The technology needed for robust emobility is already here, and the willpower to make the switch to electric from both governments, businesses, and individuals is growing. What has been missing, up until now, is a dedicated global institution to bring the industry together, and accelerate the EV transition at the speed the climate demands.
The newly launched World EV Forum exists to fill this need, and helps bridge the EV sector’s gap with the rapidly-growing industries of clean energy, artificial intelligence, and autonomous technology.
The Forum is structured around four existing pillars with strong recognition within the industry: ElectricDrives, World EV Day, Women Leading EV, and the EV SUMMIT. Each of these pillars cover a distinct role in assisting the global shift to sustainable and intelligent transport. Together, they form a unified platform that goes beyond just hosting conversations, but also driving real world action through research, insights, and participation in strategic objectives.
Critically, the forum isn’t just designed for those operating within the industry. Policymakers and standards bodies are equally important, and the World EV Forum aims to provide systems-level analysis and clear frameworks that translate complex challenges into actionable policy, giving decision-makers the confidence to act coherently across borders.
Ade Thomas, Founder of the World EV Forum, commented:
“The sector clearly needs a new layer: a global platform to accelerate the emobility ecosystem. Working with 75 global partners, we can both contribute to, and benefit from, the systems thinking and scale partnerships that will define the work of the World EV Forum.”
Ted Cannis, Former CEO of Ford Pro and Chair of the World EV Forum Leadership Council, added:
“Electrification will move fastest when it is treated as a system, not a silo. It requires innovation in the vehicle, and across energy, infrastructure and software. That is exactly where the World EV Forum will help – by bringing the right sectors together.”
Its membership spans automotive OEMs, energy providers, technology companies, investors, and civil society, creating the conditions for agreements and strategies that can scale globally.
At the inaugural World EV Forum Leadership Council meeting last week, consisting of 30 people meeting in London and another 40 joining virtually from around the world, consumer friction and communication emerged as the dominant themes. EV charging experience, rather than EV range, was repeatedly identified as one of the potential barriers to mainstream EV adoption.
Announcing their membership of the World EV Forum, Aaron Jarvis, VP EMEA at Geotab, commented:
“Electric mobility only works when vehicles, grids, and infrastructure talk to each other. A global partnership platform like the World EV Forum is critical to accelerate this ecosystem. Our data scale allows us to contribute data-driven insights to this mission, while benefiting directly from the cross-industry collaboration that turns conversations into real-world change.”
It’s a significant shift in thinking – the average range of a new EV is around 290 miles while some models are capable of travelling well over 500 miles on a single charge, ‘charge anxiety’ is replacing ‘range anxiety’ as the sector’s core challenge. The public charging network in many countries has already reached a point where ultra-long distance trips are entirely achievable. The trouble is, most drivers simply don’t know it yet.
Leadership Council members, and Board Observers, were united in calling for simpler, more positive messaging that speaks to the early mainstream rather than early adopters, with a particular focus on making the cost-saving benefits of EV ownership clearer and more accessible, which is even more relevant in the face of rising oil prices.
Systems thinking was the other major thread running through the council’s discussion. Vehicle-to-grid technology, grid connection reform, battery health identification and the role it plays in residual values, data standardisation, and the role of AI in simplifying the driver experience were all identified as priorities that no single company can solve alone.
The group also agreed on the importance of ensuring that the World EV Forum takes a global scope, ensuring a focus is also placed on high-growth EV markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, which can often be overlooked in European and North American-centric discussions.
EV battery warranties in particular were flagged as an area where greater transparency could significantly boost consumer confidence for private and business buyers, with battery technology already outperforming what most warranties suggest.
The most significant breakthroughs in sustainable mobility won’t come from any single sector acting alone. They’ll come from the intersection of all four key elements: electric vehicles, clean energy, autonomy, and AI. The World EV Forum coordinates these four elements, making those relationships happen – and this new institution’s timing couldn’t come at a more critical phase in the emobility transition.
