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UPDATE 2-VW may have to step up electric car plans to meet EU CO2 targets

BERLIN/FRANKFURT/MUNICH (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) may have to step up its plans for mass production of electric vehicles in order to meet tougher-than-expected European targets to cut greenhouse emissions from cars, its chief executive said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: A car with the Volkswagen VW logo badge is seen on display at the North American… Continue reading UPDATE 2-VW may have to step up electric car plans to meet EU CO2 targets

24M Raises Almost $22 Million For Semi Solid-State Battery Development

24M attract more investors to its SemiSolid lithium-ion battery design 24M – co-founded in 2010 by Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang, who previously co-founded A123 Systems – has raised $24 million $21.8 million in Series D funding with a goal to scale up solid-state battery production and develop affordable, high energy density batteries for electric vehicles. We heard… Continue reading 24M Raises Almost $22 Million For Semi Solid-State Battery Development

Elon Musk says Tesla would consider buying idled GM plants, takes swing at the SEC on ’60 Minutes’

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Elon Musk

Tesla would consider buying the factories that General Motors intends to idle, CEO Elon Musk said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS' “60 Minutes.”

“It's possible that we would be interested. If they were going to sell a plant or not use it that we would take it over,” he said.

In a wide-ranging interview with Lesley Stahl, Musk made no apologies for his erratic behavior over the summer and reiterated his lack of respect for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which sued him in September for allegedly defrauding investors after tweeting that he wanted to take the company public at $420 a share and had “funding secured.” He didn't and pulled back on those plans a few weeks later.

“Nobody's perfect,” he said.

Musk acknowledged that he was “somewhat impulsive,” adding that he “didn't really want to try to adhere to some CEO template.” He stoked controversy all summer with his erratic behavior, taunting the SEC, calling a diver in the Thai cave rescue a “pedo” and capping the summer by appearing to smoke pot on the Joe Rogan podcast.

“I'm just being me. I mean, I was certainly under insane stress and crazy, crazy hours. But the system would have failed if I was truly erratic,” Musk said.

The SEC forced Musk to step down as chairman of the board for three years. The company named Robyn Denholm, who was already on the board, as chairwoman.

“I want to be clear: I do not respect the SEC,” Musk said. “I do not respect them.” But he said he was adhering to the agreement because he respects the U.S. justice system.

He scoffed at the idea that Denholm was put in place to keep him in line. “Yeah. It, it's not realistic in the sense that I am the largest shareholder in the company. And I can just call for a shareholder vote and get anything done that I want,” Musk said.

He said he does not want to return to the role of chairman. “I actually just prefer to have no titles at all.”

Tesla has struggled to ramp up production of its much hyped Model 3 midsize sedan. The company resorted to building a second assembly line inside a tent-like structure next to its main assembly plant in Fremont, California. The decision, like many Tesla has made, was ridiculed by some in the industry.

The last-minute push increased production by 50 percent, Musk told CBS.

“Those betting against the company were right by all conventional standards that we would fail,” he said, “but they just did not count on this unconventional situation of creating a second assembly in the parking lot in a tent.”

Musk said the long-awaited $35,000 version of the Model 3 will “probably” be available in five to six months. That is the price of the vehicle Tesla originally promised would be an electric sedan for the masses when it was first unveiled in March 2016. Since then, however, Tesla has only made higher-priced versions of the car.

Musk admitted he is notorious for missing deadlines.

“Well, I mean punctuality's not my strong suit. I think, uh well, why would people think that if I've been late on all the other models, that'd I'd be suddenly on time with this one,” he said.

WATCH: How taxpayers have helped Elon Musk and Tesla

How taxpayers have boosted Elon Musk and Tesla
10:06 AM ET Mon, 22 Oct 2018 | 07:43

GM's decision to idle plants in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland and Ontario and eliminate 14,000 jobs has caused anger and worry among lawmakers, labor leaders and people in the regions that depend on the factories for work. Some say GM's decision is a necessary step to ensure the company's future as it grapples with changing consumer tastes, new technologies and new potential competitors, including Tesla.

The possible plant closures present an opportunity to Tesla. It wouldn't be the first time Tesla bought a GM plant. The Tesla Factory in Fremont, California is a former GM plant that closed in 2010 but reopened later that year under Musk.

