Strategy – Page 10369 – I wish I had more to offer

MPs want an anti 4×4 and SUV penalty

After CO2, the weight of the vehicle? The National Assembly’s Sustainable Development Committee adopted on Monday evening, during the examination of the draft budget 2020, an amendment “for opinion” aimed at introducing, in addition of the bonus-malus on carbon dioxide emissions , a similar device based on the weight of the vehicle. The project is… Continue reading MPs want an anti 4×4 and SUV penalty

Bajaj Auto “seriously committed” to e-mobility, plans “exciting” products under Urbanite brand

Bajaj Auto, India's oldest two-wheeler manufacturer, is close to adding a new chapter to its journey with the entry into electric mobility, also seen as the future of the automobile industry.

The company says it has been working on some product propositions aimed to excite electric vehicle customers, a breed that is currently rare in India. Could Urbanite be a defining moment like Pulsar, the brand which established the erstwhile scooter maker as a formidable motorcycle maker? “Everything depends on how the customers respond to what we put in. Obviously, we will work our hardest to get out what we think would be very exciting for the customer, and I am very confident that when we do put out a product or a set of products, we will see a resonance from the marketplace,” Eric Vas, President of Bajaj Auto's Urbanite business unit, under which the OEM will offer personal electric vehicles, told Autocar Professional. Vas was speaking on the sidelines of the 59th annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) last month.

Vas said Bajaj Auto is “very committed” to electric mobility as it is going to be a “significant play” in the industry in the coming years. However, “timing is something which, frankly, I don't think any individual party can comment on right now. It depends on many parameters, including charging infrastructure which is a very big piece of course.”

In June this year, NITI Aayog, the central government's think-tank, had proposed that two-wheelers (below 150cc) sold from April 1, 2025 should be only electric powered. That, OEMs, who are already fighting the challenging BS VI emission deadline of April 1, 2020, felt was too stiff a timeline for the transition. Following a discussion between top executives of NITI Aayog and industry players, the policymakers asked OEMs to come up with a roadmap for electric mobility. A formal announcement of Bajaj Auto's entry into the electric mobility space may be made on Wednesday, 16th October.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant are expected to join Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, at the announcement.

Challenge and opportunity
Electric vehicles will have to have very strong value propositions to gain mass scale adoption, primarily because of the big price difference. For example, the current price of the largest selling scooter Honda Activa is around Rs 70,000 while that of an Ather 540, a new-age electric scooter is Rs 113,000. It’s a similar story for motorcycles. “Going by that reality, combustion engine vehicles are going to be around for quite some time. You do not know how fast the battery prices will fall. I believe EVs are going to be very important for us in the way forward,” Vas said in a panel discussion at the ACMA conference.

Vas' confidence also stems from the belief that there is a big set of customers who are sitting with a sense of ‘wokeness’, a term commonly referred to for being aware about developments in the world. “If you look at other brands that work around wokeness, they are very big and very substantial. I think the size of the market can surprise us and the price-point that people are prepared to pay for an electric product could also surprise us in a country like India,” said Vas during the discussion, while adding that it is impossible to put a figure to that potential market at this stage.

It is estimated that 50 percent of Indian use non-motorised transport to commute. That is a huge opportunity. Unless there's some major cost reduction in EV technology or disruption in EV concept, the opportunity is there for IC-engined two-wheelers to tap first. While that is also a positive for Bajaj Auto, it will bet on the growing number of people in wokeness to build its new business division before EVs become a choice of the masses. The Pune-based OEM that played a major role in writing the history of mobility on two wheels now wants to script a similar story again. 'Hamara Bajaj' wants to script a 'Hamara Kal'.

Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries

It seems that Maxwell and Jeff Dahn were only part of the strategy. Tesla is clearly pushing to produce its own batteries. The company has always tried to control all aspects of its production. After buying Maxwell Technologies and making a research partnership with Jeff Dahn for a 1-million miles battery, it has reportedly bought… Continue reading Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries

Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships

Boulogne-Billancourt – October 9th, 2019. To anticipate and support the deep changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns, Groupe Renault has been involved in new mobility services for the past four years by developing car services with or without drivers (Renault MOBILITY, Zity in Madrid, Moov’in.Paris, Marcel) and by making highly targeted acquisitions and equity investments… Continue reading Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships

Recognising slippery roads sooner with mobile networking: Pilot tests in the Zollernalb district: reducing the risk of accidents

09.

