Tech

A short drive away from the Saudi capital Riyadh, one of the largest entertainment, sports and cultural complexes in the world is now beginning to take shape.

In 2019, in its 124th year of history, Škoda is joining the electric vehicle revolution. Over the next four years, the Czech carmaker, one of the most successful brands to form part of the Volkswagen group, will be investing around two billion euros in alternative drive systems and new mobility services.

Although electric vehicles are beginning to make inroads into the passenger car market in developed markets, for the foreseeable future the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) will continue to dominate road transport in developing countries and in the global truck sector.

As the world’s largest automotive companies struggle to respond to the technical challenges of today, South Korean manufacturer Kia has been able to buck the trend and outperform the market with new models such as the ProCeed, a five-door shooting brake, a radical alternative to the traditional three-door hatchback.

More than 20 years after capital goods giant CNH Industrial launched its first trucks and buses powered by natural gas, the technology is breaking out of its niche markets and poised to dominate the mainstream.

Today a vehicle that is equipped with a gas engine may cost more, but when taking into account fuel consumption and the price of fuel, the total cost of ownership is lower. The environmental improvements are significant. Gas trucks are allowed into low emission zones where diesel vehicles are not permitted.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, SEAT released a concept car that represents a radical new answer to the challenges of urban reinvention. The Minimó, combines the safety and comfort of a car with the agility and easy parking of a motorbike.

SEAT is completing a digital transformation to transform from a car manufacturer into a mobility company, where software will be one of their core competences. Having their own software house in Barcelona will help develop new business models and mobility services.

Thanks to the power of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), futuristic technologies such as robotaxis and elevators that move sideways through buildings are becoming a reality, leading urban mobility and architecture into exciting new territory.

Elevators enabled the first high-rise buildings. But until now the basic principles have never really changed. However, we are now seeing buildings that are more than 800 meters high. Conventional elevators are reaching their limits. We need a new concept.