Message from EUCAR Chair 2025
The future of mobility is unfolding now, bringing transformative changes to how we move people and goods. We are witnessing a historic moment where innovation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological advancements, the emergence of new players, and a push for sustainability across all sectors. The rapid integration of innovation into automotive products is now more achievable than ever, thanks to advanced technologies and streamlined processes.
Driven by societal megatrends such as climate change, urbanization, digitalization, and individualization, tomorrow’s mobility is being built today, and our industry plays an important role in shaping it. At EUCAR, we are at the heart of this journey, fostering collaboration across industries and sectors to create a mobility ecosystem that is safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible. As a united body of European-based vehicle manufacturers, EUCAR embodies the power of pre-competitive collaboration. Together, we identify key research priorities, engage with our ecosystem, and drive impactful projects with tangible results.
Guided by our strategic pillars—Sustainable Mobility and Digitalization of Road Transport—we collaborate to address global challenges while driving innovation. We are on the “Way to Zero”: zero fatalities and zero emissions on our roads. We are reshaping vehicle design, production, and usage to meet the needs of a fully sustainable and intelligent mobility ecosystem.
The “Way to Zero” is both a challenge and a call to action for our industry and society. With an annual investment of over €60 billion in research and development, our commitment to innovation is clear. However, reaching our ambitious goals requires more than financial investment—it demands collaboration, vision, and strategic alignment across all stakeholders. Collaborative research, supported by the European Commission, plays a pivotal role in uniting industry, academia, and policymakers, while public-private partnerships (PPPs) are instrumental in translating our vision into impactful R&I agendas, enabling risk-sharing and fostering long-term impact. They enable us to align research and innovation with industrial processes, regulatory frameworks, and standards, ensuring meaningful outcomes that advance the mobility ecosystem.
As we look ahead to meeting the demands of this rapidly evolving landscape with the support of upcoming framework programmes, we need a streamlined, agile approach to research and innovation. Simplifying administrative processes, reducing fragmentation, and focusing on large, impactful projects will allow us to better align the orchestration of mobility ecosystem elements with regulatory frameworks and industrial needs.
The success of large flagship projects is already evident in the EU-funded L3Pilot project, which demonstrated the feasibility and safety of automated driving across diverse scenarios with heterogeneous driving cultures throughout Europe, and Hi-Drive, which addresses the challenges towards the deployment of higher automation driven by the systematic removal of fragmentation elements. These achievements exemplify how orchestrating large-scale projects across industries and borders can unlock the full potential of automated mobility while ensuring societal benefits.
As this year’s EUCAR Chairman, I invite you to join us on this journey as we continue to push boundaries and lead the way toward sustainable, connected, and inclusive mobility. With a “can do” mentality and a focus on industrial leadership, we can deliver value to both the industry and society at large. I invite all of you to witness the benefits of large-scale projects firsthand at the EUCAR Reception and Conference 2025, in conjunction with the Hi-Drive project final event.
The future of mobility is not just a destination—it is a journey we are shaping together, today.
Sincerely,
Dr Nikolai Ardey
Executive Director Volkswagen Group Innovation
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft