MAHLE acquires transmission specialist – evertiq.com

MAHLE is taking over the transmission specialist ZG-Zahnräder und Getriebe GmbH, based in Eching, near Munich in Germany. With this step, the technology group is further developing its competence in the entire powertrain. Through the acquisition of ZG-Zahnräder und Getriebe GmbH, MAHLE is expanding its expertise in the powertrain as a whole to include the… Continue reading MAHLE acquires transmission specialist – evertiq.com

Waymo plans to open a self-driving car factory in Michigan

Waymo and Magna plan to build thousands of self-driving cars at a factory in southeast Michigan, including autonomous versions of the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. Waymo, the former Google self-driving project that spun out to become a business under Alphabet, announced Tuesday that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation voted to approve… Continue reading Waymo plans to open a self-driving car factory in Michigan

Automotive: Continental wanted to take over hundreds of Opel engineers

Vehicle test at Opel The car maker is struggling with considerable overcapacity in its development center in Rüsselsheim. (Photo: Opel) Munich, Dusseldorf Germany is Segula a nearly unknown dwarf, To change that, the French development service provider plans a coup. The family business from Nanterre near Paris wants 2000 of the 7000 engineers of the… Continue reading Automotive: Continental wanted to take over hundreds of Opel engineers

Schwäbisch-Bavarian development aid

They are bitter rivals in the luxury segment – nevertheless, Daimler and BMW want to make robotic cars together according to a report. What is behind the planned cooperation? Electric cars from Mercedes and BMW Monday, 21.01.2019 17:27 clock Until recently, such partnerships were almost unimaginable: a BMW engineer needed no help, least of all… Continue reading Schwäbisch-Bavarian development aid

Johnson Controls CEO sees slowdown in China hurting its auto business

The logo and trading symbol for Johnson Controls International is displayed on a board on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Reuters) – The chief executive officer of Johnson Controls International Plc (JCI.N) said on Tuesday that he was seeing a slowdown in… Continue reading Johnson Controls CEO sees slowdown in China hurting its auto business

Growing our team and business in Michigan

Growing our team and business in Michigan Waymo TeamBlockedUnblockFollowFollowingJan 22 In the US, the auto industry is synonymous with Michigan. Auto manufacturing has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state and built an economic engine that helps fuel the entire country. Today, Waymo is excited to announce that we’ll grow our business in Michigan,… Continue reading Growing our team and business in Michigan

Bridgestone to Acquire TomTom´s Digital Fleet Solutions Business

News – 2019

Bridgestone to Acquire TomTom´s Digital Fleet Solutions Business

2019/01/22

Tokyo, January 22, 2019 – Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced that its subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, has entered into an agreement with TomTom to acquire TomTom Telematics, its digital fleet solutions business, for a cash consideration of €910 million (JP¥114 billion). The transaction is anticipated to be completed latest in the 2nd quarter of 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions such as regulatory approvals.

TomTom is the number one provider of digital fleet solutions in Europe, a marketplace with very diverse in legal, commercial and cultural requirements. Its digital fleet solutions business has successfully demonstrated its ability to operate in complex and demanding market environments and has continued to strengthen its potential to expand globally.

TomTom's digital fleet solution offers an industry leading data platform for connected vehicles enabling safer driving, improving productivity and optimizing uptime for personal and commercial mobility. Combining this digital fleet solution with Bridgestone's tire expertise and global service network creates an opportunity that accelerates the company's effort to become a key partner in the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) landscape with leading tire products, services and solutions offerings.

In addition to reinforcing Bridgestone's broad and leading portfolio, this strategic investment will also strengthen its position as an innovative leader in the field of tire design, and tire predictive maintenance service. Bridgestone will gain unprecedented insights into vehicle and tire operating conditions and be able to leverage a growing installed user base of 860,000 vehicles communicating 200 million data points per day.

With this acquisition, Bridgestone adds core components to its Tire and Diversified Products as a Solution (Bridgestone T&DPaaS) strategy defining the company's evolving business domain and continuous commitment towards value creation for its customers and the society.

About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

About TomTom:
TomTom is the leading independent location technology specialist, shaping mobility with highly accurate maps, navigation software, real-time traffic information and services. To achieve its vision of a safer world, free of congestion and emissions, it creates innovative technologies that keep the world moving. By combining its extensive experience with leading business and technology partners, it powers connected vehicles, smart mobility and, ultimately, autonomous driving. Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 37 countries, TomTom’s technologies are trusted by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

TomTom to sell Telematics unit to Japan’s Bridgestone for $1.03b

January 22, 2019 TomTom, the Dutch navigation and digital maps company, said on Tuesday it has agreed to sell its Telematics, or the fleet management business, to Japan’s Bridgestone for 910 million euros (£802.5 million or $1.03 billion). The company will return 750 million euros of that to shareholders via a capital repayment and share… Continue reading TomTom to sell Telematics unit to Japan’s Bridgestone for $1.03b

Press release / January 7, 2019 LeddarTech Signs Nagase & Co. Ltd as Its Exclusive Distributor for Japan   LeddarTech selects Nagase as distributor of its mobility LiDAR products in Japan. A first collaborative event will take place at CAR-ELE-JAPAN in Tokyo on January 16-18, 2019, where they will showcase LeddarTech’s technology to the automotive industry. 

