Today
Sarah MitchellHey everyone! Did you all read the Porter's Five Forces case study for tomorrow? I have some thoughts on how it applies to the EV market. 9:02 AM
James ChenYes! The threat of new entrants is really interesting. With Tesla opening patents, the barriers dropped significantly. 9:04 AM
Priya SharmaAgree with James. But I'd argue supplier power is the more critical force right now. Lithium and cobalt supply chains are incredibly concentrated. 9:05 AM
YouGreat points. I think buyer power is shifting too. Consumers now have so many EV options compared to 5 years ago. 9:06 AM
Marcus WilliamsDon't forget substitutes! Hydrogen fuel cells could disrupt the entire BEV market if the infrastructure scales. Toyota is betting big on it. 9:08 AM
Olivia ParkMarcus, I wrote my undergrad thesis on hydrogen. The energy density advantage is real but the infrastructure cost is 10x that of charging stations. 9:09 AM
David OkaforInteresting debate! Prof. Henderson mentioned she wants us to also consider how government regulation acts as a "sixth force" in this industry. 9:11 AM
Sarah MitchellThat's a great point David. The IRA subsidies in the US completely changed the competitive landscape overnight. 9:12 AM
James ChenAnd in China, the NEV mandate basically forced every automaker to have an EV strategy. That's regulatory power shaping rivalry directly. 9:14 AM
YouShould we structure our group presentation around each force and then add regulation as the sixth? We could each take one. 9:15 AM
Priya SharmaLove that idea! I'll take supplier power since I've been researching battery supply chains for my independent study. 9:16 AM
Marcus WilliamsI'll cover threat of substitutes. I can bring in the hydrogen angle plus e-fuels which some European OEMs are pushing. 9:17 AM
Olivia ParkI can do buyer power. I have access to some McKinsey survey data on consumer EV preferences that would be perfect for this. 9:18 AM
David OkaforI'll handle the regulatory / sixth force section. I interned at a policy think tank last summer so this is right up my alley. 9:19 AM
Sarah MitchellPerfect! I'll take competitive rivalry. That leaves threat of new entrants for you and James? 9:20 AM
James ChenWorks for me! I can cover the Chinese EV startups like BYD, NIO, and Xpeng entering Western markets. Fascinating case studies there. 9:21 AM
YouSounds great, I'll co-present new entrants with James. Should we meet at the library tonight at 7 to align our slides? 9:22 AM
Priya Sharma7 works for me! Also, does anyone have the BCG report on battery cost curves? I think it would strengthen multiple sections. 9:23 AM
Olivia ParkI do! I'll share it on our Google Drive folder. It has great data on how cell costs dropped 89% from 2010 to 2023. 9:24 AM
Marcus WilliamsQuick thought - should we also prepare a SWOT for one specific company as a mini case? Like Rivian or Lucid? 9:26 AM
David OkaforRivian would be great! They're a perfect example of a new entrant struggling with all five forces simultaneously. High burn rate, scaling challenges, intense rivalry. 9:27 AM
Sarah MitchellLove it. Let's each add 1 slide on how our force specifically impacts Rivian. That ties everything together nicely for the Q&A. 9:28 AM
James ChenThis is shaping up to be a solid presentation. See everyone at 7! Don't forget to bring your laptops. 9:30 AM
YouSee you all tonight! Let's aim for 15-20 slides total so we stay within the 25 min limit. 9:31 AM