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Continental and EasyMile inaugurate new autonomous driving R&D team in Singapore

A signed Memorandum of Understanding enables intense collaboration by experts from both companies to prepare the test of self-driving vehicles on public roads of the city-state Strongly interconnected with Continental’s and EasyMile’s global Autonomous Driving teams, the Singapore R&D focus will be pointing towards environmental perception, driving decision strategies, artificial intelligence, vehicle safety as well… Continue reading Continental and EasyMile inaugurate new autonomous driving R&D team in Singapore

Enterprise Brings CarShare to Mississippi State University

To enroll, applicants must register online and provide a valid MSU email address. Photo via Traicovn/Wikimedia. Enterprise CarShare is partnering with Mississippi State University (MSU) to provide students, faculty, and staff with an on-campus, on-demand transportation solution. A service of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Enterprise CarShare offers an affordable and convenient way to rent a vehicle by the hour, the day, or overnight. MSU… Continue reading Enterprise Brings CarShare to Mississippi State University

UPDATE 1-Uber posts $1 bln loss in quarter as growth in bookings slows

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc said on Wednesday that growth in bookings for its ride-hailing and delivery services rose 6 percent in the latest quarter, the third quarter in a row that growth has remained in the single digits after double-digit growth for all of last year. FILE PHOTO: The Uber application is… Continue reading UPDATE 1-Uber posts $1 bln loss in quarter as growth in bookings slows

Bamboo Apps Partners with Rinspeed to Deliver a New Concept Vehicle at…

Bamboo Apps Partners with Rinspeed to Deliver a New Concept Vehicle at CES 2019 Bamboo Apps, a trusted software supplier and an inspiration partner for the world-leading automotive and mobility companies, today announced the partnership with Rinspeed, a Swiss car design powerhouse, for the realization of the microSNAP project. As a trusted software supplier and… Continue reading Bamboo Apps Partners with Rinspeed to Deliver a New Concept Vehicle at…

Hyundai and Kia partner with Vodafone for connected services

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have entered a new pan-European strategic partnership with Vodafone to provide customers with fully connected in-car infotainment and connected car service. The partnership will enable both car manufacturers to tap into Vodafone’s technical expertise, and offer connected in-car infotainment services to their European drivers. Hyundai and Kia will use Vodafone’s… Continue reading Hyundai and Kia partner with Vodafone for connected services

Faraday Future loses final founding executive (Updated)

Artist’s impression of Faraday Future’s proposed plant in Hanford, California
Faraday Future is a startup electric carmaker founded by a Chinese investor and five executives with experience in building cars and electric cars.

Now that the company seems to be in its final throes of its latest financial crisis, the last of those executives has reportedly left the company.

READ THIS: Does Faraday have a Future? Latest financing disrupted—again

Dag Reckhorn, the company's senior vice president of global manufacturing resigned last week, according to a report in the Verge, which has been tracking the company closely.

In his resignation letter, Reckhorn cited legal concerns, reportedly related to directors' and officers' insurance, which recently lapsed, two anonymous former employees told the Verge. Directors' and officers' insurance would cover company officers such as Reckhorn from lawsuits such as those that might result from the recent layoffs at the company.

Faraday Future FF91 prototype

In October, Faraday Future furloughed all manufacturing employees that started after May 1, which was before the company received its latest round of funding to start manufacturing its $300,000 luxury electric car.

DON'T MISS GM EV1 exec leaves Faraday Future (Updated)

Other employees have been reduced to half salaries or laid off. The Verge has reported that there are now as few as 10 employees working at the Hanford, California factory that it bought last year.

Now none of those are among the executives with both manufacturing experience and the original vision for the company. Former senior vice president Peter Savagian was descried as the backbone of the company and former chief engineer for the GM EV1 left in early November. He was followed last week by co-founder Nick Sampson, who said in his resignation letter that the company is “effectively insolvent.”

CHECK OUT: Faraday Future gets a $2 billion lifeline to build expensive crossover

After receiving a new round of investment from a Chinese investment company in June, intended to help the company start production, Faraday began producing prototypes, but did not make it to full production. The Chinese investors withheld a second round of funding, leading to the company's current financial crisis.

The company has accused investor Evergrande Health of starving Faraday Future for funding in a takeover bid, which Evergrande denies.

Update: Patrick De Potter, CEO of Dutch blockchain company EVAIO Blockchain announced on Tuesday that the company was in talks with Faraday Future to launch a cryptocurrency to fund the ailing electric automaker. According to a report on Technode, De Potter said on LinkedIn that the fundraising efforts could be worth $900 million. A Hong Kong arbitrator, however, ruled last month that Faraday Future may seek outside funding of only up to $500 million, which the company says the final few executives at the company are pursuing.

Faraday Future responded that they were not in discussions with EVIAO Blockchain.

