Category: Automotive

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS RETURNS TO ANDALUSIAN COAST

Today, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars arrives in the chicest enclaves of the Andalusian coast to once again serve a gentle presence to patrons of luxury at play. Working with an exclusive selection of partners across the region, the marque will present highly Bespoke motor cars and experiences in locations entirely befitting the brand. La Reserva, SotograndeThroughout… Continue reading ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS RETURNS TO ANDALUSIAN COAST

Free2Move to Serve B2B Customers

By the end of 2019, close to 20,000 passenger and commercial vehicles will be available for hire in 1,300 branches across Europe, positioning Free2Move Rent as a local car rental service with a dense network of agencies. Photo via Depositphotos. As part of its short-term car rental business, Free2Move, Groupe PSA’s mobility brand, is opening… Continue reading Free2Move to Serve B2B Customers

Via and Trinity Metro Launch ZIPZONE, Connecting Fort Worth Residents to Public Transit

Published July 22, 2019 3:26 pm, Via NYC
Via and Trinity Metro Launch ZIPZONE, Connecting Fort Worth Residents to Public Transit
The new first- and last-mile service will support connections to the Mercantile Center Station

July 22, 2019 (FORT WORTH, TX) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new public transportation deployment in partnership with Trinity Metro, a leading Texas public transit provider. Called Mercantile ZIPZONE, the new on-demand shared transit network brings TEXRail and bus commuters first- and last-mile connections to the Mercantile Center Station.

ZIPZONE marks Via’s third on-demand public transportation deployment in Texas, joining successful shared transit deployments in the neighboring cities of Arlington and Austin. More than 175,000 trips have been taken with Via’s Arlington service since the city’s pilot program launched in December 2017, earning a 97 percent approval rating from users.

“We are thrilled to partner with the innovative team at Trinity Metro to bring Via’s technology to Fort Worth,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “The new ZIPZONE service a great example of how public transportation and technology can work together to make a city smarter, building on key learnings from our successful neighboring mobility deployments in Arlington and Austin. Residents just north of Fort Worth now have a comfortable, convenient, and affordable way to move around. This is truly a great example of a city embracing the future of mobility.”

Using the Trinity Metro ZIPZONE app, riders are able to hail a shuttle directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms will enable multiple riders to seamlessly share the vehicle. The powerful technology will direct passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick up and drop off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

ZIPZONE will operate 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be no charge to use the service at launch. After the free period, rides will vary $1 to $3.

“Mercantile ZIPZONE expands the range of options offered by Trinity Metro to ease the burden of commuters who want and need to connect to this live, work and play destination,” said Wayne Gensler, Trinity Metro vice president and chief operating officer for bus and paratransit. “We are proud to work with the City of Fort Worth while we look at innovative ways to solve the first mile-last mile challenges in our area.

The project will operate in partnership with Avis Budget Group, who will provide the vehicles, as well as turnkey fleet management services, including maintaining the vehicles to ensure they are ready to hit the road.

Commuters in Fort Worth can use the new ZIPZONE service by downloading the Trinity Metro ZIPZONE smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Users can book rides between the Mercantile Center Station and anywhere within Mercantile ZIPZONE boundaries.

Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help re-engineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via now has more than 80 launched and pending deployments in nearly 20 countries, providing more than 60 million rides to date. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

About Via
Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

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GM Cruise delays the launch of autonomous ride-share, adds to test fleet

General Motors Cruise test vehiclesSource: General MotorsCruise, the subsidiary of General Motors developing self-driving vehicles and services, said Wednesday it is postponing a plan to launch an autonomous ride-share service by the end of 2019.
It is the latest indication automakers and tech firms are finding it tougher than expected to put self-driving cars on the roads for public use.
Cruise CEO Dan Ammann announced the delay in launching an autonomous ride-share program through a post on Medium. “Our first deployment needs to be done right and we will only deploy when we can demonstrate that we will have a net positive impact on safety on our roads,” he said. The company has tabbed San Francisco as the location for the service when it eventually starts.
Before that happens, Cruise will be put more test vehicles on the road in San Francisco to better understand and solve the challenges of navigating busy city streets. Right now, Cruise has a fleet of 180 specially designed all-electric GM cars, modified with lidar sensors, cameras and radar logging thousands of miles every day, all with a safety driver ready to take control of the car if a complex or dangerous situation arises.
Since late 2017, Ammann and General Motors have said they plan to have an autonomous ride-share service on the road by the end of 2019. That optimism is one reason why the Softbank Vision Fund, Honda and others have invested more than $7.25 billion into Cruise, pushing its valuation to $19 billion last May, according to company figures.
The appeal of robotaxis is the potential to generate large profits by eliminating the driver, the biggest cost facing Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies. In previous briefings with reporters, Cruise has estimated the cost to operate an autonomous ride-share program in San Francisco could be as low as $1.50 per mile, 40% below the cost of similar services operated by a human driver.
While investors may be optimistic about the potential profits of robotaxis driving passengers around a city, those who track the industry are not surprised Cruise is tapping the brakes on its plans. “The closer you get to ground zero and putting an autonomous vehicle or vehicles on the road, the difference between where the technology is now and where it needs to be cannot be ignored,” said Mike Ramsey, automotive analyst for Gartner Research. “The right thing to do is to not put a product out on the road too soon.”
Late last year, Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, launched its own commercial ride-share service in metropolitan Phoenix. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to have “a million robotaxis” on the road by the end of 2020, capitalizing on Tesla's autopilot technology.
“I feel very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year,” Musk told analysts in May. He later admitted his timing for plans is sometimes wrong.
For Cruise, the focus now is expanding the number of miles its test fleet is driving.
“Having our cars running many more miles on the road will further accelerate our rate of learning and safety validation,” said Ammann. “It will also give us crucial operational learnings from running a larger scale fleet and a larger scale ride service, which we currently operate for our employees.”

