SSB Academy Bulletin, Topic of the Week 87 — Mobility 2.0: The Game-Changing Power of Quantum Computing

The mobility sector is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by the rise of electric vehicles, autonomous driving technologies, and advanced software solutions, and this transformation requires the fast and secure transfer of vast amounts of data between in-vehicle systems and external systems. Drawing on the relevant McKinsey & Company report, the report addresses the application areas that quantum computing brings to the mobility value chain and their applicability timelines. Quantum computing creates value at different levels of maturity: optimization (short term), simulation (medium term), and quantum-assisted artificial intelligence/machine learning (long term). Supply chain resilience, dynamic warehouse optimization, advanced materials discovery, and vehicle/satellite design; robot-route and work-planning optimization in manufacturing; and demand forecasting and personalized interactions in marketing and services are among these use cases. In fleet optimization, Volkswagen's traffic-flow projects conducted with D-Wave, real-world applications in Beijing and Lisbon, and a global manufacturer's work using NASA's quantum computer to optimize routes for diesel truck fleets stand out as concrete examples. McKinsey's analysis projects that quantum computing could create between 29 and 63 billion dollars of economic value in the automotive sector by 2035; that said, it should be noted that the widespread commercial use of quantum computing may become possible within 5 to 10 years and that these statements are not a firm timeline commitment.