While it has been reported that the policies of US President Trump have created headwinds for the SDGs and EVs, behind the scenes, efforts to address global environmental issues are steadily underway.
Sales of electric passenger cars (BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs) in Ireland were down year over year, with BEV sales declining due to reduced subsidies for individual purchases, as well as the impact of early adopter demand running its course. On the other hand, sales of PHEVs and HEVs reached a record high. As a result, the share of electric vehicles in the passenger car market remained at about the same level as in the previous year.

The shift to motor-driven electrification to replace conventional internal combustion engines is now not limited to electric vehicles (EVs), but has spread to bicycles, scooters, and even large vehicles such as buses and trucks, and the market is expanding rapidly. This trend is expected to continue, and in the coming years, electric vehicles are expected to become more sustainable, innovative, versatile, and capable than ever before.
This is due to the fact that vehicles, which used to be a mass of mechanical systems including internal combustion engines, have become software-enabled, connected, and have undergone significant technological innovation.

As the environment surrounding EVs is changing rapidly, large companies are trying to catch up by investing huge budgets in R&D and factory redesign, while small and medium-sized companies and start-ups with limited budgets and other resources need to completely digitalize the design and development process and obtain mobility that cannot be achieved in large factories. They need to design and develop products that are suited to their business needs. In doing so, they are choosing the design and development platform that best fits their business needs and increasing their design capabilities and operational efficiency without incurring significant costs.

In the EV industry, which is facing a critical turning point, SMEs and start-ups are also rushing to build software-based design and development environments to remain players.