Media Source : The Exchange Podcast   Click here to the Audio Link   Bill Russo, the Founder and CEO of Automobility Ltd, recently joined The Exchange Podcast, which was moderated by Katrina Hamlin from Thomson Reuters. Bill shared his perspective on the topic of how EV makers in China......

Media Source : Bloomberg Click here to the Audio Link Bill Russo, Founder and CEO of investment advisory firm Automobility, says well-established Chinese EV makers will be able to continue their international push despite European Union tariffs. He speaks with David Ingles and Annabelle Droulers......

EVENTS

ARTICLES

2024年9月13日 撰文:Bill Russo、汤文佳、陆仕诚 自21世纪初以来,中国已经将推动交通电气化纳入国家战略层面,目的在于增强其能源安全。鉴于中国约70%的石油需求依赖于进口,高度依赖外部能源在当前地缘政治日趋动荡的背景下,显然存在风险隐患。因此,减少对外部能源的依赖成为了中国的长期战略方针。在过去的十年中,中国通过发展新能源汽车(New Energy Vehicle)*的供应链,有效地解决了之前阻碍新能源汽车大规模商业化的诸多问题,尤其在降低成本和提升用户体验方面取得了显著成效。 近年来,新能源汽车在中国市场的迅速普及,不仅增强了中国在全球汽车供应链的实力,还推动了新能源汽车作为能源基础设施的下游应用的发展。这其中包括本地的充电设施和广泛的能源管理系统,使得汽车逐渐融入到“能源互联网”生态系统中,智能电动汽车成为了能源互联网中的关键组成部分。 * 新能源汽车(New Energy Vehicle):包括纯电动汽车(BEV)、插电式混合动力汽车(PHEV)和燃料电池汽车(FCEV)。 中国新能源汽车产业的指数级增长历程 在过去的二十年中,中国的新能源汽车产业经历了四个发展阶段。最初阶段,即2009年之前,发展重点在于鼓励加大对新能源汽车的投入及其在移动出行行业的推广,以推进整体汽车行业的发展。2009年,中国政府通过宣布对小型车的税收减免以及为农村地区的汽车销售提供激励,继续刺激市场。同年,政府发布了《汽车产业调整和振兴规划2009-2011》,提出了八八大主要任务目标,这些目标旨在确保中国汽车生产和销售的稳定增长,并支持新能源汽车研究,目标是借助更新、更高效的驱动技术赶超发达市场。到2017年,中国汽车销量持续扩大(参见图一),2017年也标志着中国国内汽车销售的顶峰年份,而新能源汽车的销量仅占市场总量的2.7%。当时新能源汽车的普及主要是由针对车队购买的重大激励措施所驱动。自2018年以来,中国新能源汽车销售已从依赖补贴的模式转向更为成熟的市场导向模式,购买主力从车队转变为个人消费者。同年,国家发展和改革委员会宣布,将在五年内逐步取消对汽车制造商的外资投资比例限制。首先取消新能源汽车领域的外资限制,到2023年取消所有类型的合资企业限制。2018年5月,特斯拉与上海政府签订了汽车生产基地协议,将于临港自由贸易区建设Gigafactory 3。中国政府向特斯拉提供了包括廉价土地和低息贷款在内的一系列支持,期望特斯拉能帮助培养本地供应商,促进中国电动汽车行业的发展。特斯拉在2019年于上海建设并投产的超级工厂通过推出价格合理且配置齐全的电动汽车,激发了整个中国电动汽车供应链的活力。同时,新兴的中国电动汽车品牌及传统汽车制造商也纷纷通过技术创新和发布新车型加速布局电动汽车市场。激烈的市场竞争和科技创新推动了电动汽车在中国的普及。2024年7月,中国新能源汽车的单月销量首次超过了纯汽油动力乘用车。 来源:中国汽车工业协会,Automobility分析 图一:中国汽车市场销量 2014-2023 在汽车行业的颠覆浪潮中破浪前行 目前,中国已经达到了一个转折点,正在经历一场深刻的、跨时代的变革,这场变革关乎出行需求的满足方式以及智能电动车技术的迅猛发展,中国的新兴优势也不再单纯依赖于政府政策和外资的投入。电动化并不能完整描述中国出行领域正在发生的变革——中国的互联网经济在这一变革中扮演着关键角色。 我们正经历一场互联网经济引导的出行革命,互联网企业正积极投资以提升各类出行服务的效率。截至2020年底,中国互联网用户数量接近十亿,为各类互联网服务构建了巨大的市场空间。几乎所有中国人都通过互联网平台获取服务,这些服务包括人或货的流动。 始于20世纪末的信息和互联网技术革命,现在正成为推动出行创新的加速器,众多从数字经济中崛起的创新型公司正在积极布局出行创新领域。