The Future of Mobility: On the Move – But Where To?

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, mobility industries need to prepare themselves for new and challenging demands in the post-COVID-19 world. While the constraints imposed by the pandemic on the way people travel have resulted in similar responses all over the world, the future of mobility will look quite different from one region to another, largely determined by the policies various countries adopt. Some countries, hampered by lack of resources or other constraints, will continue to support the old guard automotive industry, even in the long run. Others will make accelerated efforts to transition toward innovative alternatives like autonomous vehicles. As different as these responses will be, all countries share certain imperatives. Above all, it is extremely important to focus on public transportation, as the role of public transit in achieving carbon-free and congestion-free mobility across geographies is unquestionable. Policymakers need to lay the groundwork for a balanced and holistic transition to safe and sustainable mobility systems. In this paper, we look at the short-term and long-term impact of the pandemic – as well as energy efficiency and other issues – on human mobility across different geographies including the US, Europe, China and India.