Daimler and BMW-backed Kapten rides into London with anti-Uber ad campaign

Kapten, the French ride-hailing app backed by Daimler and BMW, has today launched in London, coupled with a feisty ad campaign taking a swipe at Uber’s tax arrangements. It follows Kapten (formerly called “Chauffeur Prive”) obtaining a license from TfL, London’s transport regulator, to operate its private-hire vehicle (PHV) service in the U.K. capital city.… Continue reading Daimler and BMW-backed Kapten rides into London with anti-Uber ad campaign

Mercedes-Benz lays out plan for carbon-neutral future

2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC Edition 1886
Mercedes-Benz's CEO-apparent Ola Källenius laid out a plan Monday, just after the Norway launch of its EQC electric SUV, that outlines the development of an entire “carbon-neutral” passenger-car fleet.

Källenius, currently the head of product development at Mercedes, has been named future Chairman of the Board of management of Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz starting later this year.

Part of the plan, called Vision 2039, calls to make half the company's models plug in by 2030—either plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles.

READ THIS: First Mercedes-Benz EQC rolls off assembly line in Germany

According to a transcript of his speech, Källenius said, “Let’s be clear what this means for us: a fundamental transformation of our company within less than three product cycles. That’s not much time when you consider that fossil fuels have dominated our business since the invention of the car by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler some 130 years ago. But as a company founded by engineers, we believe technology can also help to engineer a better future.”

He laid out plans to electrify the company's vans, trucks, and buses as well as its cars, and said the Mercedes is focusing first on building better electric cars, by bringing “EV performance up and costs down,” he said.

Källenius also doubled-down on Daimler's commitment to developing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. “There’s also room and need to continue to work on other solutions,” he said, “for example, the fuel cell or eFuels…. Today, no one knows for sure which drivetrain mix will best serve our customers’ needs 20 years from now. That’s why we encourage policy makers to pave the way for tech neutrality: Let’s fix the target, but not the means to achieve it.”

He noted that in addition to electric buses, the company will also build city buses with fuel cells.

READ MORE: Mercedes joins forces with BMW to build an electric ecosystem

Källenius pointed to the company's car-sharing efforts such as Car2Go as a means to help customers reduce their carbon footprint, and said the company will be making new efforts to encourage its customers who buy EVs to charge them using renewable energy. The company launched an effort in March, in conjunction with BMW's Reach Now, to provide clean power to chargers, and smart home chargers, similar programs at Tesla and Volkswagen.

Of course, electric cars are only as carbon-neutral as the factories that build them. The company plans to convert all of its European factories to renewable energy by 2022, starting with an extension of its main plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, and including the factory in Bremen that builds the EQC and the Kamenz factory in Saxony where the EQC's battery is built.

By 2039, the year that gives the plan its name, the company intends to propagate the changes throughout its worldwide factories as well as its suppliers, using incentives as motivation.

Via and SamTrans Launch On-Demand Public Transportation in Pacifica, California

Published May 6, 2019 7:00 am, Via NYC
Via and SamTrans Launch On-Demand Public Transportation in Pacifica, California
The new partnership with SamTrans brings another shared, on-demand service powered by Via to the San Francisco Bay area.

May 6, 2019 (Pacifica, CA) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand shared mobility solutions, today announced a new microtransit deployment in the San Francisco Bay Area, operated in partnership with public transportation leader SamTrans. The new service brings corner-to-corner shuttle service to Pacifica, California.

Starting May 6, SamTrans will offer on-demand shared transportation within the coverage area for the standard SamTrans fare. The new on-demand service replaces the fixed-route FLX Pacifica bus service, offering customers a more convenient public transportation solution.

SamTrans OnDemand is powered by Via’s advanced algorithm, which enables multiple riders to seamlessly share a single vehicle. The powerful technology directs passengers to a nearby corner — a virtual bus stop — for pick up and drop off, and dynamically routes the vehicle in real-time, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

“Via’s powerful technology is redefining mobility across the globe, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to provide on-demand dynamic transportation solutions,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “We are delighted to be partnering with SamTrans to help Pacifica lead the way in mobility innovation through the launch of this convenient, affordable, and eco-friendly service.”

SamTrans operates 70 routes throughout San Mateo County. Funded in part by a half-cent sales tax, the San Mateo County Transit District also provides administrative support for Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.