包括互联网巨头(百度、阿里巴巴、腾讯)和智能设备制造商(华为、小米)在内的互联网平台企业,正在大力投资,试图通过其开发的智能解决方案,在出行、能源和其他线上线下服务相关领域拓展新的业务。 中国的数字经济正在引领一种全新的、以服务为核心的商业模式——从主要在销售时获得收益,转变为在其整个生命周期内以更多元的服务来获取持续性收益。新的商业模式与数字经济高度融合,因此其参与者通常来自互联网生态系统。互联网公司能够高效整合需求,并在提供智能化服务领域拥有丰富的商业化经验。 中国的汽车行业爆发出的颠覆性力量不仅仅局限在技术发展方面。中国的出行市场在政府、创业公司和互联网经济的支持下,正在经历三个发展重塑阶段(参见图二)。这些在中国兴起并迅速扩展的浪潮,通过为用户提供更加便捷且实惠的出行解决方案,正快速推动共享出行经济的普及。 来源:Automobility 图二:汽车行业的三次颠覆性浪潮 在大数据时代,智能设备通过移动互联网为消费者提供个性化服务。如今,这些互联网技术正被整合到交通工具中,改变这些工具的盈利模式。这一变革始于基于手机应用的按需出行服务,在“Automobility1.0”时代,便捷且高效的出行服务,将我们的生活、工作和娱乐紧密相连,使得这类服务在中国迅速普及。同时,公共交通系统、停车、充电站等都已通过共享平台为用户提供服务,吸引了众多互联网巨头和主机厂的投资。 在“Automobility2.0”时代,中国的汽车行业全面迈入了“智能电动车”或“智能网联汽车(ICV)”的新纪元。我们见证了高级驾驶辅助系统(ADAS)技术的加速商业化,让驾驶体验变得更加轻松。 未来,我们将迎来“Automobility3.0”时代,即自动驾驶按需出行(AMOD)时代,届时无论是人员(如无人驾驶出租车)还是货物(如无人驾驶送货车)的运输都将实现自动化运行。虽然传统的汽车驾驶出行方式仍将存在,但智能无人驾驶汽车运营的成本优势将推动其大规模商业化。 中国借助其庞大且充满活力的数字经济,正在将传统的以产品为中心的汽车产业转型为以用户服务为核心的移动物联网商业模式。当车辆被视为智能设备时,它能够收集用户、车辆及其周边环境信息并将数据上传到云端进行分析,以便更好地为用户提供基于大数据的服务(参见图三)。 来源:Automobility 图三:移动物联网数据商业化   通过让汽车变得更加智能和互联,中国正在引领将智能电动车融入诸如能源管理的城市智能管理系统。这种融合不仅成为全球市场的典范,也预示了智能电动车在城市能源系统可持续管理中将可能扮演的重要角色。 能源互联网生态系统的蓬勃发展 2021年10月,我们在《智能电动汽车如何驱动智能能源管理的转型》一文中首次提出了“能源互联网生态系统”的概念。过去几年,我们见证了该生态系统的发展趋势:智能电动汽车技术不仅局限于其核心应用,更扩展将至智能电网和城市能源管理领域。在这一生态系统中,电动汽车逐渐扮演起分布式储能单元的角色,它们不仅能储存能量,还能与电网进行动态的能量交换。这种整合不仅增强了电网的稳定性,还提高了可再生能源的利用率,预示着中国正在向构建一个更具弹性和灵活性的能源管理系统的转型。 在这个不断进化的能源管理系统中,新的商业模式正迅速涌现,它们突破了传统的车辆所有权模式,开辟了全新的收入渠道(参见图四)。智能电动汽车制造商正积极推出专属的补能解决方案,以提升电动汽车用户体验和品牌知名度。例如,蔚来汽车作为换电技术的领跑者,通过其“蔚来能源”平台,推出了创新的电池即服务(BaaS)商业模式。这种商业模式允许用户根据日常需求选择合适的电池容量,并可随着技术升级换装更先进的电池,确保车主的车辆性能和续航里程始终处于最佳状态。此外,蔚来通过将电池成本从车辆购买价格中分离出来,显著降低了其电动汽车的销售价格。从2019年起,蔚来也一直是车网互联(V2G)技术的领导者,在一些试点城市部署了V2G站点,进一步推动了电动汽车与城市能源互联网生态系统的融合。 来源:Automobility 图四:从核心领域向外围领域拓展的能源互联网生态系统   中国新能源汽车充电基础设施发展概况 中国在全球电动汽车充电基础设施方面处于领先地位,无论是快充桩还是慢充桩的数量均显著增长(参见图五)。截至2023年,中国的充电桩总数已超过欧洲和美国的总和,新能源汽车与公共充电桩的比例保持稳定,同时,私人家庭充电桩的普及率也显著提高。在充电方式上,快充因其便捷性更受消费者青睐,公共快速充电服务主要由几家国内领先的运营商主导。   来源:国际能源署(IEA),Automobility分析 图五:全球主要地区电动汽车充电基础设施统计 从2019年至2023年,中国的充电基础设施实现了爆发式增长,以支撑电动汽车的大规模普及。在这四年间,中国充电桩总数增长了超过七倍,从120万增至860万,而新能源汽车的保有量也增长了约5.4倍。充电设施的发展速度超前于新能源汽车的增长速度。就充电桩类型而言,新能源汽车与公共充电桩的车桩比保持在大约7到7.5辆车每桩的水平。值得注意的是,随着技术的发展和电网分配效率的增强,公共充电站中快速充电桩的数量正在增加,这显著提升了公共充电设施的效率。......

