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Chinese start-up Byton unveils full electric Concept SUV

Chinese electric car start-up Byton, run by ex-BMW I boss Carsten Breitfeld, has unveiled a concept version of its first model, an SUV with support for level four autonomous driving, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Byton Concept is a premium full-electric SUV that the first describes as being “almost production ready.” The firm… Continue reading Chinese start-up Byton unveils full electric Concept SUV

BYTON electric intelligent SUV makes global debut at CES

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — BYTON today debuted its first drivable concept car at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, U.S.A. With a unique digital design and innovative human-vehicle interaction, the premium SUV functions as a new generation smart device, built for the coming era of truly shared, smart mobility and… Continue reading BYTON electric intelligent SUV makes global debut at CES

Asset finance market reports further growth in May

6 July 2018
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 10% in May, compared with the same month in 2017.
New finance for plant and machinery grew in May by 4% compared with the same month in 2017, while the commercial vehicle finance sector reported new business up by 13% over the same period.
Geraldine Kilkelly, Head of Research and Chief Economist, said:
“The asset finance market continued to improve in May after a relatively quiet first quarter. The industry provided further support to the construction, manufacturing and agricultural sectors, with new finance for equipment in these sectors up by 6%, 11% and 22% respectively, compared with May 2017.”
May 2018
% change on prev. year
3 months to May
2018
% change on prev. year
12 months to May
2018
% change on prev. year
Total FLA asset finance (£m)
2,921
+10
8,984
+3
31,926
+3
Total excluding high value (£m)
2,637
+4
8,421
+3
30,127
+4
Data Extracts:
By asset:
Plant and machinery finance (£m)
586
+4
1,813
+1
6,651
+7
Commercial vehicle finance (£m)
684
+13
2,182
+6
7,561
+1
IT equipment finance (£m)
174
+1
506
-8
2,336
+5
Business equipment finance (£m)
201
-13
666
+5
2,588
+4
Car finance (£m)
870
+6
2,802
+0
9,445
+2
Aircraft, ships and rolling stock finance (£m)
15
-85
63
-81
204
-72
By channel:
Direct finance (£m)
1,334
+5
4,245
+3
15,038
+1
Broker-introduced finance (£m)
526
+2
1,630
+6
5,831
+7
Sales finance (£m)
777
+5
2,546
+1
9,257
+6
By product:
Finance leasing (£m)
312
+3
1,038
+4
3,886
+6
Operating leasing (£m)
472
-14
1,663
-16
6,335
-7
Lease/Hire purchase (£m)
1,667
+13
5,113
+9
17,273
+5
Other finance (£m)
302
+9
802
-9
3,142
-9
Note to editors:
In 2017, FLA members provided £128 billion of new finance to UK businesses and households. £32 billion of finance was provided to businesses and the public sector. FLA members financed a third of UK investment in machinery, equipment and purchased software in the UK in 2017.For media enquiries, please contact the FLA press office on 020 7420 9656.

Aptiv and Lyft to Bring Self-Driving Rides to Las Vegas in January 2018

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Aptiv (NYSE: APTV), a global technology company that provides leading automated driving solutions, and ride-hailing leader Lyft, today announced a partnership to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind fully automated point-to-point ride-hailing experience during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 in Las Vegas. “This partnership represents a real-life application of scalable, automated… Continue reading Aptiv and Lyft to Bring Self-Driving Rides to Las Vegas in January 2018

Aston Martin race to the skies

Published: Jul 16, 2018

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Neil Allison

British luxury brand Aston Martin is today presenting the Volante Vision Concept, a luxury concept aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. Produced in partnership with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce, the concept aircraft aims to bring luxury personal transportation to the sky.

