Here at Futurride, we are always looking to unearth the most significant trends, innovators, and technologies in the rapidly growing sustainable mobility space. Not only do we create content but also we follow others trying to bring people together and push the industry forward. One of those is Brandon Bartneck, who has developed an interesting podcast series called the Future of Mobility.

Bartneck is a senior manager of business development and marketing at FEV North America. He oversees marketing efforts in North America, serves as FEV Group’s global key account manager for a major U.S. OEM, and leads commercial activities for FEV’s benchmarking services in North America.

For more than 40 years, FEV has been a global leader in the development of mobility solutions for the transportation industry. Like Bartneck, the team of experts at his company is passionate about advancing mobility through the design, development, integration, and validation of turn-key vehicle and propulsion system technologies.

Bartneck’s Future of Mobility podcast series focuses on the development of safer and more sustainable means of transportation. What follows are a few brief thoughts on his experience and a few of the many findings from the series so far.

 

Safety and sustainability are at the forefront in the mobility sector. OEMs, suppliers, startups, and government organizations have joined the push to reduce automotive deaths and injuries, while also driving down emissions. Connected, automated, and shared vehicles are hitting the road in greater numbers. Cities and corporations are racing to develop greener solutions, leaning on electricity and hydrogen as future fuel sources while also continuing to improve the reliable internal combustion engine.

With these forces swirling, Brandon Bartneck envisioned the Future of Mobility podcast as a platform to cut through the noise and showcase the individuals and technology that will define the future. What follows are a few of his thoughts around his effort and some of his findings.

Since its inception in the spring of 2020, the podcast has seen some notable executives from OEMs to startups. All find value in sharing their expertise, views, and thought-leadership to enhance the conversation in this space.

Chris Cowland, long-time Chrysler powertrain exec and now a Principal at C Squared Engineering, joined amidst the electrification movement to provide some perspective as it pertains to high performance vehicles. “If you want the ultimate performance vehicle of the future, I don’t believe it’s going to be purely electric,” he said.

Leaders from Toyota and Ballard Power Systems have joined to showcase the growing hydrogen revolution. Frantz Saintellemy, President and COO of LeddarTech Inc., a leader in environmental sensing solutions for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, spoke about the role of LiDAR systems in the development of automated vehicles. May Mobility’s CEO and Cofounder, Edwin Olson, showcased the role of driverless shuttles as a valuable tool for transit authorities and corporations alike to implement safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation for their people. Pioneer of the EV skateboard concept while at General Motors, Chris Borroni-Bird, Founder of Afreecar LLC, demonstrated ways in which his electrification and telematics background has positioned him to make a difference in the communities that need it most, including both impoverished areas in Africa as well as inner cities in our own backyard.

The State of Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, Trevor Pawl, joined in an open conversation about the challenges the state faces in the fight for technology leadership, and the steps he’s taking to put Michigan in the pole position. Providing insight into a controversial topic, Pawl addressed the balance between opening the state’s roads for the implementation of early automated vehicles while also addressing the safety risk that immature, safety-critical technology can present.

“Deploying highly automated vehicles and smart infrastructure that’s just 10% safer for the average human will save more lives than waiting until it’s 75% safer,” said Pawl, quoted a recent study. He provided valuable insight into Michigan’s aggressive plan to open its roads for testing, with the hopes of attracting more and more companies to invest and bring their talent within the state’s borders.

Organizations throughout Michigan, the U.S., and the rest of the world are working to create the next generation of mobility solutions. As technology continues to advance, these open and transparent discussions will become increasingly more important to promote cross-functional collaborations in the industry, inspire future engineers, advance technology development, and educate end-users of the technology. Along the way, Bartneck is committed to shining a light on the biggest issues and opportunities with the Future of Mobility podcast.

The Future of Mobility podcast series, supported by FEV, can be found at http://brandon bartneck.com/futureofmobility/). It is also on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/future-of-mobility/ id1511658261), Google Podcasts, Spotify, and nearly anywhere else podcasts are accessed.

Brandon Bartneck wrote this article for Futurride.