Michelin Challenge Bibendum

The program of round tables and conferences included several strategy and policy tribunes where experts from around the world debated the issues of sustainable road mobility.

Expectations for Sustainable Road Mobility and Response from the Industry
Thursday, November 15, 2007

The aim of the morning session was to draw up a “state-of-the-art” review of the questions raised by road mobility. Based on the five stakes for road mobility (growing global energy demand, local and noise pollution, road accidents, urban congestion, the impact of CO2 emissions on global warming and climate change) representatives from governments and large international organisations affirmed the need for urgent change…. and supported the automotive industry in its aim to address the challenges of (energy consumption, lead, endurance, vehicle safety, ITS, wear…

In response the industry presented some of its latest advances, its vision and its predictions for leveraging technology to achieve a more fuel efficient, cleaner, safer and freer flowing road mobility: carmakers, truck manufacturers and energy suppliers all have their own solutions which are gradually being introduced to the marketplace.

Road Map for Mobility Solutions in a Critical Urban Context
Friday, November 16, 2007

During this session the debate focused on the impacts – be it for people or their urban environment – of road mobility and explored the pathway for a resurgence of the electric vehicle.

High-ranking officials from China, Japan, the European Union and Russia gave a status overview of the current situation in their respective countries and emphasized the gravity and urgency of making real progress while accommodating the different local contexts.

The panel members of “Road Transport in a Rapidly Urbanizing World” elaborated on the stakes by presenting several very different experiences taken from China, Japan and India.

The “Hybrid Electric Vehicles” panel, comprising several industrial pioneers in this domain, revealed the future trends for deployment. They describeb a scenario for introducing these vehicles to the marketplace while emphasizing not only the advantages but also the issues that such a transformation will engender.

Energy, Mobility and the Environment
Saturday, November 17, 2007

This forum focused on the energy issues confronting the world and the possible solutions. The stage was set by three presentations, describing the situation in China, Europe and a global energy outlook with a particular emphasis on the consequences for emerging economies such as China and India.

Then Challenge Bibendum’s International Technical Committee presented its vision for a road map to market based on the evidence of the last decade, in the fields of liquid fuels, electric vehicles, CO2 emissions. There was a special focus on the experience of Japan which had made strong progress in technology, infrastructure as well as consumer awareness and behaviour and which could be a good example for others to follow elsewhere.

This debate was then opened to comments from a diverse panel of industrialists, energy suppliers or representatives from government authorities, who ultimately would be the ones to put these solutions into practice. They expressed both their expectations and their doubts. Then representatives from some of the major Chinese municipalities presented their view of the mobility challenges they are facing in their urban areas, where the vehicle rate of growth was in the order of 350,000 per year.