As the global economy is slowly moving out of recession and the pressure keeps on growing from government and the wider community to reduce CO2 emissions, more and more events are competing for an expert audience on e-mobility. cars21.com has selected key events in 2010 to report from.

The big Auto Shows: Detroit, Geneva, and Beijing will offer the most spectacular display of the ingenuity and creativity that the automotive-industry has to offer. Traditionally, these shows were dominated by combustion vehicles. However, over the last ten years the terrain has changed. With an increasing focus on sustainability, electric vehicles have made a discreet entry on to the stages of these big shows. 2010 will ensure that EVs begin to take centre stage as the automotive industry is becoming more competitive to take the lead in this market and as pressure from environmentally minded governments and consumers becomes stronger.

However, to keep track of all the developments in the field of electric mobility from a scientific, engineering and policy perspective it is important to look at events organised away from the big spot light. It is here that we will see the gradual evolution of tomorrow’s technology and how it will move through the supply chain.

January

The Washington DC based Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) is conducting its annual conference and meeting. High level personalities such as Utah Senator Orrin Hatch will be the key note speaker at this year’s event. The conference will feature a 3 day program from 26 to 28 January, including two general plenary sessions, 12 breakout sessions covering all aspects of the electric drive industry, the organisers will also conduct pre-conference workshops.

The Hong Kong Electric Vehicles Asia conference’s key themes are to present the various Asian government initiatives, market opportunities and policies designed to promote EV’s. Over 18 discussions and workshops will be dedicated to these themes. The conference, held between the 26 and 29 January 2010, will offer an opportunity to network with regional executives and policy makers from the automotive, transport, utility and technology sectors.

February

10 and 11 February will also see San Diego invite industry leaders from the Hybrid Vehicle branch to hold discussions and presentations on trends shaping the Hybrid Vehicle market. The SAE 2010 Hybrid Vehicles Technologies Symposium promises to be an ideal networking opportunity. Mainz, Germany will host the Advanced Automotive Batteries Conference of Europe on the 4 and 5 February. Here European and international automakers, their suppliers and the relevant stakeholders will come together to discuss the newest technology trends. This will be preceded by the Large Lithium Ion Battery Technology and Application Symposium that will showcase Li-ion technology ranging from advanced automotive batteries to stationary installations.

March

Various conferences and seminars will focus exclusively on batteries and other energy storage devices. The 1st International Rechargeable Battery Expo Japan between the 3 and 5 March 2010 in Tokyo, Japan will highlight the future of battery technology required for expanding the EV horizon. The International Battery Seminar and Exhibit on the 15 to 18 March in Fort Lauderdale, USA, will focus exclusively on current US government battery stimulus programme developments and battery recycling for regulatory and resource recovery purposes for electric vehicles.

In March, Austria and Switzerland will host a number of key events. Between 9 and 10 March Geneva will also host this year’s "International Advanced Mobility Forum“. The forum will look specifically at fuel efficiency technology and strategies. Near Salzburg the “Automotive summit” will look into low emissions power train technologies required to ensure electric cars are even more sustainable but also reducing emissions from secondary functions in vehicles such as heating and cooling systems. The event is sponsored by the European Commission and will bring together major stakeholders to have a regulatory and technical discussion on how to achieve lower vehicle emission levels required for the next decades.

April

For “China Green Fuels & Vehicles 2010” on 8 and 9 April will focus on the national and global green conventional auto and alternative fuels and vehicles industries. It will present an updated policy and market outlook and present the technical innovations from the Chinese and regional market. Operational and management experiences of hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and conventional engines will enlighten the relevant industry participants with long-term technical and business insights.

cars21.com reporting from events

2010 will promise to be an exciting year for electric cars and the surrounding technologies. The above events are only a snapshot of what will come in the first half of this year. Next week cars21.com will feature a new article highlighting the key events of the second half of the year. The cars21.com team will be the official media partner of various events and will also endeavour to keep its community informed and up to date from all the events world-wide.