16 July 2018, Farnborough: British luxury brand Aston Martin is today presenting the Volante Vision Concept, a luxury concept aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. Produced in partnership with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce, the concept aircraft aims to bring luxury personal transportation to the sky.
The Volante Vision Concept is a demonstration of Aston Martin’s design ingenuity. With room for three adults, the concept is a near future study that previews a flying autonomous hybrid-electric vehicle for urban and inter-city air travel, providing fast, efficient and congestion free luxurious travel.
The Volante Vision Concept will take full advantage of the latest advances in aerospace, electrification and autonomous technologies, coupled with Aston Martin’s signature design.
Combining the strengths of Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin, this new concept unites the world’s best aerospace experts, propulsion specialists and designers. The skills offered by each partner ensures that the Volante Vision Concept promises to offer an exciting alternative transportation solution for customers across the globe.
Aston Martin President and CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “With the population in urban areas continuing to grow, congestion in towns and cities will become increasingly demanding. We need to look at alternative solutions to reduce congestion, cut pollution and improve mobility. Air travel will be a crucial part in the future of transportation, the Volante Vision Concept is the ultimate luxury mobility solution.
“Humans have always spent on average, one hour commuting to and from work. The distance we live from our workplace has been determined by the methods of transportation available. The Volante Vision Concept will enable us to travel further with our hourly commute, meaning we are able to live further away from where we work. Cities will grow, and towns that are today too far away from cities to be commutable will become suburban.
“With Aston Martin and our ‘dream team’ of British innovation across industry and academia, we are positioned to change the future of transportation, giving our customers a new dimension of freedom”.
Professor Iain Gray, Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University said: “We’re delighted to be part of this exciting and forward-thinking project that showcases British innovation and the way that Cranfield works with and supports business. The Volante Vision Concept exemplifies Cranfield’s unique capabilities in digital aviation, autonomous systems and the electrification of aerospace, and is an excellent example of how the University combines cutting-edge research, academic rigour and real-world application.”
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) CEO Paul Hutton said: “The introduction of autonomous and electric propulsion technologies into new aircraft designs is both inevitable and challenging, and as the UK’s leading aircraft design and production SME we are excited to be playing this key role in the Volante Vision Concept and so to be at the vanguard of this revolution in aerospace.”
Director, Rolls-Royce Electrical Rob Watson said: “We are delighted to be involved in the Volante Vision Concept, which showcases the best of British design and engineering. Rolls-Royce has already delivered hybrid-electric systems for other applications including ships and trains, and we’re very excited about the potential of the technology in aerospace. This is a great opportunity to collaborate on a pioneering project which will use high performancehybrid-electric propulsion technologies for personal air mobility concepts that could transform the future of transportation.”
As the designer of cars such as the Aston Martin DB11, the new Vantage, the DBS Superleggera and Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar project – Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman holds the key to the distinctive design language of the new Aston Martins.
“We are at the beginning of a new generation of urban transportation, vertical mobility is no longer a fantasy. We have a unique chance to create a luxury concept aircraft that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology.” says Reichman.
“We have used forms and proportions that express the same devotion to design, engineering and beauty that shape our cars.”

Aston Martin Lagonda completes Phase Two of new St Athan facility

Published: Jul 20, 2018

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Neil Allison

Aston Martin, the producer of highly desirable luxury handcrafted sports cars, today announced it has completed the second phase of its new car assembly plant at St Athan, in South Wales.

20 July 2018, St Athan, Wales: Aston Martin, the producer of highly desirable luxury handcrafted sports cars, today announced it has completed the second phase of its new car assembly plant at St Athan, in South Wales.
Aston Martin’s Board of Directors held their first meeting in St Athan to mark the completion of building work at the facility, which involves the conversion of three super hangars at the former Ministry of Defence site into a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility.
Directors and shareholder representatives of Aston Martin were briefed on the progress of the project, in which production of the company’s first sports utility vehicle (SUV) is due to begin in late 2019.
The St Athan plant is a demonstration of Aston Martin’s continued commitment to the UK and is set to bring up to 750 new employment opportunities to the South Wales region. Of the total workforce, 150 employees have been recruited as part of the pre-production preparations.
When the St Athan plant is complete, it will join Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters and Newport Pagnell site as centres of the highest quality of British craftmanship and engineering.
The fit-out of the super hangars, the third and final phase of the construction project, has already begun ahead of the inaugural production planned for next year as part of the company’s Second Century Plan.
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted at the progress being made at the St Athan site. The team have done a fantastic job in advancing the facility and I was incredibly proud to chair our first Board meeting at the new plant. Wales has a long history of engineering excellence and the Board is delighted that it will play such an important part in Aston Martin’s development.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport Ken Skates said: “I am delighted to see our partnership with Aston Martin, right in the heart of our Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone, coming to fruition.
“Progress to date continues to match the company’s aspiration for future growth and, when complete, the site will provide highly-skilled employment and world-class apprenticeship opportunities in the automotive sector for many generations to come. I wish them the same success with the next phase.”

Aston Martin ready for home attack at Silverstone

Published: Aug 16, 2018

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by
Neil Allison

Aston Martin Racing’s new FIA World Endurance Championship challenger – the Vantage GTE – will make its first competitive appearance on home ground in the 6 Hours of Silverstone this weekend.