Under the terms of the SEC settlement, Musk had to pay a $20 million fine and step down as chairman for at least three years. Tesla also put in place a system for monitoring Musk's statements to the public about the company, whether on Twitter, blog posts or any other medium.

Musk told CBS the only tweets that need to be approved are ones that can move the stock price. He said he uses Twitter to express himself. “Some people use their hair,” he said, “I used Twitter.”

Ola, Uber’s India rival, invests $100M in scooter rental startup Vogo

We’re familiar with Uber cozying up to scooter startups — it has bought one and invested in another — but over in India, the U.S. firm’s key rival is hatching a major alliance of its own it invested $100 million in scooter rental startup Vogo. Ola first invested back in August when Vogo raised an undisclosed Series… Continue reading Ola, Uber’s India rival, invests $100M in scooter rental startup Vogo

Audi pulls the curtain back on its self-driving car program

Of all the luxury car brands, Audi has been the most aggressive in terms of putting semi-autonomous technology into its production cars. (See the A8 sedan, a version of which can’t be sold in the US thanks to its partially automated features.) Now the German automaker is offering a sneak peek of its effort to… Continue reading Audi pulls the curtain back on its self-driving car program

Hyundai plans to take hydrogen fuel-cell systems beyond vehicles

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Hyundai Mobis fuel cell announcement
Hyundai sees a lot of potential in hydrogen fuel-cell technology. And it may find success with it by looking well past cars and SUVs—to other uses that could, as the company puts it, “transcend the transportation sector.”

With this week’s opening of a second plant making fuel-cell systems, in Chungju, South Korea, Hyundai's Mobis unit will increase its annual production of fuel-cell systems from its current 3,000 annual units to 40,000 units by 2022.

DON’T MISS: 2019 Hyundai Nexo: first drive of 380-mile fuel-cell crossover utility

The plan, called FCEV Vision 2030, highlights the parent company’s “commitment to accelerate the development of a hydrogen society.”

By 2030, Hyundai Motor Group aims to make 700,000 fuel-cell systems annually, of which 500,000 would be units for personal-use and commercial fuel-cell electric vehicles. That leaves 200,000 units for drones, vessels, and forklifts and other uses outside transportation such as power generation and energy storage systems.

That’s still a very small portion of what the company currently produces; in 2018 it expected 7.7 million worldwide vehicle sales across Hyundai and Kia.

CHECK OUT: 2019 Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle pricing: Puzzling economics

To accomplish this plan, Hyundai established a dedicated division for fuel-cell business this month. Under the program, the Hyundai Motor Group and its suppliers plan to invest $6.8 billion to expand R&D operations and facilities, with an estimated 51,000 new jobs created.

Hyundai justifies the very steep growth curve by citing a McKinsey & Company study, pointing to an estimated global demand for up to 6.5 million fuel cell systems by 2030.

Hyundai Nexo

The 2019 Hyundai Nexo, which showcases the potential of a new generation of fuel-cell tech from the brand, with an estimated 380-mile range, will be available by sale or lease starting in January—albeit only in California, where a nascent commercial fueling infrastructure exists. That model is going to be the first test vehicle for a Level 4 automated-driving project with the autonomous-vehicle tech company Aurora.

READ MORE: Toyota enters $82 million partnership to roll out hydrogen trucks in Los Angeles port

Honda and GM continue to work on a next-generation fuel-cell system that will be produced in Michigan, and Toyota has confirmed that it’s looking to put the technology into more affordable, mass-market vehicles as well as commercial trucks and buses.

There’s another reason why Hyundai should be so bullish on fuel cells. The South Korean government is subsidizing a $2.3 billion plan to support various stages of the hydrogen fuel-cell development chain, including automakers, as well as 310 new hydrogen fueling stations.

Given the biggest limitation for fuel-cell technology in the U.S. today—a lack of hydrogen fueling infrastructure—aiming the growth of the technology toward commercial uses and very well-defined use cases could be a good plan to play on its strengths.

