Autonomous – Page 2577 – I wish I had more to offer

Award-winning and Tailor-made: Smart Solution from Continental Pleases Car Drivers Sense of Smell

Continental develops clever solution to eliminate unpleasant new-car smell Perfumed Acella interior material improves the odor of vehicles diffusing the pleasant fragrance of orange, green tea or perfume Zhangjiagang/Hannover, April 2019. With the advancement of the well-established interior material Acella, technology company Continental has developed a pioneering solution for eliminating the new car smell, which… Continue reading Award-winning and Tailor-made: Smart Solution from Continental Pleases Car Drivers Sense of Smell

Press Releases – Auto industry to raise awareness of safety technology, as new EU data on road fatalities is released

Brussels, 16 April 2019 – As the decline in road deaths tapered off last year, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is making a push to raise drivers’ awareness of existing and future vehicle safety technologies. Data issued by the European Commission earlier this month shows that there were 25,100 fatalities on European roads in… Continue reading Press Releases – Auto industry to raise awareness of safety technology, as new EU data on road fatalities is released

Statements BMW Group Press Conference Shanghai Auto Show 2019

Jochen Goller President and CEO of BMW Group Region China Good morning and welcome! As you would expect from the BMW Group, you are going to see a real firework of new products. To start with, we have the all-new BMW 3 Series standard wheel-base, celebrating its China premiere today. The 3 Series has… Continue reading Statements BMW Group Press Conference Shanghai Auto Show 2019

Here’s what keeps Ford’s new No. 2 executive, Joe Hinrichs, up at night

David Orrell | CNBC
Joe Hinrichs

Ford Motor is investing $900 million to set up both a battery-car plant — its second — and an autonomous vehicle center in southeast Michigan, not far from its headquarters in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn.

It's part of the automaker's push to lead in autonomous vehicles while also trying to catch up to rival Tesla in the emerging electric vehicle market.

CNBC sat down with Ford's newly appointed president of its global automotive division, Joe Hinrichs, in recent weeks. The company just announced his promotion in a management shake-up Wednesday along with Jim Farley, who will run the company's autonomous vehicle and “smart mobility” efforts, among other things. Although both men will have the title of president starting May 1, Hinrichs' job is bigger and makes him the heir apparent to CEO Jim Hackett.

“Uncertainty” is one of the things that keeps Hinrichs up at night. And he's facing a lot of it these days. In his newly expanded role, Hinrichs will oversee product development, as well as global automotive operations — core units in the midst of radical change. Ford is pulling out of the sedan and coupe market, even as it invests billions to develop battery cars that have yet to catch on with consumers.

Like its rivals, the second-largest Motor City automaker is facing a variety of challenges. Sales have been sliding in the U.S., European operations are losing money and Ford is reportedly considering a major shake-up of its Indian operations, to name just a few challenges Hinrichs has to handle. Now, add the threats posed by the Trump administration's trade wars — tariffs on aluminum and steel last year alone adding $1 billion in costs.

Here are some excerpts from CNBC's interviews with Hinrichs:

CNBC: A year ago, Ford announced plans to increase its investment in electric and hybrid vehicles to $11.1 billion and a company statement says a “fresh look” at the potential market says it's likely to be bigger than initially expected.

Hinrichs: We were always confident there would be growth in demand for electric vehicles. As we take a closer look, we're seeing more acceptance. That's especially true among millennials [who], over the next five to 10 years, will be the biggest buying group in the market. The multibillion-dollar question is getting your timing right. We're still trying to find that. We believe electrification is a really important part of our future.

CNBC: On the same day Tesla revealed its Model Y electric SUV, Ford teased its own “Mustang-inspired” battery-electric crossover on Twitter. It's supposed to be your first long-range model, but when is it coming to market?

Hinrichs: We haven't given a timeline, but it's next year, 2020, and we're very excited about it. One of the things that often gets lost in the conversation about electric vehicles, because of the cost, is that there are attributes of a vehicle you can make better with electrification.

Along with instant torque, there's the smoothness and quietness of the ride, the low center of gravity. There are fewer moving parts, so reliability [should be better]. And the way you can use the package gets more efficient because you don't have all that stuff in the engine compartment up front.

CNBC: The $900 milliion investment also includes money for autonomous vehicles. What are you planning?

Hinrichs: We found a more capital-intensive way of building [autonomous vehicles]. So, we're going to build them in a special manufacturing center the same way we produce our police interceptor in Chicago. [Ford takes a regular vehicle off the line and sends it to a special conversion center.] That allows us to produce the same number of vehicles but frees up capital for the second battery plant.