September 9, 2024 by Bill Russo, Benjamin Fan and Lorenzo Song Opening Comments from Bill Russo: In early 2009, shortly after resigning from my position as head of Chrysler’s business in North East Asia, I founded an Asia-based consultancy called Synergistics Limited. It was my......

September 2, 2024 By Bill Russo, Jackie Tang and Jayce Lu Since the beginning of this century, China has adopted electrification of mobility as a national strategy to enhance its energy security. The country currently imports about 70% of its oil, making it heavily dependent......

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd. PLEASE NOTE: The information and analysis shared in this newsletter, including the charts and style of materials presented, is the intellectual property of Automobility Ltd. While we share it as a way to serve our existing and new clients,......

Seven years and seven months ago , Bill Russo was invited to a panel discussion hosted by the legendary John McElroy for his Autoline This Week program, which was recorded on the floor of the Beijing Auto Show.  John has covered the auto scene in the USA......

We are very proud to share the news that our book “Selling to China” has risen to the #1 ranking in the International Business section of the Amazon bookstore! The book is a compilation of stories from several points of view from executives who have......

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd. Year-over-Year Shipments Changes from January to July:   NEV +41.7%  ICE -1.6% Please Note: NEV = New Energy Vehicles (including Battery, Plug-in Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) ICE = Pure Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles “Peak Car” was......

Click here to the audio link GlobalAutoIndustry.com’s latest Audio Interview “Selling to China: for Automotive Industry Professionals” features Bill Russo. Mr. Russo is the Shanghai-based Founder and CEO of Automobility Limited, a strategy and investment advisory firm helping its clients to create the future of mobility. His......

Five Takeaways from the China Auto Chongqing Summit 2023: 1. The End of the ICE Age: Rise of the Chinese NEV 2. Control of the Upper End of the Supply Chain is Vital 3. Chinese Brands are Going Global 4. A Shift from “Big” to “Powerful” 5. A Massive Reckoning......

Bill Russo, the Founder & CEO of Automobility Limited, and the Chairman of the Automotive Committee at AmCham Shanghai was interviewed by AmCham. The End of the ICE Age [Bill Russo Interview] is the cover story of the Summer 2023 edition of The Journal of the American Chamber......

by Bill Russo and Lorenzo Song The 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (referred to as the Shanghai Auto Show) was held from April 18 to 27, 2023. This year’s show was themed “Embracing the New Era of the Automobile Industry” and was housed in......

NEWSLETTERS

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd.   WHERE WE STAND IN 2024 New Energy Vehicle share continues to expand, comprising ~38 % of all vehicles produced in China in 2024, with monthly share of shipments ~45% in the month of August.......

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd. 2024 HALF YEAR HIGHLIGHTS NEV passenger vehicle sales surpassed gasoline powered vehicles for the first time on a monthly basis in July. Chinese brands now hold 63% share of the passenger vehicle market, an increase......

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd. 2024 HALF YEAR HIGHLIGHTS Shipment volumes are up 6.1%, with New Energy Vehicle (NEV) shipments up 32% while gasoline powered vehicle shipments are down 4.1% versus H1 2023 1 in 5 Made-in-China cars are exported, with exports up 31.3%......

8th Edition  – July, 2024 This newsletter features active investment opportunities from our Automobility EXCELerate pipeline. The companies noted here are actively fundraising and seeking commercial partnerships.  Several aim to close an equity investment round in the 2nd half of 2024. Click on the links in......

May 1 – June 30, 2024 Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd The 65th edition of our Automobility Pulse Check features relevant funding events in the global mobility technology sector. We feature here events that are illustrative to our core Digital Internet of Mobility......

Comments from Bill Russo, Founder & CEO of Automobility Ltd. PLEASE NOTE: The information and analysis shared in this newsletter, including the charts and style of materials presented, is the intellectual property of Automobility Ltd. While we share it as a way to serve our existing and new clients,......

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