Electrify America makes second-cycle investment in BTC Power

Thanks to Volkswagen’s former bad habits, Electrify America has $2-billion to invest in EV infrastructure, $800 of that earmarked for California. In order to future-proof its network, EA has wisely divided its investment into four phases. The company is now beginning to announce plans for its second $200-million round of investment in the Golden State,… Continue reading Electrify America makes second-cycle investment in BTC Power

Germany’s Federal Railway Authority (EBA) officially approved the electric multiple unit (EMU) trains built by Siemens Mobility for the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX)

Die ersten Züge des Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX) nehmen pünktlich zum Fahrplanwechsel am 9. Dezember 2018 den Betrieb auf. Insgesamt liefert Siemens-Mobility 82 neuentwickelte Doppelstock-Züge aus der bewährten Desiro-Zugfamilie. Das neuste Familienmitglied Desiro HC ist auf hohe Kapazitäten ausgelegt. Jede Zugeinheit besteht aus vier Wagen. Auf 105 Metern Länge verteilen sich 400 Sitzplätze. Im Betrieb sollen jeweils zwei Einheiten verbunden werden, damit entsteht ein Acht-Wagen-Express mit rund 800 Sitzplätzen. Zusätzlich übernimmt Siemens Mobility die Wartung und Instandhaltung über 32 Jahre. Hierfür wurde eigens in Dortmund-Eving ein hochmodernes Instandhaltungswerk erreichtet: das modernste der Welt.
The Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) will begin operating punctually with the change of the rail system’s timetable on December 9, 2018. Siemens Mobility will be delivering a total of 82 specially developed double-decker trains from the proven Desiro train family. The newest family member, the Desiro HC, is designed for high passenger capacities. Each 105-meter train consists of four cars and has 400 seats. In operation, two train units will be coupled to create an eight-car express with around 800 seats. In addition, Siemens Mobility will be responsible for the service and maintenance of the trains over a period of 32 years. A state-of-the-art maintenance facility, the most modern in the world, was built specifically for this purpose in Dortmund-Eving.

Service to begin when timetable changes on December 9, 2018
Federal Railway Authority approves operation of trains
Approval granted punctually
Increased capacity and passenger comfort

MUNICH, 06-Dec-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — The electric multiple unit (EMU) trains built by Siemens Mobility for the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) will begin operating punctually with the change of the rail system’s timetable on December 9, 2018. Germany’s Federal Railway Authority (EBA) has officially approved the train. The planned deadline was met right on time and commercial operation will begin on Line RE 11 that connects Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Dortmund, Hamm, Paderborn and Kassel. Up to 43,000 passengers use this route daily. A total of 15 trains will now be entering service. The new Desiro HC trains provide 25 percent more capacity than the trains previously used on this line, and offer significantly enhanced passenger comfort and convenience. The digitalized service and maintenance provided by Siemens Mobility guarantees over 99 percent availability of the new EMUs.

“With the commissioning and series approval of our Desiro HC train for the Rhine-Ruhr Express, we’ve once again demonstrated that we can deliver mega rail projects right on time. This makes us a reliable partner for transport companies worldwide when it comes to handling complex projects throughout their entire lifecycle,” said Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility.

The Rhine-Ruhr Express is the world’s first series-produced train to feature a new high-frequency window treatment that vastly improves cellphone reception in trains. Researchers at Siemens Mobility developed this special window coating that allows radio signals to pass through the glass unhindered. The solution is a fine pattern that is lasered into the electrically conductive, transparent coating of the window panes. The installed windows allow radio waves to penetrate the glass up to 500 times better than with conventional thermal insulation glazing. With this special solution, passengers can surf in the Internet and phone for the first time without signal disruptions, and there is no need to install special in-train repeaters in the coaches.

Approval of the Federal Rail Authority was granted following the new procedure in Germany which gives train manufacturers and operators planning security. In this procedure, proof and test certificates can be issued by recognized testing centers beginning with the design phase of the train.

In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), around 2.4 million people use the regional rail system on a daily basis, and the numbers are growing. The RRX, which is acclaimed as a project of the century for the metropolitan region, will help meet the continually growing transport demands in the Rhine and Ruhr region. When completed, seven rail lines will connect major cities in NRW with important centers such as Kassel and Koblenz in the neighboring states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. On the core route between Cologne and Dortmund, passengers will be able to use rail services every quarter of an hour once the system’s infrastructure has been expanded and modernized. The system will benefit eight million people living in cities providing RRX service, or around 45 percent of the NRW population.

Siemens Mobility will be delivering a total of 82 specially developed double-decker trains from the proven Desiro train family. The newest family member, the Desiro HC, is designed for high passenger capacities. Each 105-meter train consists of four cars and has 400 seats. In operation, two train units will be coupled to create an eight-car express with around 800 seats. In addition, Siemens Mobility will be responsible for the service and maintenance of the trains over a period of 32 years. A state-of-the-art maintenance facility, the most modern in the world, was built specifically for this purpose in Dortmund-Eving. The RRX contract, with a volume of €1.7 billion, marks the biggest order Siemens Mobility has ever received for Germany’s regional rail transport sector.