CNBC: In January, you announced what was said to be the first of several possible deals with Volkswagen, including one that could pair up your EV programs. Where do things stand now?

Hinrichs: We made the announcement on partnering on vans and trucks outside North America. Those conversations, I would say, went very well. There's a good matching up of needs and strengths. We're very excited about that alliance. We signed an MoU about continuing to have discussions on other topics, and those conversations are going well. There's a good alignment and the talks are going well, which is as far as I can go.

CNBC: But Farley, who is currently president of the Americas, seemed to recently dash expectations, saying it will be hard to come together on electric vehicles because the timing of your programs is different.

Hinrichs: Timing is always a challenge when you're talking to a partner about how your needs and programs line up. But those conversations continue to go well.

CNBC: Speaking of a changing market, the industry is in the midst of a dramatic shift from cars to trucks which now account for 70% of the U.S. market. Is there much room for more growth?

Hinrichs: I would say that it's gone further than I estimated it would and it is still going. There are a few key contributors. The [light trucks] we offer today don't have the compromises they did in the 1990s. Now, you don't have to give up the ride comfort and the relative difference in fuel economy has diminished significantly.

The cost of gas has certainly had an influence. I also think our society has gotten used to the idea that devices can do all sorts of things. Your smartphone is your rolodex, your phone, your camera. Society now expects vehicles to be multi-functional, too. So, I don't think it will stop.

CNBC: Since a management shake-up nearly two years ago, Ford has been going through a lot of changes. What can you tell us about the planned Ford reorganization?

Hinrichs: You mean the “smart redesign” we started last fall which is really about flattening the organization and removing some of the bureaucracy. We want to let the people running each layer of the organization handle that redesign, rather than from the top down. We think we'll get bigger insight and a bigger buy-in.

CNBC: How is that different from your broader global restructuring?

Hinrichs: We've already announced plans for our Brazilian [truck plant] in Sao Bernardo to close, and that's our first big step there. In Europe, we don't have a lot to announce because we're in discussions with our partners, but we're having very constructive and engaging discussions. We've set up our China operations as a standalone business under Jim Farley and we're looking at everything in our China business.

CNBC: What about North America?

Hinrichs: We don't have as deep a restructuring as in those other markets, but we're looking at the cost structure and execution of the launch of some very important products over the next few years that will have a big impact on our business — the new Ranger [pickup], the Explorer and Aviator and Escape [SUVs] this year and then a number of incremental nameplates the next year, including the Bronco and the 300-mile all-electric SUV. And we're keeping our trucks super fresh. In North America, we think we're going into a really sweet spot over the next 18 months.

CNBC: We've heard about job cuts in Latin America and Europe, as well as white-collar cuts in North America. What about blue-collar cuts in the home market where General Motors has eliminated five plants and thousands of hourly jobs?

Hinrichs: In December we announced that both Louisville and Flat Rock will remove a shift but we plan to move those people to where we need more capacity like the Livonia transmission and Kentucky Truck Plant. So, in North America, with all the product launches coming, we don't see substantial assembly plant changes coming in the near future.

CNBC: So, hourly workers don't need to worry?

Hinrichs: If the U.S. economy stays strong and the industry stays where it is, I don't see dramatic changes to our manufacturing plans for this year in North America.

CNBC: But how concerned are you about the U.S. economy?

Hinrichs: This “peak auto” story has been around for several years. It wouldn't surprise me, given where we are in the U.S. economic and automotive cycle that people are being cautious about hiring. January and February sales were down but they were impacted by severe weather. We'll see what the spring selling season brings. It usually tells a better tale of what the year will hold. But there's clearly a lot of uncertainty out there.

CNBC: “Uncertainty” i..

Audi unveils AI:ME electric mobility concept vehicle

Audi has unveiled AI:ME, a new electric mobility concept vehicle with level 4 autonomous driving abilities and retractable controls. Audi announced the concept at the Shanghai Auto Show as “a visionary mobility concept for the megacities of the future.” The company’s vision includes a steering wheel, instruments, and pedals that retract during autonomous driving, to… Continue reading Audi unveils AI:ME electric mobility concept vehicle

Lidar Enables Safe and Precise Mapping in Hazardous Environments

April 15, 2019 Mapping in environments, such as mines and densely-vegetated, remote outdoor locations, can be hazardous to workers and equipment. Lidar is proving to be a valuable addition to unmanned aerial and road-based autonomous vehicles for collecting geospatial data in these environments. That was the focus of a story by Andy Extance in Electro… Continue reading Lidar Enables Safe and Precise Mapping in Hazardous Environments

