GM looks to cut costs by offering buyouts to 18,000 employees

General Motors has offered voluntary buyouts to 18,000 salaried employees in North America who have at least 12 years of experience, as the automaker looks to cut costs all while investing in its electric and autonomous future. The company has described this as a proactive measure aimed at preparing for coming headwinds such as  slow… Continue reading GM looks to cut costs by offering buyouts to 18,000 employees

Wed 31 Oct 2018

PRODUCTIONISATION OF ADVANCED MODULAR PASSENGER AUTONOMOUS SEATING (PAMPAS)
The Productionisation of Advanced Modular Passenger Autonomous Seating (PAMPAS) project is a feasibility study funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme to prove the economic potential for the mass production of Gordon Murray Design’s innovative light-weight automotive seats.

Gordon Murray Design recently revealed its new seat innovation – the iStream® lightweight seat, which incorporates glass or recycled carbon-fibre composite bonded to a tubular frame to achieve a dramatic 30% weight saving vs a conventional modern seat. The building of composite car seats has traditionally been expensive due to the unsuitability of the composite manufacturing process for mass production, but the revolutionary iStream manufacturing process overturns this convention, utilising a composite sandwich panel structure and metallic frame combination, which costs no more than a conventional car seat.

To ensure the already technically proven seating system can enter into series production as a commercially viable proposition, major deliverables from the PAMPAS project will be to undertake a study to establish market trends and growth expectations of seating systems within the automotive industry and to investigate and assess manufacturing business model options.

*** Key advantages of iStream lightweight seat:

30% weight saving vs conventional modern seat.

iStream lightweight composite structure (glass or carbon).

Full four-way adjustment and fold-flat mode.

ECE R17 Luggage retention.

Professor Gordon Murray, Chairman of Gordon Murray Design said: “Gordon Murray Design is pleased to announce the Productionisation of Advanced Modular Passenger Autonomous Seating (PAMPAS) project as an important further development of the revolutionary iStream® manufacturing technology and is another example of a new innovation that can be implemented in a cost-effective and robust manner, appropriate for mass production”.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 827005.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

Gordon Murray Design’s iStream lightweight seat is currently on display at the Advanced Engineering show at the NEC between 31st October to 1st November 2018 on Stand M80 in Hall 3/3A.

About Gordon Murray Design Limited

Gordon Murray Design is a visionary design and engineering company with its headquarters in Shalford in Surrey, plus R&D and manufacturing facilities in Dunsfold. It was established in 2007 with a focus on developing an innovative and disruptive manufacturing technology trademarked iStream®, and has since built a global reputation as one of the finest automotive design teams in the world.

The company’s unique approach and truly creative thinking enables Gordon Murray Design to deliver complete car programmes in a highly efficient and innovative way from concept and design, through to prototype and development for production.

About iStream

Rather than the traditional method of combining hundreds of panels of stamped metal, iStream uses tubular metal with 10 – 15 structural composite panels. iStream Superlight® is the ultimate automotive lightweighting technology as it maximises the iStream approach by using cored honeycomb carbon fibre composite and an aluminium frame to save almost 50% in weight against a standard stamped metal chassis.

iStream is an acronym for iS = Stabilised; T = Tube; R = Reinforced; E = Exo-frame; A = Advanced; M = Manufacturing.

www.istreamtechnology.co.uk

About iStream lightweight seat

***Advantages of the iStream lightweight seat:

iStream lightweight composite structure (glass or carbon)

Full four-way adjustment and fold-flat mode

30% weight saving vs conventional modern seat

Satisfies all applicable European automotive requirements (UN ECE), including luggage retention requirements

Ultra-low tooling and developments costs

Flexibility of design through low cost tooling

Low part count

Simple, high-speed assembly

Suitable for low and high-volume applications

Can achieve low seating position

Excellent package performance

Anti-submarining design

Competitive piece cost

Patent protected

Enquiries:

For further information please contact Sarah Smith, Communications Officer at Gordon Murray Design Limited sarah.smith@gordonmurraydesign.com +44 (0)1483 484700.

