Some Key topics from across this year & looking ahead
Firstly, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone. This year I have covered a number of topics from preparing yourself as a design grad to the possible shifts in industry trends due to the Pandemic and economic factors. Thank you to all who have supported me across various platforms.
Calling 2020 an eventful year would be an understatement and it has most certainly taken a lot out of us as a community. I have found that in my times of need during the course of this year the automotive community has been nothing but supportive, I realised how tight-knit we are when it comes to adverse situations such as the pandemic and providing that support network that many industries lack.
The Automotive design community is certainly very close, one tends to work with like minded professionals that often become life long friends and associates. While this year has been challenging we have really pulled together in offering moral support and encouragement across various platforms which has helped to keep many of us going through the hardest of times.
Digital platforms have played a huge part in this area, if this pandemic had taken place 15 or more years ago, the connectivity and interaction that we have been having with designers across the world would not have been possible. I have found that my former colleagues have talents which I was not previously aware of, some have taken to fine arts others have started producing aftermarket car parts and many have indulged in personal automotive design projects.
Non of this would be so widely distributed if it weren't for major image sharing platforms such as Instagram. I can connect with and comment on my friends work, I can directly message them to wish them well and continue feeling connected to my colleagues even though they may be in their home countries. The added advantage to these social platforms is that car companies have started to utilise younger talent that would not be otherwise accessible, as either they are situated in a country which doesn't have a large automotive design foundation or are still in the early stages of their education aspiring to be a designer.
Instagram car design competitions have established themselves in the community and have had a huge influence on aspiring and professional car designers who are happy to display their work to a truly global audience, we have never been in this position before where with the click of a button ones work is instantly available to the world. While this has many attractive propositions there is the ever looming risk of plagiarism and in some instances designers being taken advantage of. This in my opinion is a risk factor which comes with the territory and is down to individual choice. However I believe that competition holders should be aware of the community spirit and positive sentiment and should offer appropriate security to participants as well as equally weighted incentives to reflect the commitment and hard work of participants. All in all its positive that we are moving together and taking on new platforms and tech as a community.
That being said the Brexit/COVID/ US-China trade war cocktail could have been a destructive force to the automotive world especially to european companies, thankfully the UK and EU have stricken a trade deal and there is some optimism towards a vaccine. We are already seeing some good news emerge in the form of future EV production legislation which is in favour of UK/ EU manufacturing. As in my previous article I mentioned that we may see a shift towards local production for local consumption and this piece of legislation is really gearing up for just that. It is said that by 2026 EVs sold tariff free in the UK/EU have to have a minimum of 45% of their parts produced in the UK/ EU.
This has already put work in motion with companies such as Britishvolt building giant battery gigafactories in the UK and Gridserve opening its first 100% electric charging station earlier in December. So we may find ourselves up to our necks in commercial projects with the construction industry really taking the lead in building these factories and infrastructures, as for automotive we may see this enthusiastic rally reflected in studio projects potentially incentivised by government backing. We also have Arrival and a few other UK based companies working on groundbreaking EV projects that could really help to drive that enthusiasm forward. All in all I am cautiously optimistic about 2021 and have a brighter outlook for the next 5 years in the UK and EU. A lot of that depends on legislators and law makers working with the automotive sector but we may have a chance to make this count and start a new chapter in the UK to help drive the push towards net zero emissions.
Looking further ahead there is the emergence of non-personal automated vehicles entering the market in the near future. This might see a decline in personally owned vehicles to get around, even more so because of our new working culture where working from home has become the norm for many of us. Companies have realised that it works and that investment in Realestate/ office space could be reduced as well as the utilities and many of the other costs which go with providing a safe workplace. Thus potentially reducing our need to commute, therefore outright ownership may not be the future but its way too early to tell. Around 10-15 years ago university projects were full of radical proposals with automated skateboard platforms, wheels pushed out to the corners to maximise interior space and interchangeable bodies to suit various scenarios and use cases. This has now made its way into the real world most recently with Zoox and amazons investment into the start-up company.
It has all the onboard tech and personalisation one might need, from chargers, temperature settings, music and media playability with the option to rideshare or travel in privacy. What seems to be a potentially strong business model it could render person vehicle ownership obsolete for many. However this was a vision that many students and some companies were visualising around 10-15 years ago. So my question is whats next? Being a part time lecturer I am able to see both sides of the story and I can only say that things haven't really moved on from this basic automated box recipe. Ok sure, the ideas have evolved and there many many ways in which this can be done but on the whole its an idea and a vision which has been invested in and commercialised. Where do we go from here, what is the next challenge or opportunity beyond this? I am excited to see what we shift our minds towards next in the design community.
In closing i'd like to say thank you to all of those that have support me throughout this year, my friends, colleagues and of course my family. I am grateful for the strong sense of community that we have in the automotive design field and I have found great encouragement from those that I have come in contact with via linked in and I
nstagram. Going into 2021 i'd say prepare yourself to be in the best possible position for new opportunities and be sure to take care of your health and wellbeing, there is nothing more important than wellness in these unprecedented times of uncertainty. I wish you all a Happy New Year!