Kia Motors posts global sales of 197,647 vehicles in February

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Kia Motors Corporation announced February 2019 global sales figures for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles, recording a total of 197,647 units sold, which represents a 0.1 percent year-on-year increase. Kia’s best-selling model in global markets in February was Sportage SUV with 39,844 units sold. Overseas sales increased 2.5 percent compared to the previous year, posting 164,425 units. Sportage sales rose by 25.1 percent from the same month last year with 37,630 units sold. Rio subcompact sedan was the second-best seller with 22,273 units sold, followed by Picanto (Morning) mini car with 15,089 units sold. Sales in Korea totaled 33,222 units, representing a decrease of 10.2 percent from the same month of 2018. Kia’s best-selling vehicle in February was Sedona (Carnival) minivan for the 11th consecutive month with 4,312 units. K Series models (K3, K5, K7, K9) continued to generate solid sales with 9,311 units, ..

Ford Strengthens Commercial Vehicle Leadership in First Quarter; High-Series and Retail Sales Grow

About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility… Continue reading Ford Strengthens Commercial Vehicle Leadership in First Quarter; High-Series and Retail Sales Grow

T-Systems announces partnership with Israeli automotive cyber security specialist

BONN, 4-Apr-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — T-Systems teams up with Argus Cyber Security, an independent subsidiary of Continental, for car cyber defense. The partnership was announced at the Hanover Industrial Trade Fair. T-Systems announced in mid-March about its plans for a Security Operations Center specializing in vehicles (Automotive SOC). T-Systems brings Argus as an important partner on board.

Argus Cyber Security is an Israeli automotive cyber security specialist. Argus has a highly developed Information and Event Management System (SIEM) for cars as well as in-vehicle solutions which car manufacturers (OEMs) and fleet operators use to identify connected vehicles anomalies.

“We are currently seeing a new peak of 32 million daily attacks on our systems. Attackers don’t stop in front of our cars either. The connected vehicle needs a digital bodyguard and real-time cyber defense” comments T-Systems CEO Adel Al-Saleh.

Robust solution for protecting vehicles

Werner Koestler, Head of Strategy, Interior Division, Continental comments: “We are delighted that Argus and T-Systems are working together to develop a comprehensive and robust solution for cyber security in the automotive sector – from the vehicle to the cloud and beyond. We are bringing together the largest IT service provider in the automotive industry in Germany with Argus. The joint solution will strengthen cyber security in cars. This will enable OEMs and fleet operators to realize their vision of safe and secure mobility.”

Yoni Heilbronn, Chief Marketing Officer of Argus Cyber Security comments: “Argus’ focus has always been on averting attacks on the automotive industry and anticipating future threats. Together with T-Systems, we will offer customers an advanced and robust Automotive Security Operation Center. To do this we link, fuse and analyze multiple data sources. This enables automakers to respond immediately to threats. In addition, the Automotive SOC helps the industry to act with foresight – even in ever-changing threat situations which are inherent to cyber security.”

About Argus:

Argus was founded in 2013, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with offices in Michigan, Silicon Valley, Stuttgart and Tokyo. A global leader in automotive cyber security, Argus provides comprehensive and proven solution suites to protect connected cars and commercial vehicles against cyber-attacks. The company has decades of experience in both cyber security and the automotive industry. Argus offers innovative security methods and proven computer networking know-how with a deep understanding of automotive best practices. Argus is an independent company of Elektrobit, a leading provider of automotive software products and services.

About Continental:

Continental was founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. The company develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. In 2018, Continental generated preliminary sales of € 44.4 billion and currently employs around 244,000 people in 60 countries and markets.

Information management in and beyond the vehicle is at the very heart of the Interior division. The product portfolio for different types of vehicles includes: instrument clusters, multifunctional and head-up displays, control units, access control and tire-information systems, radios, infotainment systems, input devices, control panels, climate control units, software, cockpits as well as services and solutions for telematics and Intelligent Transportation Systems. The Interior division employs around 48,000 people worldwide and generated sales of €9.7 billion in 2018.

SOURCE: Deutsche Telekom AG

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Exclusive: Toyota sells electric vehicle technology to Chinese startup Singulato

BEIJING (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to sell electric car technology to Singulato, its first deal with a Chinese electric vehicle startup, allowing the fledgling firm to speed up development of a planned mini EV. Singulato workers unwrap a concept car, dubbed the iC3, which is based on a discontinued EV of Toyota,… Continue reading Exclusive: Toyota sells electric vehicle technology to Chinese startup Singulato