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UPDATE 3-VW and Ford in talks on self-driving and electric vehicles -source

FRANKFURT/DETROIT (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Ford Motor Co are in “exploratory talks” to jointly develop self-driving and electric vehicles in a far-reaching strategic alliance meant to save the companies billions of dollars, according to a person familiar with the matter. FILE PHOTO: A car with the Volkswagen VW logo badge is seen on… Continue reading UPDATE 3-VW and Ford in talks on self-driving and electric vehicles -source

Plant opens for electric air conditioning compressors: MAHLE strengthens its systems competence in electric vehicles

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Plant opens for electric air conditioning compressors: MAHLE strengthens its systems competence in electric vehiclesStuttgart, October 31, 2018 – MAHLE has opened its first production plant for electric compressors. MAHLE will manufacture e-compressors for international automobile manufacturers at the production location in Balassagyarmat/Hungary and has already obtained several customer projects. Series production will start in 2019.
Presse releaseDownload [PDF; 43 KB] First MAHLE production line for e-compressorsElectric compressors remove the link between air conditioning systems and combustion enginesSeveral customer projects have already been wonCompressors are the heart of air conditioning systems—and the e-compressor will remove the link between air conditioning systems and combustion engines. Its role in the air conditioning of electric vehicles is therefore critical. “Electric compressors are of major strategic importance to MAHLE, because they enable us to build on our position as a complete systems provider in the field of air conditioning for electric vehicles too,” explains Dr. Jörg Stratmann, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of the MAHLE Group. MAHLE also develops and produces the necessary electric drives as well as electronics and software.
The plant in Balassagyarmat will be particularly important when it comes to production rollout. “This location will help to further strengthen our existing market position,” adds Bernd Eckl, Member of the Management Board of the MAHLE Group and responsible for the Thermal Management business unit. At the same time, the opening of the production plant is a green light for the additional e-compressor production locations that will follow.
With the consistent implementation of its dual strategy—the further optimization of the internal combustion engine on the one hand and the simultaneous development of solutions for the widespread adoption of e-mobility on the other—MAHLE is instrumental in shaping the future of mobility as a key player in the automotive industry.
About MAHLEMAHLE is a leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry as well as a pioneer for the mobility of the future. The MAHLE Group is committed to making transportation more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more comfortable by continuously optimizing the combustion engine, driving forward the use of alternative fuels, and laying the foundation for the worldwide introduction of e-mobility. The group’s product portfolio addresses all the crucial issues relating to the powertrain and air conditioning technology—both for drives with combustion engines and for e-mobility. MAHLE products are fitted in at least every second vehicle worldwide. Components and systems from MAHLE are also used off the road—in stationary applications, for mobile machinery, rail transport, as well as marine applications.
In 2017, the group generated sales of approximately EUR 12.8 billion with about 78,000 employees and is represented in more than 30 countries with 170 production locations. At 16 major research and development centers in Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Spain, Slovenia, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China, and India, around 6,100 development engineers and technicians are working on innovative solutions for the mobility of the future.
For further information, contact:MAHLE GmbH
Margarete Dinger
Corporate Communications/Public Relations
Pragstraße 26–46
70376 Stuttgart/Germany
Phone: +49 711 501-12369
margarete.dinger@mahle.com

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Uber and Lyft unveiled new subscription plans. But are they really worth the money?

On Tuesday, Uber rolled out Ride Pass, a subscription plan in which customers pay $14.99 monthly (or $24.99 in Los Angeles) to avoid surge pricing. The plan, which Uber is marketing as “an affordable option people can use for their everyday transportation needs,” is only available in Los Angeles, Austin, Orlando, Denver, and Miami for… Continue reading Uber and Lyft unveiled new subscription plans. But are they really worth the money?