Leddartech/Press release/LeddarTech Signs Nagase & Co. Ltd as Its Exclusive Distributor for Japan

LeddarTech Signs Nagase & Co. Ltd as Its Exclusive Distributor for Japan
LeddarTech selects Nagase & Co. Ltd. as distributor of its mobility LiDAR products in Japan, effective now. A first collaborative event will take place at CAR-ELE-JAPAN in Tokyo on January 16-18, 2019, where they will showcase LeddarTech’s solid-state LiDAR technology to the automotive industry.

QUEBEC CITY, January 7, 2019 — LeddarTech, an industry leader providing the most versatile and scalable auto and mobility LiDAR platform, today announced that it has selected Nagase & Co. Ltd. as the distributor of its solid-state LiDAR solutions for ADAS and autonomous vehicles in Japan.

“We are honored to represent LeddarTech’s visionary LiDAR technology in Japan,” stated Koichi Kawahito, Division Manager of the Automotive Electronics division at Nagase. He added: “LeddarTech’s LiDAR mobility platform brings to Tier-1 suppliers a differentiated, compelling automotive LiDAR offering that is in line with Nagase’s mission to expand its automotive business to distributing components and systems as well as offering software and design services for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), electrical vehicle and human-machine interfaces.”

A memorandum of understanding between the two parties was signed at the beginning of December. Nagase will be responsible for the promotion and sales in Japan of LeddarTech’s LCA2 LeddarEngine and LCA3 LeddarEngine, which are highly integrated solid-state LiDAR cores that are comprised of a LeddarCore system on chip (SoCs) and coupled with the LeddarSP signal processing software. In addition, Nagase will provide high-quality, first-line product support to local customers.

“LeddarTech is truly committed to providing the best technology and support to our worldwide customers. We are proud to be associated with such a reputable distributor as Nagase & Co., Ltd.,” stated Adrian Pierce, Vice-President of Global Sales and Business Development at LeddarTech.

Charles Boulanger, LeddarTech’s CEO, added: “We intend to bring great value to our mobility customers in Japan with our distinctive business model that is based on a comprehensive LiDAR development platform. This platform provides Tier-1 suppliers with the ability to design and mass produce customized automotive-grade, high-performance, and cost-efficient LiDAR solutions for the most demanding automotive use cases.”

Presence at CAR-ELE-JAPAN – January 2019

LeddarTech’s and Nagase’s close collaboration will be showcased at CAR-ELE-JAPAN, from January 16 to 18, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Together, at booth number E47-002, they will present and demonstrate 3D Flash solid-state LiDAR solutions based on the LCA2 LeddarEngine.

The CAR-ELE JAPAN show brings together automotive electronics technologies, such as components, materials, software, manufacturing equipment and testing technologies, etc. It attracts automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and has become a must-attend event for automotive industry professionals.

About Nagase

Nagase & Co., Ltd. is a chemical trading firm, founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1832. The Nagase Group began as a specialized sales agent securing exclusive contracts to sell industry-leading products from around the world in Japan. Over the years, the company has leveraged its technology and information gathering expertise—as well as its global network—to transform its business into a hybrid model offering superior manufacturing, processing and R&D functions as well as trading company services. The Automotive Solutions department has been providing high functional material and parts into the automotive industry for a long time and is now focusing on delivering state-of-the-art technologies into the market to realize a safer and more comfortable mobility society.

More information is accessible at www.nagase.co.jp/english

About LeddarTech

LeddarTech is an industry leader providing the most versatile, scalable auto and mobility LiDAR platform based on the unique LeddarEngine, which consists of a suite of automotive-grade, functional safety certified SoCs working in tandem with LeddarSP signal processing software. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge mobility remote-sensing applications, its patented technologies enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities for automobiles, trucks, buses, delivery vehicles, robotaxis, shuttles, and more. Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com, and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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All the $100,000 Lincoln Continental sedans with ‘suicide doors’ sold out in two days

Source: Lincoln
The 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Limited Edition with coach doors

Every one of the 80 special edition Lincoln Continentals with “suicide doors” have already sold out, the company said Monday.

Ford's premium brand debuted the formally named 80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition in mid-December. Within 48 hours of the car's debut, they were all gone.

The car was sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, in contrast with the more involved buying process for the Ford GT supercar, which required prospective buyers to fill out an application. But the prices were still high — north of $110,000 for each.

Lincoln said it will do another limited run next year, but the vehicles will be slightly different.

The coach doors, also known as “suicide doors,” are a highlight of the car. The design, where the rear doors open toward the rear of the car, was once a common feature on Lincoln Continentals primarily in the 1960s.

The limited edition's wheelbase is longer than on the standard model by about 6 inches. Every car comes with Lincoln's Black Label trim, the highest trim level available across Lincoln's lineup.

Selling sedans is tough these days, to be sure. Customers tend to prefer SUVs, crossovers, and pickups. The Continental is one of only two sedans Lincoln still sells. The other is the mid-size MKZ, which comes in both standard internal combustion and hybrid versions. Lincoln sells four crossover and SUV models now, and will begin rolling out a fifth, the resurrected Aviator, later this year.

But you can sell a car to send a message. “Cars can still be effective to help represent where a brand is and where it is going. It be a kind of spiritual guide for the brand, even if it is not a sales leader,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Cox Automotive.

The Continental has been a powerful symbol of Lincoln's resurgence since the latest generation of the long-running nameplate debuted for the 2017 model year. The vehicle garnered many popular reviews when it first debuted and was widely considered as a sign the brand was returning to its roots in large, plush, American luxury vehicles.

“The Continental signaled that Lincoln was going back to its roots, both in terms of naming and in terms of the expressive styling it had been known for, for so many decades,” Brauer said.