Exploring the structure of internal combustion engine and battery electric vehicles: implications for the architecture of the automotive industry

Abstract

How will the technological shift from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) change the architecture of the automotive industry? To explore this question, we systematically compare the technological structure of ICEVs and BEVs using data from large incumbent automobile companies and start-ups. While our analysis based on technical descriptions and design structure matrices suggests that the power train of BEVs is structurally simpler compared to the power train of ICEVs, BEVs are slightly less modular than ICEVs. We discusss important strategic implications of this finding for incumbent firms and start-ups.