Solid-State Battery Breakthrough: Fisker Inc.’s Scientists File Patents on Superior Energy Density Tech, Shattering Conventional Thoughts on EV Range and Charge Times

Fisker’s scientists, including the co-founder of global battery tech pioneer Sakti3, filed patents this week on flexible, superior energy density solid-state batteries.
Breakthrough technology will enable dramatically longer ranges of more than 500 miles on a single charge and charging times as low as one minute – faster than filling up a gas tank.
Automotive applications anticipated to be production grade ready from 2023 onwards. • Fisker’s solid-state batteries will feature three-dimensional electrodes with 2.5 times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

LOS ANGELES (November 13, 2017) – Fisker Inc., designer and manufacturer of uniquely stunning electric vehicles complemented with some of the longest EV ranges on earth, has filed patents this week – under a non-publication request – on flexible solid-state battery technology to challenge conventional thought on vehicle battery energy density, range, charging times and manufacturing costs.

Fisker’s scientists have reached an early breakthrough in solid-state technology. The wider team includes the co-founder of solid-state battery technology pioneer, Sakti3 – a first inventor of the seminal patents. Implications for Fisker’s vehicles beyond 2023 – as well as the larger EV industry as a whole – are significant. The patent includes claims over novel materials and manufacturing processes that are critical in achieving the required energy density, power and cost targets that are paramount for the widespread use of electric vehicles.

REVOLUTIONARY SCIENCE. MULTIPLE INDUSTRY FIRSTS

Current limitations in solid-state technology include low electrode current density, limited temperature ranges, limited materials availability, high costs and non-scalable manufacturing processes. Early results show that Fisker’s solid-state technology enables the construction of bulk three-dimensional solid-state electrodes with 25 times more surface area than flat thin-film solid-state electrodes and extremely high electronic and ionic conductivities – enabling fast charging and cold temperature operation. As a result, Fisker’s battery delivers 2.5 times the energy density of typical lithium-ion batteries – with the potential of costing one third of the 2020 projected price of those batteries due to advances in materials and manufacturing.
Several failure modes affect solid-state batteries, including low power and low rate capability due to high contact resistance and low ionic mobility in the layered electrode structures. Delamination issues due to volume changes and residual stresses during charge/discharge processes; dendrite penetration and stability vs. metallic lithium electrodes; and low ionic diffusion, particularly in low temperature climate due to solid-state material limitations, are also roadblocks. With the newly announced technology, Fisker’s scientists are addressing these technical bottlenecks. Figure: Fisker solid-state technology is capable of constructing bulk three-dimensional solid-state electrodes with 25 times more surface area than flat thin-film solid state electrodes and extremely high electronic and ionic conductivities – enabling fast charging and cold temperature operation.
Fisker anticipates the technology may be ready for automotive applications post 2023. Such long lead times are due to the lack of supply chains with particular raw materials and appropriate manufacturing tools, as well as established quality procedures for materials repeatability. Once the technology is fully validated, the battery will deliver a vehicle range of more than 500 miles on a single charge, and charging times as low as one minute – allowing technology to bypass the internal combustion engine and push the automobile into mass electrification. Fisker is in active discussions with various industrial groups around potential non-automotive partnerships – with the possibility of battery applications that may be commercialized much earlier than 2023.
Fisker’s flexible solid-state electrode construction will enable batteries with versatile voltage and form factors. They may be wound in cylindrical cells with higher voltage output, allowing usage of current tooling and machinery for battery packs – in addition to lesser cell-to-cell connections, thermal management and safety requirements. This further reduces battery system costs.

THE FISKER EMOTION LUXURY ELECTRIC FOUR-DOOR SEDAN: CES 2018 LAUNCH

The much-anticipated 2018 launch of the Fisker EMotion luxury electric vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show will showcase a proprietary battery module with advanced thermal management using 21700 NCM cells from LG Chem. The company has been simultaneously working on proprietary technology that will enable charging for a 127-mile range in nine minutes. Fisker’s solid-state battery and extreme fast charging technologies will be on full display at the vehicle’s launch at CES.

