Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here.

Spread the love! Forward this email to your trend-obsessed friends and share on social media »


Due to begin production next month and already available for order, BMW’s i division launched a wireless charging system for plug-in hybrid cars. The ‘GroundPad’ charging station can be installed anywhere (indoors or outdoors) and can simply be driven on and off instead of having to plug the car in with cables. The driver is guided into the correct position over the charging pad with the help of video cameras, and charging starts automatically as soon as the ignition is switched off. First launching in Germany, the charging option will become available in the US, UK, Japan and China in subsequent rollouts.

Remember Tesla remotely upgrading their customers’ cars in the wake of Hurricane Irma? BMW’s launch gives us another fantastic example of FORGIVING BY DESIGN – first featured in 5 Trends for 2018 – a trend which sees consumers expect products and services to magically adapt around their changing needs with minimal (if any) effort on their part. Between this innovation and our recent feature on eRoadArlanda’s car-charging road in Sweden, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine one day soon the concept of frantically trying to find a gas or charging station being as antiquated as using a paper map for navigation!

But there’s also a bigger insight that this innovation perfectly illustrates. Whether it’s charging or superior performance (electric cars also consistently out-accelerate their gas-guzzling cousins): the truth is that the majority of consumers won’t switch to environmentally ‘better’ product until they are also better in other ways – faster, cheaper, easier, and/or longer-lasting. So if you’re trying to move your customers towards more sustainable options (and we damn well hope you are!), then ask yourself: what other benefits can a sustainable solution unlock? And will focusing on those make it easier to encourage people to make the switch?


Want more? Premium clients can set up weekly innovation digests for relevant topics. They also get full access to the 19,000+ innovations in our online database and 50+ reports a year, including our exclusive 2018 Trend Report. Learn more »