Subaru Corporation Announces Production, Japan Sales and Export Resultsfor June 2019 and 1st Half of CY2019 (Flash Report)

July 30, 2019

Subaru Corporation Announces Production, Japan Sales and Export Results
for June 2019 and 1st Half of CY2019 (Flash Report)

[ June 2019 ]

June 2019

Units
2019 vs 2018

Domestic production *1

55,616

+3.4%
2nd consecutive month of increase

Overseas Production *2

26,492

-6.7%
First decrease in 12 months

Global Production Total

82,108

-0.1%
First decrease in 3 months

Passenger Vehicles
9,745
-1.2%
First decrease in 3 months

Mini Vehicles
2,148
-7.6%
7th consecutive month of decrease

Japan Sales Total
11,893
-2.4%
First decrease in 3 months

Export Total *3

50,114

26.7%
2nd consecutive month of increase

－
Domestic production increased due to a significant increase in Forester production which offset an impact of changes in plant operation schedules continuing since November 2018.

－
Overseas production decreased as production of the Legacy and Outback declined before the launch of their fully-redesigned models.

－
Passenger vehicle sales decreased as sales of the Levorg declined before the launch of its new model, offsetting strong sales of the Forester and Subaru XV.

－
Mini vehicle sales decreased as sales of the Pleo and other models declined.

－
Exports from Japan increased as shipments of the Crosstrek* and Forester to the U.S. increased. (* Subaru XV in markets outside North America)

[ January – June 2019 ]

January – June 2019

Units
2019 vs 2018

Domestic production *1

285,907

-11.7%
3rd consecutive year of decrease

Overseas Production *2

202,850

+16.0%
First increase in 2 years

Global Production Total

488,757

-2.0%
2nd consecutive year of decrease

Passenger Vehicles
56,118
-7.1%
2nd consecutive year of decrease

Mini Vehicles
13,212
-18.3%
2nd consecutive year of decrease

Japan Sales Total
69,330
-9.5%
2nd consecutive year of decrease

Export Total *3

227,488

-12.4%
3rd consecutive year of decrease

－
Domestic production decreased because of production halt from January 16 through January 26 due to a defect in the Electric Power Steering unit as well as changes in plant operation schedules.

－
Overseas production increased boosted by production of Ascent which started in May 2018.

－
Passenger vehicle sales decreased as sales of the Impreza and Levorg declined offsetting strong sales of the fully-redesigned Forester.

－
Mini vehicle sales decreased as sales of the Pleo and other models declined.

－
Exports from Japan decreased due to a decrease in domestic production.

*1 JAMA (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc.) report basis (CBU)
*2 Local line-off basis
*3 JAMA report basis

[PDF/111 KB]

Subaru Begins Production of All-New Legacy and Outback Models in the U.S.

July 30, 2019

Subaru Begins Production of All-New Legacy and Outback Models in the U.S.

Tokyo, July 30, 2019 – Subaru Corporation has begun production of the all-new 2020 Legacy sedan and the all-new 2020 Outback crossover SUV at its U.S. plant, Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. (SIA).
On July 29, in Lafayette, Indiana, each model was driven off the SIA assembly line during a line-off ceremony.

The Legacy and Outback models, since their debut in 1989 and 1995, respectively, have long led Subaru’s growth in North America. The seventh-generation Legacy and the sixth-generation Outback, developed as Subaru’s iconic, flagship models to achieve the brand’s sustainable growth in North America, offer enhanced dynamics from the Subaru Global Platform and greater peace of mind with the available DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System*.

The U.S.-made, all-new 2020 Subaru Legacy and Outback will go on sale in the U.S. and Canada this fall.
Since beginning production in 1989, SIA has produced over 4 million Subaru vehicles to date, with Legacy and Outback models totaling 1.24 million and 2.35 million units, respectively.

* The system is called the “Driver Monitoring System” in markets outside North America.

Address:
5500 State Road 38 East, Lafayette, Indiana

Established:
March 17, 1987

Start of production:
September 11, 1989

Capital:
US$794 million

Representative:
Eiji Ogino, President and CEO (Senior Vice President of Subaru Corporation)

Number of associates:　
6,108 (as of end of June 2019)

Models produced:
Legacy, Outback, Impreza, and Ascent

Vehicles shipped to:
U.S. and Canada

All-new 2020 Legacy (U.S. model)
All-new 2020 Outback (U.S. model)

[PDF/605 KB]