Pike Research

While two-wheeled transport remains the primary means of transport for millions of people in China and other parts of Asia Pacific, most consumers in North America and Europe have remained committed to their passenger cars. Now, however, high petroleum costs, improved customer perception, and government incentives are all contributing to a growing demand for motorcycles and scooters - including those powered by electricity.

While the market for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) has been slower to develop than many anticipated a few years ago, major automakers including Toyota, Daimler, GM, Honda, and Hyundai have all publicly stated that fuel cells are a critical piece of a complete clean vehicle portfolio.

According to a new report from Pike Research, ITS will see increased investment in coming years even as government budgets are tightening, because smart transport is seen as a way to maximise existing transportation systems without making major new capital investments.

According to a report from Pike Research, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) combined will represent 3.1 per cent of worldwide auto sales by 2017. Thanks to predicted higher penetration rates in the United States, Pike believes HEVs and PEVs will account for 5.1 per cent of total US vehicle sales in 2017.

According to a recent report from Pike Research, as manufacturing efficiencies improve and access to lithium expands, the installed cost of Li-ion batteries will fall by more than one-third by the end of 2017.