Thursday 16 August, Silverstone: Aston Martin Racing’s new FIA World Endurance Championship challenger – the Vantage GTE – will make its first competitive appearance on home ground in the 6 Hours of Silverstone this weekend.
Indeed it will be a weekend of firsts for the team, as Alex Lynn (GB) makes his British debut as an Aston Martin Racing driver, while he and team-mate Maxime Martin (BEL) will begin their stint as a standalone pairing in the #97 Aston Martin Vantage for the next three races.
“I’m extremely excited to be racing at Silverstone this weekend,” said Lynn. “Being a British driver, and being part of the factory Aston Martin team gives me a lot of pride. Obviously I’m seriously motivated to get a good result so I’ll be giving it absolutely everything I can to give the home fans something to cheer about alongside Maxime.”
In the weeks following the Le Mans 24 Hours, where the Vantage GTE recorded a solid double points finish on its debut, the team has been working tirelessly along with technical partners Michelin and Total to unlock more of its undoubted potential through an intensive development programme. Aston Martin Racing now looks forward to finding out where the Vantage GTE sits in the competitive order as we move into next phase of the Super Season.
“We have worked hard to improve the whole package after Le Mans, and I am really hoping that we will be more competitive at the weekend,” said Nicki Thiim, who shares the #95 ‘DaneTrain’ driving duties with Marco Sørensen until Darren Turner returns for Sebring in 2019. “The whole team wants to prove that the car is something special.”
Aston Martin Racing Team Principal Paul Howarth added, “We made some improvements between Le Mans and Silverstone, and we recognise that achieving competitiveness at this level means taking a logical and methodical approach to understanding the package available to us and working hard to maximise its potential. We are still learning about the Vantage GTE and it’s important to remember that it is still only two races old. It clearly has great deal of untapped potential and we are in no doubt that in a short period of time it will be highly competitive.”
The defending 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Am title-holders come to Silverstone with a point to prove, having won the opening round in Spa and led convincingly at Le Mans. But the #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE, driven by Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A), also faces a fresh challenge in the class as the similar TF Sport car driven by Salih Yoluc (TUR), Charlie Eastwood (GB) now also features Aston Martin Racing factory driver and 2017 Le Mans winner Jonny Adam (GB) for the rest of the year.
The 6 Hours of Silverstone begins at 12:00BST on Sunday, 19 August.

Automobili Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology join forces to write the future of super sports cars

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: A Future Vision and Dream Based on the Collaboration with MIT