UPDATE 2-Zotye, Ford’s China partner, set to sell SUVs in U.S. in 2020

FILE PHOTO – An employee pushes a car along a Zotye Automobile Co., Ltd assembly line in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, April 3, 2013. REUTERS/Lang Lang (Reuters) – Zotye Automobile (000980.SZ), a Ford Motor Co (F.N) partner in China, said on Tuesday it planned to begin selling SUVs in the United States in 2020. Ford is… Continue reading UPDATE 2-Zotye, Ford’s China partner, set to sell SUVs in U.S. in 2020

Layoffs, furloughs, auctions and shutdown at Faraday Future’s EV factory

Things are growing grimmer for Faraday Future as the company has had to shut down its electric vehicle factory in California. Some employees have been laid off, others placed on furlough while the startup is trying to secure funding to save the company. As we reported last month, it seemed like the startup was finally out of… Continue reading Layoffs, furloughs, auctions and shutdown at Faraday Future’s EV factory

Via Rides into Virginia with New Arlington County Service

Published October 29, 2018 9:00 am, Via NYC
Via Rides into Virginia with New Arlington County Service

Via, the world’s leading expert in on-demand shared transit, is excited to announce the extension of its DC service to Arlington County, Virginia.

Via first launched in Washington DC in August 2016 to support residents during SafeTrak repair work to the red line. The service has since grown to cover the entire District and has provided more than 1.5 million shared rides to date. The expansion into Arlington will extend Via’s affordable and convenient rides to this vibrant commercial, residential, and historical hub. Via plans to further extend operations to Reagan National Airport in the coming months.

Via’s world-renowned dynamic ride-pooling technology, developed initially for New York City, has powered more than 35 million shared rides globally throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

How it works:

Using the Via app, passengers select their pick up and drop off location and confirm their ride. Via’s smart algorithm enables multiple riders to seamlessly share a single vehicle. The powerful technology directs passengers to a nearby corner – a virtual bus stop – for pick up and drop off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours that take riders out of their way. This enables Via’s system to transport a high volume of passengers while using a fraction of the number of vehicles utilized by taxis or on-demand car services. By grouping multiple passengers into a single shared vehicle, Via reduces congestion and emissions, providing an inexpensive, eco-friendly, and convenient transportation alternative.

“Via’s powerful technology is seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure around the globe, redefining the way people get around cities,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “We’re delighted to be expanding into Arlington, extending our convenient, affordable, and congestion-reducing service to residents of Virginia.”

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.

Aston Martin named Luxury Brand of the Year

Published: Nov 06, 2018

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Neil Allison

Aston Martin has been named ‘Luxury Brand of the Year’ at the Luxury Briefing Awards. Heralded as the ‘Oscars of the Luxury Industry’, the aim of the annual event is to reward and celebrate excellence and innovation.

6 November 2018, London: Aston Martin has been named ‘Luxury Brand of the Year’ at the Luxury Briefing Awards. Heralded as the ‘Oscars of the Luxury Industry’, the aim of the annual event is to reward and celebrate excellence and innovation.
Presenting the award, Sir Eric Peacock described Aston Martin as a “powerful, hugely aspirational brand that is the epitome of luxury” and defied anyone in the room not to covet it. He went on to say the last 12 months have been an “Annus Magnificus” for the brand as it “soared into profit, increasing sales by an astonishing 8% in the first half of the year alone…it has been one of the fastest turnarounds and renaissances the luxury industry has ever seen”.
Aston Martin Lagonda Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Simon Sproule, was at The Savoy in central London to collect the award. He said: “It’s a great honour to be named Luxury Brand of the Year. At Aston Martin Lagonda we have a fantastic team that lives and breathes this beautiful brand, working to grow and develop our presence across the world. With each car launch, each new brand partnership or lifestyle event, we get closer to our current and future customers. At a time when the automotive industry is facing incredible challenges we are pushing constantly to make sure the Aston Martin brand, and soon the Lagonda brand, not only stands the test of time but flourishes during this period of change.”
Aston Martin are also delighted that the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Charity’ was made to Aston Martin Cambridge, for the special edition Vanquish S that helped raise £1.5 million for the RAF Benevolent Fund. The raffle for ‘Red 10’, the 10th car from a limited edition run of the ‘Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows edition’ raised an astonishing £1.5 million for the RAF Benevolent Fund, which works to support the men and women of the RAF and their families.
The eminent Luxury Briefing judging panel described the Aston Martin’s Red 10 raffle as “a charitable gesture that was tangible, solid and fun…a highly visible but straightforward and simple initiative that provided an excellent blueprint for other brands to imitate.”
The Vanquish S Red Arrows was pioneered and commissioned by Aston Martin Cambridge, whose Dealer Principal Simon Lane accepted the award, saying: “What started as an idea to pay tribute to the spectacular aviation skills of the Red Arrows, quickly became an opportunity to do some great work for charity. Nine very happy customers now own ‘Red 1’ to ‘Red 9’ and ‘Red 10’ has gone on to raise a significant sum for the RAF Benevolent Fund. The whole team at Aston Martin Cambridge is very proud of this project and delighted to accept this award.”