“SamTrans OnDemand is an innovative service that will better serve Pacifica residents by providing a flexible and affordable transportation option,” said SamTrans Chief Planning Officer April Chan. “If this way of delivering service works well, we hope to extend this to other neighborhoods in San Mateo County that can take advantage of this service.”

“Pacifica has unique challenges regarding transportation that result in congested roads and needless stress,” said Pacifica Mayor Sue Vaterlauss. “SamTrans OnDemand offers an alternative that will appeal to students, seniors and people that want options beyond owning a car.”

SamTrans OnDemand allows riders to request a trip through an iOS or Android app operated by Via, or through the SamTrans Customer Service Call Center. Once a trip is booked, a shuttle is routed to the pickup location and can be tracked through the app in real-time.

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 70 launched and pending deployments in more than 15 countries. 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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Mercedes-Benz EQC Active Safety Demonstration: Video

The EQC is a heavy car, but it can stop quicker than one might think, especially since it will do so automatically During the media presentation of the EQC in Norway, Mercedes-Benz conducted active safety demonstrations. The EQC turns out to be very safe, according to test results. In several runs recorded by Javier Mota,… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz EQC Active Safety Demonstration: Video

Mercedes-Benz EQC, VW’s battery factory, Hyundai’s electric sports car: Today’s Car News

2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 – first drive – Norway, May 2019
We're among the first to drive the Mercedes-Benz EQC. Volkswagen plans to invest $1.1 billion in a new battery factory in Germany. Hyundai and Kia invest $80 million in Croatian EV startup Rimac. And our Twitter poll asks how EV drivers should contribute to road maintenance. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

In a first drive outside of Oslo (practically native habitat for luxury electric cars), the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC electric SUV proved itself among the quietest and most luxurious EVs we've driven. But solid range measurements remained elusive.

As VW and other German automakers are scrambling to build local battery supplies in Europe, the country's largest automaker announced plans to build a new battery factory—along with a partner—in its home state of Lower Saxony.

Korean auto giant Hyundai, along with its sister company Kia, gave Croatian EV sports-car startup Rimac a big boost in its bid to become a Tier 1 supplier of electric drivetrain components to the auto industry, with a big investment and plans for a new Korean electric sports car.

Our Twitter poll this week asks our readers how electric-car drivers should contribute to road maintenance, traditionally funded by state gas taxes.

Volkswagen also previewed a new digital dashboard for its upcoming 2020 redesign of the Golf.

Finally, the NHTSA will give up on new requirements, first adopted in light of the Toyota unintended acceleration problem in 2011, to require brake override software on new cars.

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Volvo Car Group signs multi-billion dollars battery supply deals

SHANGHAI, May 15 (Xinhua) — Volvo Car Group announced on Wednesday that it signed long-term agreements with leading battery makers CATL and LG Chem to ensure the multi-billion dollars supply of lithium-ion batteries over the coming decade for next-generation Volvo and Polestar models.

The agreements cover the global supply of battery modules for all models on the upcoming SPA2 and the existing CMA modular vehicle platforms and represent a major step toward realizing Volvo Cars' ambitious electrification strategy.

In 2017, Volvo Cars made the commitment that all new Volvo cars launched from 2019 would be electrified. The company stated that it aims for fully electric cars to make up 50 percent of its global sales volume by 2025.

“The future of Volvo Cars is electric, and we are firmly committed to moving beyond the internal combustion engine,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “Today's agreements with CATL and LG Chem demonstrate how we will reach our..

Driving the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC All-Electric Luxury SUV

OSLO, Norway—We’re making our way back to the hotel after a rainy day of driving and otherwise being indoctrinated to the key elements of the all-new, all-electric 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic. As the traffic slows, we get a chance to glance at the cars passing by us on their way out of Oslo’s city… Continue reading Driving the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC All-Electric Luxury SUV

Tue 14 May 2019

Gordon Murray presents virtual exhibition of life's work

50 years of automotive design and engineering immortalised in online showcase

Fans can ‘sit’ in Senna’s Formula One car; examine detail of a McLaren F1

Free exhibit goes live in tandem with Murray’s One Formula book launch

Gordon Murray has unveiled a fully-immersive, internet-based virtual exhibition of 40 different iconic race and road cars produced during the past 50 years of his illustrious career in vehicle design and engineering. The online exhibition, which brings to life the private ‘One Formula’ exhibition held in late 2017, is free to access and can be found at www.oneformulagordonmurray.com.