October 2019

Stuttgart/Balingen

Stuttgart/Balingen. In the coming winter, in cooperation with the district of Zollernalb, Mercedes-Benz will test how safety on wintry roads and the efficiency of municipal winter services can be improved with car-to-X communication. Car-to-X is the term used to describe communication between vehicles and the transport infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz passenger cars equipped with car-to-X technology, whose owners have activated the Live Traffic Service, will provide the necessary data for the pilot tests. Once the ESP® or ABS sensors of these vehicles have recognised slippery road conditions, this information including the GPS data is sent to the Daimler Vehicle Backend in real time, using the mobile radio network. This anonymised information is displayed on digital maps in the two road maintenance depots of the Zollernalb district in real time. In the future this will make it possible to deploy the winter service more effectively and optimise the use of de-icing salt.
In the next steps it will be possible to include public service vehicles, e.g. police cars, as well as vehicle fleets. The pilot test will start in January 2020 and continue until the end of winter. The Zollernalb district is in the administrative region of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg and has around 190,000 inhabitants, many of whom are commuters.
“With car-to-X functions we can improve safety in various driving situations,” says Michael Hafner, Head of Driving Technologies and Automated Driving at Daimler AG. “This is because thanks to seamless integration of the car-to-X system into the vehicle systems, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars can automatically detect different hazards such as slippery roads.” Car-to-X technology significantly extends the coverage of onboard sensors such as radar or camera systems, as the sensors of other vehicles are used in addition. This enables a vehicle to look around the next corner, so to speak. In addition to improving traffic safety, the technology in the pilot project could also contribute to environmental protection, as less de-icing salt is used thanks to targeted application.
Mercedes-Benz already introduced mobile networking in 2013, establishing a technology that allows danger warnings to be transmitted and received. Car-to-X communication has been installed as standard in combination with navigation systems since 2016 – first in the E-Class and now in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles – and is available after activation by the user. To use the “Car-to-X” service the customer must also hold a Mercedes me connect account. Only then are data registered in the vehicle, and the vehicle-related car-to-X data are sent to the backend where they are anonymised. In addition, Mercedes-Benz drivers can simply object to their data being shared for the purpose of a resale to third parties via their user accounts on the Mercedes me Portal.
The Zollernalb district is challenging in terms of both topography and climate: the region has the highest hills in the Swabian Alb range. In 2018 no less than 82 frosty and 13 icy days were recorded[1]. With its two road maintenance depots in Balingen and Albstadt-Lautlingen, the district is responsible for around 150 kilometres of federal highways, 210 kilometres of country roads and 270 kilometres of district roads.
District administrator Günther-Martin Pauli is pleased about the partnership between his district and Mercedes-Benz in this innovative project. “We are jointly pursuing the same, clear goal of improving safety on our roads with new, digital technology. This cooperation perfectly fits into our strategy of performing our work even better with digital tools. This is in the interests of all those who live and work in the Zollernalb district, and therefore a contribution to a continued, high quality of life in the district.”
The Zollernalb district is a pioneer in municipal digitisation: on 01.10.2018 it was the first district in Baden-Württemberg to have a dedicated digitisation office. The employees here consolidate all matters relating to digitisation in the district, and support the technical and organisational implementation of different projects. This includes for example the expansion of the district's broadband network.
Background: car-to-X technology at Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz has been involved in research projects in this field for more than ten years: as one of numerous activities the company started a Europe-wide cooperation project in June 2019. In cooperation with HERE Technologies, Tom Tom and the transport authorities in six European countries, Daimler, BMW and Ford are testing how information about acutely hazardous situations can be passed on using car-to-X technology. The test phase is scheduled to last twelve months, starting in the Netherlands.
[1] Figures for Hechingen, source: www.wetterkontor.de

Press Contact

Georg Walthart

Communications Mercedes me

georg.walthart@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17 99474

Fax: +49 711 1779065617

Sarah Widmann

Intelligent Drive & Passive Safety

sarah.widmann@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-97729

Fax: +49 711 17-79094388

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Southern Germany to test how Car-to-X Communication can be used to improve safety on wintry roads and efficiency in winter road maintenance.

Release date
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Oct 9, 2019

Vitesco Technologies Supplies Electric Drive for New Volume-Production Models of Groupe PSA and Hyundai

First fully integrated electric axle drive system enters volume production in China and Europe Innovative third-generation electric drive system offers outstanding power density Vitesco Technologies’ portfolio focused strongly on electrification and electric mobility Regensburg, October 9, 2019. Vitesco Technologies, the former Powertrain division of Continental, today announced it has signed agreements with Groupe PSA and… Continue reading Vitesco Technologies Supplies Electric Drive for New Volume-Production Models of Groupe PSA and Hyundai

Indian auto parts maker Minda acquires Germany’s Delvis

Auto parts maker Minda Industries Ltd has signed a definite pact to acquire German automotive lamps engineering, design and testing company, Delvis Gmbh, at an enterprise value of about €21 million. The deal will include two subsidiaries, Delvis Solution and Delvis Products, Gurugram-based Minda said in a regulatory filing. The transaction, subject to closing conditions… Continue reading Indian auto parts maker Minda acquires Germany’s Delvis

Porsche Tests Taycan Electric Range and Charging at Nardo

We’ve already received an in-depth, passenger-seat preview of the all-electric Porsche Taycan—and its performance earns the red-and-gold crest on its hood. But what about its daily usability? Battery range and charge times are barriers against electric vehicle adoption; “refueling” an electric car still just isn’t as convenient. However, Porsche has been working to develop quick-recharge… Continue reading Porsche Tests Taycan Electric Range and Charging at Nardo

NIO Inc. Provides Third Quarter 2019 Delivery Update

Delivered 4,799 vehicles in the third quarter 2019, consisting of 4,196 ES6s and 603 ES8s Delivered 2,019 vehicles in September 2019, including 1,726 ES6s and 293 ES8s Cumulative deliveries of ES8 and ES6 reached 23,689 SHANGHAI, China, Oct. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NIO Inc. (“NIO” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NIO),… Continue reading NIO Inc. Provides Third Quarter 2019 Delivery Update

Change at Bugatti – Finance and Procurement under new management

Bugatti is positioning itself for the future. Rico Kreyenberg will head the Finance and IT departments from 1 October. He succeeds Dr. Jörg Mull. Dominique Künzel now heads the Procurement department. Both report directly to Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann. Dr. Jörg Mull, former Chief Financial Officer at Bugatti, is relocating within the Volkswagen Group. After… Continue reading Change at Bugatti – Finance and Procurement under new management