“Our aggressive vision for the entire EV and automotive industry, not just for Fisker Inc., revolves around making the impossible, possible – and this global solid-state battery breakthrough is reflective of our utmost seriousness in making that vision a reality,” said Henrik Fisker, chairman and CEO of Fisker Inc. “It used to be about the efficiency of the gasoline engine. Now, it’s all about who breaks the code and smashes the barriers to future battery technologies that will enable mass market electrification. Our scientists have been working tirelessly to deliver. We’ve done it, and this is just the beginning.”

“This breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era in solid-state materials and manufacturing technologies,” said Dr. Fabio Albano, VP of battery systems at Fisker Inc. “We are addressing all of the hurdles that solid-state batteries have encountered on the path to commercialization, such as performance in cold temperatures; the use of low cost and scalable manufacturing methods; and the ability to form bulk solid-state electrodes with significant thickness and high active material loadings. We are excited to build on this foundation and move the needle in energy storage.”

About Fisker Inc.

California-based Fisker Inc. is revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing the most emotionally stunning luxury electric vehicles complemented with the longest EV range on earth. The brainchild of EV pioneer and world-leading automotive designer, Henrik Fisker, Fisker Inc.’s mission is to set a new standard of excellence and performance in the electric vehicle industry – developing unique, high-performance electric vehicles with truly disruptive design and groundbreaking battery technology.

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Ford and Baidu team up to test self-driving vehicles in China

Nelson Ching | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Robin Li, chief executive officer of Baidu Inc.

Ford and Chinese internet giant Baidu announced a tie-up Wednesday that will see the two firms jointly test self-driving vehicles in China for two years.

The initiative will see the two companies collaborate on the development and testing of driverless vehicles that meet the Level 4 standard set by U.S. industry organization SAE International. This means that autonomous vehicles developed by the two will not require intervention from a human driver.

Ford and Baidu did not disclose any financial terms or ownership structure details of the venture.

“Working with a leading tech partner like Baidu allows us to leverage new opportunities in China to offer innovative solutions that improve safety, convenience and the overall mobility experience,” Sherif Marakby, president and CEO of Ford's autonomous vehicles unit, said in a statement Wednesday.

“This project marks a new milestone in the partnership between Ford and Baidu, and supports Ford's vision to design smart vehicles that transform how we get around.”

Ford's autonomous vehicles have already been fitted with Baidu's autonomous driving system Apollo, the two companies said in a joint statement. On-road testing of the driverless vehicles developed by Ford and Baidu is slated to start by the end of this year.

“Baidu and Ford both believe in using technology to redefine the future of mobility,” Zhenyu Li, vice president and general manager of Baidu's intelligent driving group, said in a statement.

“This project will combine our leading-edge technological know-how and understanding of China together with Ford's vehicle expertise, marking a significant step forward towards Baidu's goal of developing autonomous driving vehicles that will greatly benefit future consumers.”

The news follows an initial announcement made in June that the two companies would explore areas of cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence and connectivity.

Baidu was recently added to the Partnership on AI (PAI), a U.S. ethics body devoted to establishing best practices for AI and educating society about the technology. It was the first Chinese firm to join the organization.

It has upped the competitive pressure on U.S. rivals that are ploughing significant money and resources into AI — including Google and Microsoft — and recently developed a tool which it says can translate different languages in real time.

VW’s Electrify America Unveils EV Sharing in Sacramento

Electrify America will unveil its electric car-sharing service for an apartment complex in Sacramento, California, as part of the company’s $44 million investment in the city. The Whispering Pines Apartments in Meadowview will feature hundreds of electric vehicles from Envoy, an electric car-sharing company awarded funds by Electrify America, according to a release from the… Continue reading VW’s Electrify America Unveils EV Sharing in Sacramento

Enterprise Leads $40M Investment in Delivery Service

Same day delivery is expected to explode to $55 billion in the U.S. within the next five years, according to Business Insider Intelligence. Photo via U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr.  Deliv, a same day delivery service that works with many of the nation’s retailers, announced that industry leading companies across multiple segments, including Clayton Venture Partners,… Continue reading Enterprise Leads $40M Investment in Delivery Service