Motorsport fans can ‘walk’ among cars driven by legends including Piquet, Senna and Prost, and even ‘sit’ in the cockpits for a driver’s-eye view. Among the grand prix cars featured are the Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’, the BT49C that won the 1981 World Drivers’ Championship in the hands of Nelson Piquet, and the McLaren MP4/4, which Ayrton Senna drove to his first Drivers’ Championship victory in 1988.

Visitors can also explore the McLaren F1 – still the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated road car, and its celebrated Le Mans racing siblings. Other famed Murray projects showcased include the OX flat pack truck, the TVR Griffith and the revolutionary iStream® platform manufacturing technologies.

Professor Gordon Murray, CBE, said: “It is such thrill to share my passion for engineering purity, beautiful design, aerodynamic excellence, and technological innovation. Creating an exhibition in a free-to-view format, accessible to all, in stunning virtual reality is exciting and a source of great pride.

“For the One Formula exhibition, we gathered almost every race and road car from my 50-year career to date, and we were inundated with requests from fans across the world who wanted to visit. Being a short-term, private exhibition meant we couldn’t share our passion with these enthusiasts. So, doing so in virtual form is the next best thing!”

The launch of the free virtual exhibition coincides with the launch of Murray’s ‘One Formula’ book, a two-volume, 900-page epic that charts in detail the ideas, personal perspectives, triumphs and records achieved over 50 years of automotive design and engineering.

Those who explore every corner of the detailed and fascinating online showcase will see information and exhibits covering the design, engineering, prototyping and development of vehicles by Gordon Murray Design Limited. By scrutinising the principles Murray has applied across his career, visitors may piece-together the blueprint for a forthcoming supercar – which is currently under top secret development.

-Ends-

Professor Gordon Murray, CBE – biography

Gordon Murray was born in Durban, South Africa in 1946 and gained a Mechanical Engineering Diploma from Natal Technical College. He designed, built and raced his own sports car (the IGM Ford) in the National Class in South Africa during 1967 and 1968.

In 1969 Gordon moved to the UK and joined the Brabham Formula One Team as Technical Director, winning two world championships (1981 and 1983) during his 17 years with the team. Gordon joined McLaren Racing as Technical Director in 1988 and three consecutive championship wins (1988, 1989 and 1990) followed. In 1990, Gordon moved away from Formula One – after 50 Grand Prix wins – to concentrate on establishing a new company for the group, McLaren Cars Limited.

The company’s first project, the F1 road car, is still regarded as one of the world’s best engineered cars. A racing version won two world sports car championships and the Le Mans 24-hour race on its first attempt in 1995. McLaren Cars then completed several other successful projects culminating in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren programme.

Gordon left McLaren in 2005 to set up his new company Gordon Murray Design Limited (in 2007), of which he is CEO and Technical Director. The innovative British company operates from Shalford in Surrey, and aims to be the world leader in automotive design. It reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and development.

In 2017, Gordon Murray Design celebrated the company’s 10-year anniversary along with that of the iStream® manufacturing process. At a special event, named ‘One Formula’ Gordon Murray also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the McLaren F1 road car entering production, and his 50th year of car design and engineering.

In May 2019, Professor Murray was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. The ceremony, held at Buckingham Palace, recognised the contributions made by Murray to the motorsport and automotive sectors over the past 50 years.

PR contacts

For further information, images or comment about the Gordon Murray Group, please contact:

Jon Visscher

PFPR Communications

Jon.Visscher@pfpr.com

01622 776 680 / 07816 906 794

Sarah Smith, Communications Officer

Gordon Murray Design

sarah.smith@gordonmurraydesign.com

01483 484 710

Virtual exhibition by Insight Simulation

Contact David Hothersall

david@insightsimulation.com

www.insightsimulation.com

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ChargePoint sounds alarm on electric vehicle charging standards – Reuters UK

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – A leading operator of charging stations has sounded the alarm on a proposed technical standard that it says could hamper mass adoption of electric vehicles by making it harder to charge them at home or at work. FILE PHOTO: A ChargePoint station on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt,… Continue reading ChargePoint sounds alarm on electric vehicle charging standards – Reuters UK