Data sharing in the transformation to electromobility : Challenges and opportunities for the transportation industry

Abstract: The transport industry is facing major changes in the transition from traditional diesel-powered vehicles to electrified vehicles. The transition to electric vehicles in the transport industry is necessary to reach the environmental goals of the Paris Agreement. Through research, data sharing between actors was identified as a potential factor that could be used in the development of the electromobility sector, but sufficient information on this subject was lacking. This led to the basis for the thesis project. The thesis project was carried out in collaboration with Volvo Group, hereby interchangeably called Volvo, to investigate how data sharing can be used to facilitate the transformation to electromobility in the transport industry. The purpose of the thesis was to: Investigate how Volvos Value Offering can be improved by mapping out potential actors in the electromobility eco-system and how they could benefit from shared data. The thesis was based on the three research questions: What values and offers can be created in the charging infrastructure industry through shared data and what challenges, risks and opportunities do this create for the stakeholders involved? What information gaps hinder the development of the electromobility market, in general and, more specifically, in relation to data sharing? And lastly, how can Volvo take advantage of business opportunities in the electromobility market, in general and, more specifically, in relation to data sharing? The methods used to answer these questions were media analysis, 19 in-depth interviews, and a workshop with Volvo. The media analysis resulted in a mapping of the involved stakeholders in the electromobility development industry, how data sharing is used today and the actors' stance on data sharing. The interviews were held with respondents from the energy industry, tech companies, researchers, haulage companies and the truck manufacturer Volvo Group. The interviews were organized using the Gioia method and resulted in six different global themes on electromobility and data sharing. Results from the media analysis and the interviews were compiled into three scenarios. These were then presented to Volvo in a workshop, where they described how they would act as a major truck manufacturer in each scenario respectively. After compiling the results from the three methods, the research questions could be answered. The first research question was answered by the fact that the transport industry has a low degree of data maturity. The reason being that there are several perceived risks among the actors regarding data sharing in the form of losing competitive advantages, increased risks of cyber-attacks and GDPR violations. Despite the low degree of data maturity, there were also new opportunities that could be identified with data sharing. The biggest identified opportunity in this thesis was that data sharing can accelerate the development and expansion of the charging infrastructure, if vehicle data and energy data can be shared between actors. The second research question was answered simply by the fact that due to the low data degree of maturity, very little data is shared at present. The biggest identified information gap was the “chicken and egg” situation in the industry, where energy actors are waiting for initiatives from the automotive industry before making any decisions, and vice versa. The third research question was answered by identifying that Volvo's greatest opportunities as truck manufacturers exist through collaborations with other companies to establish standards for data sharing and data selling, offering charging solutions for their electric trucks and, finally, logistics optimization services based on real-time data. As the three research questions were answered, the purpose of the study was therefore fulfilled. The initial scope of the thesis was expanded from focusing solely on Volvo's opportunities as a truck manufacturer, to include opportunities for actors in the entire electromobility industry such as energy companies, charging post companies, haulage companies and tech companies. The study concluded by showing that there are great potential business and optimization opportunities and societal benefits with data sharing in the EMOB industry if the actors are willing to collaborate to set standards and drive development together.