Are we motoring towards electric avenue?

From the gloom of the multinational car industry comes this fascinating and encouraging article about the rapid developments in the electric car industry…

This excellent special feature in the Independent would make a super stimulus piece for A2/IB students looking to practice PESTEL analysis. It describes the macro-environment influencing car producers and the accelerated development of usable electric cars.

A combination of factors are combining to improve the commercial viability of electric cars:
- climate change
- oil-price volatility
- improving battery technology
- substantial spare capacity in car manufacturing

Students could identify others from the article and their background reading.

The article makes some pretty ambitious claims.  I was struck by the prediction from a senior manager at Renault that within five years electric cars could take 10 per cent of global car sales.

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CSR - The Mega Dairy, Economies of Scale and Cornflakes [25 Feb 2011]
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Recession Strategy - Manufacturing Emerges Leaner and Fitter [25 Aug 2010]
Lesson Worksheet - Classification of Business [13 Aug 2010]
Lessons from the business model of King & Allen [13 Jul 2010]
Emerging from Recession - Manufacturing Leads the Way [1 Jun 2010]
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BUSS4 UK Recession - Data Burn [15 May 2010]
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Video case study - New Balance quality in a successful UK factory [28 Jan 2010]
Product, pricing and profitability in a changing market [20 Jan 2010]
Retrenchment and capacity cutting at Blacks Leisure - and then expansion again? [12 Jan 2010]
Revision Presentation - Revenues and Demand [30 Dec 2009]
Q&A - When is it appropriate for a firm to use penetration pricing? [21 Dec 2009]
Q&A - Explain price skimming [21 Dec 2009]
Q&A - What is the difference between pricing strategies & tactics? [21 Dec 2009]
Q&A - Explain what is meant by price positioning [21 Dec 2009]
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Q&A - How does pricing link to the objectives of a business? [19 Dec 2009]
Q&A - What is price and why is it so important in the marketing mix? [19 Dec 2009]
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Beating the import threat - luxury furniture [16 Nov 2009]
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Innovation & Protecting a Business Idea - Classroom Video [30 Oct 2009]
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Q&A - What are the main causes of unemployment? [27 Oct 2009]
Managing Cash Flow - Beware the Economic Recovery [26 Oct 2009]
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Dyson launches a new premium product [14 Oct 2009]
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Napster - Trying to compete, or getting desperate? [9 Oct 2009]
V-Water - from start up to exit [4 Oct 2009]
The lights go out for the nightclub market [26 Sep 2009]
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More trouble in the skies [27 Aug 2009]
Strategic business decision-making - Network Rail [26 Aug 2009]
Sainsbury’s and Diageo pitch in to battle [17 Aug 2009]
Own label brands profit from the recession [4 Aug 2009]
Demand and supply in action - tea prices surge [4 Aug 2009]
When the Steel Town Boomed [3 Aug 2009]
The Death of Newspapers - to be replaced by Nichepapers? [2 Aug 2009]
Standing room only - on Ryanair? [6 Jul 2009]
Instore Takes a Pounding [6 Jul 2009]
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Swimsuit malfunction - a failure of quality or just the wrong size? [2 Jul 2009]
U2 on Tour - Investment appraisal and capacity utilisation rolled into one! [2 Jul 2009]
Stock control - de-stocking was over £5bn in Q1 of 2009 [2 Jul 2009]
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Q&A - Explain the causes of inflation [1 Jul 2009]
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Recession Bites - new food shopping habits [29 Jun 2009]
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Milk co-operative turns sour [4 Jun 2009]
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Q&A - What is a sales forecast? [31 May 2009]
Q&A - What are the main things to consider when obtaining finance for a start-up? [26 May 2009]
Q&A - How can a business handle a loss? [26 May 2009]

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