This press release, press photos and additional material are available at: www.siemens.com/press/RRX

Siemens Mobility is a separately managed company of Siemens AG. As a leader in transport solutions for more than 160 years, Siemens Mobility is constantly innovating its portfolio in its core areas of rolling stock, rail automation and electrification, turnkey systems, intelligent traffic systems as well as related services. With digitalization, Siemens Mobility is enabling mobility operators worldwide to make infrastructure intelligent, increase value sustainably over the entire lifecycle, enhance passenger experience and guarantee availability. In fiscal year 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, the former Siemens Mobility Division posted revenue of €8.8 billion and had around 28,400 employees worldwide. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/mobility.

Contact
Ms. Ellen Schramke
Siemens Mobility GmbH
Nonnendammallee 101
13629 Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 (30) 386-22370
ellen.schramke@siemens.com

SOURCE: Siemens AG

Via Deploys BusGo Service in Singapore with Land Transit Authority

Published December 17, 2018 4:08 pm, Via NYC
Via Deploys BusGo Service in Singapore with Land Transit Authority
The on-demand public bus project is now live for riders through a mobile app

Via, the world’s leading developer of on-demand shared mobility solutions, has announced today the first public-sector deployment of its technology in Asia. Through a partnership with Singapore’s Land Transit Authority (LTA), a new on-demand public bus service, ‘BusGo’, will enable commuters in the Joo Koon area to hail a dynamically-routed LTA bus directly from their smartphone.

“Via’s powerful technology is seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure around the globe, from Berlin to New York, redefining the way people get around cities,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “We have increasingly seen cities and towns ask how they can provide their residents with public transportation that radically improves the customer experience, and yet still achieves the same environmental and congestion-reducing benefits of existing mass transit. Via’s sophisticated on-demand shared transit technology is that solution, and we’re delighted to join forces with the LTA to launch this bold new service in Singapore.”

Riders will select their origins and destinations directly through the BusGo mobile app. Via’s advanced technology will direct passengers to a convenient bus stop for pickup and dropoff, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours that take riders out of their way. Riders will simply show the mobile boarding passes displayed in the BusGo app to board the bus.

How to Ride in Joo Koon:

Download the BusGo app: Apple or Android
Select a pickup and dropoff location in BusGo’s Joo Koon service area
BusGo will process your booking request in real-time and match an available bus to pick you up or advise if a regular public bus services can serve you better
The BusGo app will provide an accurate estimate of your bus arrival time before booking
Once a ride is selected, BusGo will direct you to the nearest pickup point to meet your bus, and track your bus in real-time
Show the mobile boarding pass displayed in the BusGo app to board the bus

The BusGo service will operate from 11 am-3 pm and 8:30-11:30 pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. Fares will be equivalent to a fixed bus distance of 3.2 km, regardless of the distance travelled. Distance-fare transfers and concession fares will continue to apply.

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 currently 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 partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to provide the most cutting edge on-demand mobility innovation.

Toyota recalls 70K vehicles over air bag inflators

Toyota recalls 70K vehicles over air bag inflatorsDetroit – Toyota is recalling about 70,000 Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles in North America to replace air bag inflators that could explode and hurl shrapnel at drivers and passengers.
The recall covers the 2003 to 2005 Corolla, the 2002 to 2005 Sequoia, the 2003 to 2005 Tundra and the 2002 to 2005 Lexus SC.
Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion and inflate the bags. But it can deteriorate and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.
The Toyota and Lexus vehicles were recalled previously and the inflators replaced with new ones that still used ammonium nitrate. In the latest recall, Toyota will use inflators made by another company with a safer chemical.
Owners will be notified early next year. Toyota says it has replacement parts available.
About 65,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the U.S.
Toyota says it’s doing the recall a year ahead of a schedule set by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
At least 23 people have died worldwide due to the problem caused by inflators made by Takata Corp., resulting in the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history. They cover 37 million vehicles and about 50 million inflators in the U.S. About 100 million inflators are being recalled worldwide.
The recalls forced Takata of Japan to seek bankruptcy protection.
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2018/12/12/toyota-recall-replace-air-bag-inflators/38723663/