MOVE Onwards and Upwards

Last week, the AMA team traveled to Austin, Texas to participate in MOVE America 2024. Taking place at the end of the 3rd Quarter of 2024, MOVE America brings together industry experts, OEMs, and suppliers with the common goal of advancing the future of mobility. This year, the conference drew a record 4,000 attendees (of which over one quarter were CEOs), more than 150 exhibitors on the show floor, and over 200 of mobility’s most promising start-up companies. Hosting a variety of speaker sessions and panels covering dozens of topics in the mobility industry, MOVE America was a must attend event, comparable in size and scope to any of the largest mobility conferences in the US. Like AutoTech Detroit earlier in June, the AMA team had a productive and fun experience meeting with clients, partners, industry experts, and friends. With such a focused gathering of automotive technology suppliers and OEMs, the content and business of the show was dominated by a few major themes.?

The first major theme of MOVE America was the general increase in attention from major external financial and automotive players noticed by AMA's team of consultants that have attended the last few iterations of the MOVE America conference. Aside from the increase in attendance, bigger and more powerful players made a point to have a known presence. OEMs such as Tesla and Nissan rented booth space and had vehicles on the show floor, emulating larger shows such as CES. Financial and consulting companies including heavy hitters such as Deloitte and Ernst & Young participated in the conference, now viewing advanced mobility as a worthwhile area of investment in terms of time and money. Other attendees included Kyndryl and SAP, representing some of the largest IT and software companies in the world. Interestingly, EU-based companies also attended in force. Bright Green? and Connected Insurance are but a couple of names of European companies looking to grow their businesses in North America, highlighting the increasingly international nature of both the conference and mobility at large. The inclusion and active involvement of these companies shows just how predominant electrification and advanced mobility has become in spaces beyond traditional automotive circles. MOVE’s ability to draw this kind of attention bodes well for the future of the industry, in both the cutting edge startup world and beyond.?

Battery tech and charging infrastructure companies found themselves in the spotlight for much of the conference this year. Speakers representing a wide range of stakeholders from OEMs such as Ford, to top suppliers like EVGo, participated in panels discussing the future of domestic charging infrastructure. This topic could not have been discussed at a more important time, as the automotive industry is currently working to overcome new challenges posed by the mass electrification of consumer and commercial vehicles. The EV slowdown has been partially attributed to lagging charging infrastructure, so many discussions at MOVE were centered around plans of action to bring it up to standards in an effective, fast, and affordable way. Some other companies of note such as Monta, who’s CEO was one of the keynote speakers, Shell Recharge, part of the oil industry’s bid to enter the EV infrastructure space, and OEMs such as Rivian and Tesla presented their opinions and recommendations on the future of EV charging. Along with representatives from the US Department of Transportation, this gathering of expertise and decision makers guaranteed that EV charging took a center stage among the many themes of the conference.?

MOVE 2024 touched again on the ever-elusive future of autonomous drive vehicles. Capturing the public’s imagination for decades and billions of dollars of investment over the last 5-10 years, well established OEMs and startups alike continue to innovate and work towards a fully self-driving vehicle ecosystem. This year’s conference brought in executives from leaders in autonomous development such as Waymo, Audi, and Navistar who discussed the feasibility and future of commercial and consumer use of fully autonomous drive. Autonomous development continues to be hampered by safety concerns, rising costs, government regulations, and general difficulties with such advanced technologies. However, money continues to pour into the segment, and MOVE showcased that interest in autonomous drive technology is still as prevalent today as it has ever been. Its continued presence at major automotive and mobility conferences is representative of the continued belief that autonomous drive will eventually be fully fleshed out and introduced into the mainstream market.?

MOVE America was an energetic environment of companies coming together to present cutting edge solutions to current problems. Business priorities for the world’s largest consulting, financial, and engineering firms continue to evolve towards mobility, and the breakneck pace of development continues to be spurred on by factors such as the need for better charging infrastructure and the quest for fully functional autonomous drive. The excitement and importance of MOVE America should not be underestimated, and it is likely that the conference will only continue to grow year over year as experts and stakeholders try to peer into the future of tomorrow’s automotive world today. In fact, it will be held in Detroit next year in a much larger space so make your plans to attend or sponsor now!

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