MobilityConnect is a comprehensive Telekom connectivity solution for cars. It brings telephony and a hotspot into the vehicle so that drivers and passengers can comfortably stream music and videos and game or phone online without a smartphone. 5G support delivers more speed for streaming, gaming, etc. Thanks to a portable eSIM module users can simply take their personal settings with them when switching vehicle.  

Shared Mobility basically means shared use of vehicles. Either several people use a vehicle at the same time, aka ride sharing, or they use it one after another, as in carsharing or bikesharing. Shared Mobility covers a range of vehicles, from cars and e-scooters to e-bikes and bicycles.

Mobility as a Service means offering people comprehensive access to mobility services with the result that they no longer need vehicles of their own. Mobility as a Service includes public transportation such as buses and trains and pooled vehicles such as e-scooters and taxis. The basic principle is the same as that of other as-a-service offerings like Software as a Service. Instead of owning the equipment needed for the service in question, such as a car, providers supply them. Users merely make use of the service: the mobility or the transportation.

Autonomous driving means that the car is fully automated and drives to a destination without human interaction. The vehicle reacts dynamically and almost in real time to its surroundings, these being road signs or other cars and pedestrians. Autonomous driving is the highest possible level of automatic driving. Below it is automated driving, with the vehicle assisting the driver only in certain situations. A car with electronic distance meters or distance warning devices, for example, always keeps a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, while cars with parking assist systems take care of the parking.

The kinds of V2 communication include the following:

• Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X, aka Car2x): The vehicle communicates with its entire surroundings, including other cars, public transportation, traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights, and with pedestrians and cyclists or their mobile devices.
• Vehicle-to-Network (V2N): V2N is communication between vehicle and cellphone network.
• Vehicle-to-Cloud (V2C, aka Car2Cloud): V2C is based on V2N and means data interchange between car and cloud.
• Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V, aka Car2Car): The vehicle communicates with other cars.
• Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I, aka C2I): The car shares data with the traffic infrastructure, such as road signs or traffic lights.
• Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P, aka C2P): The vehicle communicates with the smart mobile devices of pedestrians or cyclists.

Autonomous Driving can be divided into five stages or levels:

Level 1: Assisted Driving.
Drivers drive the car themselves. In certain instances they are assisted by vehicle systems such as a speed control.

Level 2: Partially Automated Driving.
Here too it is mainly the human who does the driving, but the car handles certain maneuvers itself. A parking assist system is a Level 2 feature, s are a number of other driver assist systems (Advanced Driver Assistant System, ADAS).

Level 3: Highly Automated Driving.
At this stage the car performs more complicated or extensive activities without human interaction. It can drive, for example, on its own on the freeway, braking, overtaking, and stopping in an emergency situation. Manufacturers define the scenarios. Drivers may be able to ignore the road ahead for a moment but they must be prepared to take over full control at any time.

Level 4: Fully Automated Driving.
Level 4 cars do most of the driving themselves. They can drive in city traffic or on the freeway, and they can also drive round a multistory car park, find an empty space and park in it. Construction sites are no longer a problem. In an emergency the driver must take over. If he or she doesn’t or can’t do so, a Level 4 car stops in a safe place, such as at a rest area.

Level 5: Autonomous Driving.
Only at the highest level is the term autonomous driving used. The difference between it and Level 4 is that autonomous vehicles no longer have a driver, only passengers. They no longer need a steering wheel, gas pedal or brake, and none are provided.

C.A.S.E. transformation refers to further development of the automobile industry, vehicles, and mobility in general. C.A.S.E. stands for the four key areas Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric. Connectivity, digitization, and sustainability are key aspects of C.A.S.E. transformation.

Carsharing providers provide not only cars in a certain area; as a rule they also provide a mobile app. The app is the customer’s focal point. They use it to see where which vehicles are available in the vicinity, to reserve the one they want, and sometimes even to book it and unlock and lock it with their smartphone. When the journey is over they log out on the app and release the vehicle for the next user.

The incentives on offer for electric vehicle will vary subject to political decisions. Until 2025 there will be an innovation premium in Germany, the state’s share of which is twice the previous environmental bonus. When you buy a new EV the subsidy can amount to € 9,000, or up to € 6,750 for a plugin hybrid. Leasing an EV is also subsidized. By how much? That depends inter alia on the car’s list price and the leasing term, but it can amount to a three- or a midrange four-digit sum. Incentives are also available for installing domestic charging stations and for corporate e-charging solutions. They are funded by the KfW Bank and by the federal and state governments.

A Connected Car is connected with other vehicles via a network and can also be connected and share data with electronic devices such as smartphones or laptops and even with the traffic infrastructure. This connection is based on the Internet of Things.