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Sant’Agata Bolognese/Cambridge (MA), 7 November 2017 – Automobili Lamborghini in collaboration with two laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology marks the first steps of a possible future Lamborghini electric super sports car.
On the occasion of this announcement Lamborghini presents the new design concept “Lamborghini of the Terzo Millennio”. The concept physically imagines design and technology theories of tomorrow, while sustaining the visual intrigue, breath-taking performance and, most importantly, the visceral emotion found in every dimension of a Lamborghini. It is made for future super sports car enthusiasts.
The technological goal of the project is to enable Lamborghini to address the future of the super sports car in five different dimensions: energy storage systems, innovative materials, propulsion system, visionary design, and emotion.
The first two dimensions are conceived together with the two laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: the “Dinca Research Lab”, led by Prof. Mircea Dinca, Department of Chemistry and the “Mechanosynthesis Group”, led by Prof. Anastasios John Hart, Department of Mechanical Engineering. The collaboration is substantially financed by Automobili Lamborghini and intended to lead to radical innovation in energy storage systems technology and material science.
Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, says: “Exactly one year ago we have signed an agreement with the MIT-Italy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which marked the start of a collaboration between two outstanding entities for the creation of a project that intends to write an important page in the future of super sports cars for the third millennium.
Collaborating with MIT for our R&D department is an exceptional opportunity to do what Lamborghini has always been very good at: rewriting the rules on super sports cars. Now we are presenting an exciting and progressive concept car. We are inspired by embracing what is impossible today to craft the realities of tomorrow: Lamborghini must always create the dreams of the next generation.”
Energy Storage SystemsThe strategy of creating super sports cars with uncompromising performance generates Lamborghini’s motivation to revolutionize the approach to energy storage, moving away from conventional batteries and investigating the potential of supercapacitors to equip the Terzo Millennio.
This is in line with the application of low voltage supercapacitors in the V12 Aventador, which started five years ago. The next logical step is the development of a storage system able to deliver high peak power and regenerate kinetic energy with very limited influence from aging and cycling during the vehicle’s life, and with the ability to symmetrically release and harvest electric power. Thus, the collaboration with Prof. Mircea Dinca is aiming to overcome the limits of today’s technology and close the gap on conventional batteries’ energy density while preserving the high power, symmetrical behavior and the very long lifecycle related to supercapacitor technology.
Prof. Dinca says: “The new Lamborghini collaboration allows us to be ambitious and think outside the box in designing new materials that answer energy storage challenges for the demands of an electric sport vehicle. We look forward to teaming up with their engineers and work on this exciting project”.
Innovative materialsTo support this revolution in energy storage systems, materials and their functions have to change, too. Lamborghini aims to further develop its leadership in the design and production of carbon fiber structures and parts, enhancing its ability to develop features and functions that take lightweight materials to the next level.
For this reason, the cooperation with Prof. John Hart will investigate the new manufacturing routes for carbon fiber materials constituting the bodyshell of the Terzo Millennio, which will also act as an accumulator for energy storage and enable the complete body of the car to be used as a storage system. Prof. Hart says, “we are thrilled to combine our expertise in advanced materials and manufacturing with the vision and support of Automobili Lamborghini, and to realize new concepts that will shape the future of transportation.”
The project also aims to combine the technology to continuously monitor the whole carbon fiber structure, both visible and invisible, with the concept of “self-healing”: the target is to provide the Terzo Millennio with the ability to conduct its own health monitoring to detect cracks and damages in its substructure derived from accidents. In this case a self-repairing process starts via micro-channels filled with healing chemistries, reducing to zero the risks of small cracks propagating further in the carbon fiber structure. This allows further weight reduction with increased use of carbon fiber or the application of CFK to high-fatigue parts.
Propulsion SystemThe energy storage system goes hand-in hand with performance: each wheel incorporates an integrated electric engine, perpetuating the commitment to four-wheel drive and in the meantime harvesting the opportunities provided by electric motors: high torque, reversibility, and the possibility of moving energy by wire. The Terzo Millennio therefore also embodies the first steps for Lamborghini to go in the direction of creating a “Lamborghini Electric”. Moving the electric motors into the wheels has another positive effect: freedom for designers and aerodynamicists.
DesignThe Terzo Millenio is the visionary outcome conceived by the Lamborghini Centro Stile to express future design elements, taking into account the radical changes in technology and anticipating elements of forthcoming Lamborghini design. An example for a very strong statement is the evolution and further development of the Lamborghini typical Y-signature in the front and rear lights.
As a result of the change in technologies the design can be a radical expression of aerodynamic supremacy, based around an entirely new architecture, totally dedicated to perfecting airflow. A highly advanced monocoque based on Lamborghini’s Forged Composite technology can be modelled, containing only the energy accumulation system and driver’s and co-driver’s seats, inspired by race cars.
EmotionFundamental to a Lamborghini hypercar of the future is sustaining the emotion of driving a Lamborghini, and an immersive driver experience. The responsiveness of the electric motors, the four-wheel torque control and the dynamic body control system will enhance the driver’s experience, projecting it into the third millennium. Finally, the consequent aerodynamics and innovative lightweight approach will result in a new dimension of longitudinal as well as lateral dynamics, in this combination until today unknown from electrified cars.
The Terzo Millenio’s virtual cockpit allows more than travelling the highways of a future world: its Piloted Driving simulation allows the driver to be taken around a track such as Imola by a virtual expert before the driver takes over to feel like a ‘pilot’ himself, experiencing the real car and circuit while following the virtual ghost car.

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Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: A Future Vision and Dream Based on the Collaboration with MIT

La Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: un sogno e una visione del futuro basati sulla collaborazione con il MIT

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: Zukunftsvision und Traum in Zusammenarbeit mit dem MIT

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Tag: Manufacturing

Chinese start-up Byton unveils full electric Concept SUV

BYTON electric intelligent SUV makes global debut at CES

Asset finance market reports further growth in May

Aptiv and Lyft to Bring Self-Driving Rides to Las Vegas in January 2018

Aston Martin race to the skies

Aston Martin Lagonda completes Phase Two of new St Athan facility

Aston Martin ready for home attack at Silverstone

Automobili Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology join forces to write the future of super sports cars

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: A Future Vision and Dream Based on the Collaboration with MIT

Lamborghini Launches the Ad Personam Studio a New Area Dedicated to the Company’s Customization Program