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Via Launches First On-Demand Deployment in Ontario with Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services

Published August 26, 2019 2:35 pm, Via NYC
Via Launches First On-Demand Deployment in Ontario with Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services
Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand aims to overhaul an underutilized fixed-route bus network with on-demand microtransit technology

August 26, 2019 (SAULT STE. MARIE, ON) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new public transportation deployment in partnership with Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services, a leading transit provider in Ontario, Canada. Starting September 8, passengers will be able to ride Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand, a new dynamically-routed shared transit network aiming to dramatically overhaul the area’s existing fixed-route bus system.

Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand will initially operate on Sundays from 7:15 p.m. to midnight when ridership has historically been low on the existing fixed-route buses. Riders can hail a Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand bus in real-time to their desired stop, which allows more efficient utilization of city buses, rather than continuously driving on fixed-routes with little or no passengers.

“We are thrilled to partner with the innovative team at The City of Sault Ste. Marie to bring Via’s technology to Ontario for the very first time,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “The new Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand service shows how public transportation and technology can work together to make a city smarter. Residents 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 Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand app, riders will be 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 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.

Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand allows riders to travel from one pre-existing established stop to another as requested. Once the bus arrives, passengers can proceed onto the bus and pay using their existing transit pass or cash. The app provides riders with notifications and messages, real-time vehicle tracking, and an opportunity for users to provide post-ride feedback.

“This presents an excellent opportunity to run a pilot for on-demand services,” says Brent Lamming, Director of Community Services. “By implementing an on-demand transit technology system, the city intends to reduce the number of buses used to service the routes (presently nine), and improve service delivery by making more efficient use of resources.”

Commuters can use the service by downloading the Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android, and available for download starting September 1. Users can book rides between the pre-existing Sault Ste. Marie Transit stops.

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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Tesla Will Obtain Battery Cells From LG Chem For Chinese Model 3 Production

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Published on August 23rd, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Tesla Will Obtain Battery Cells From LG Chem For Chinese Model 3 Production

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August 23rd, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Tesla has said all along it will work with multiple battery suppliers for the electric cars it manufactures in China, beginning with the Model 3 later this year and including the Model Y later. Both cars will use advanced 2170 cells like the ones manufactured for Tesla by Panasonic at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada.

According to Bloomberg, Tesla has agreed to source at least some of those battery cells from LG Chem. The Korean company will manufacture the cells at its production facility in Nanjing, about 200 miles west of Shanghai where Tesla’s new Gigafactory 3 is under construction. Although work on the new factory was not begun until January 3, Tesla expects Model 3 production to begin there before the end of this year.

Bloomberg adds that Tesla is still in talks with CATL. Anonymous sources say the two companies are discussing technical specifications and that LG Chem was more flexible in meeting Tesla’s technology requirements. There are also rumors that Panasonic may be in the mix somewhere down the road. Representatives for Tesla, LG Chem, and CATL all declined to speak on the record with Bloomberg. LG Chem is now the world’s second largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries and intent on further increasing its market share.

Politics & Production
Tesla is wise not to put all its battery eggs in one basket in China, where politics have an outsized impact on commerce. Two years ago, China refused to allow Hyundai and Kia to import any cars with batteries made by LG Chem in South Korea, according to Business Korea. It was only after the companies agreed to power their electric cars with battery cells manufactured by CATL that the ban was lifted, according to the report.

Because of the need to switch suppliers, the Hyundai Kona Electric is only now becoming available in China. And the move by Chinese authorities was no doubt instrumental in LG Chem’s decision to build a battery factory in China.

Why would authorities slap Hyundai and Kia around while smiling benevolently on Tesla? President Xi Jinping does not return our phone calls, so we can’t be sure, but clearly Tesla enjoys some special status with the Chinese government. For whatever reasons, no other foreign manufacturer seems to enjoy such a close relationship.

The Trouble With Tariffs
As Donald Trump and Xi Jinping play “mine’s bigger than yours” in their ongoing tariff fight, China announced today it will reimpose a 25% tariff on cars imported from the US on December 15. According to CNBC, the new tariffs will impact Mercedes and BMW the most. Both German companies export US-made cars to China. Ford will also suffer, as will Tesla with regard to its Model S and Model X vehicles, which are manufactured exclusively at the factory in Fremont, California.

In response, the unstable lunatic in Washington, DC, sent the stock market into a selling panic by tweeting an “order” for all US companies to cease doing business in China forthwith. The Dow shed 600 points as soon as the tweet appeared.

The question now for Tesla is how will the new tariffs affect the cars built in the Chinese factory in Shanghai beginning later this year? According to CNET Road Show, the first cars will be knockdown kits made in Fremont and shipped to Shanghai for final assembly. Tesla does something similar with its factory in Tilburg in the Netherlands.

No one knows the answer to that question at the moment. Is a knockdown kit assembled in Shanghai subject to the new tariff? It’s simply too early to answer that question authoritatively. Given Tesla’s special relationship with the Chinese government, we can only hope the cars exiting Gigafactory 3 will be exempt from the new tariff. It is to be hoped the business community will give the puling potentate of Pennsylvania Avenue the fickle finger of fate and ignore his insane order completely.

What Do We Know?
We know that Model 3 cars will begin rolling out the door at Gigafactory 3 before the end of this year, God willing and the creek don’t rise, and that those cars will have battery cells manufactured in Nanjing by LG Chem. We know that battery cells from CATL or Panasonic might be used in locally produced Model 3s and upcoming Model Ys at some point in the future. And we know that the tariff situation is a muddled mess at the moment. When we know more, you’ll know more.

About the Author

Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. His motto is, “Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

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