PRESS RELEASE 2019/10/10Communication of Groupe RenaultBoulogne-Billancourt, October 10th, 2019 – The Board of Directors of Renault will meet tomorrow morning to discuss the corporate governance of the group. A press release will be issued after the conclusion of the meeting.***About Groupe RenaultGroupe Renault has manufactured cars since 1898. Today it is an international multi-brand group,… Continue reading Groupe Renault : Communication of Groupe Renault
Tag: Strategy
ID Light feature inside VW ID 3 electric car communicates without clutter
With its first ground-up electric effort, Volkswagen chose to produce a car that is conventionally practical while embracing the high-tech approach taken with many EVs. One of the ID 3's unique features is an intelligent LED-based communication system designed to deliver alerts and status updates in a simple, easily interpreted manner.
The system is inspired by the LEDs you find on smart home devices. It illuminates in different colors and patterns for different notifications, and reacts to voice prompts with directional animations to indicate whether it is listening to the driver or passenger for additional input.
The LED strip is integrated with just about every vehicle system, including navigation, driver assistance features, infotainment and even the powertrain.
While it may sound like something out of “Independence Day,” the interplay is far more innocuous—not to mention productive. Per VW, strategic lighting design in a car's interior can lend it additional character. Long-time VW fans surely remember the company's use of light blue gauge illumination as a long-standing interior signature.
“For all its innovativeness, ID. Light functions intuitively by using familiar colours. This use of light, makes the vehicle more ‘personable’ and is a very simple and intuitive way of communicating,” says VW UX designer Valentina Wilhelm.
Volkswagen included some of the basic animations in a feature overview released Wednesday. Entry and exit are accompanied by animations reminiscent of a television being turned on and off. Door locking is indicated by an inward red animation; unlocking goes the opposite direction and appears in green. An upcoming turn is indicated by a blue effect running in the desired direction, and an emergency braking indicator is a full-width flash of red. Other notifications modes include incoming telephone calls and battery charge status.
The ID 3 will launch in Europe next year, and while it might eventually be brought to Canada, no U.S. distribution is likely. The first vehicle member of the ID family, a model to be called ID 4 (or ID 4X), hasn't yet been detailed, but look for ID models to share some common interface traits—and this might very well be one of them.
ŠKODA AUTO in Vrchlabí: high-tech site at the foot of the Giant Mountains
Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, stressed, “The Vrchlabí plant plays a central, strategic role in component production for ŠKODA. It is here that we build DQ 200 dual-clutch transmissions which reliably do their work in millions of vehicles from various Group brands every day. In recent years, we have introduced numerous… Continue reading ŠKODA AUTO in Vrchlabí: high-tech site at the foot of the Giant Mountains
Top Experts from Government, Industry Join to Take On Critical AI Issues at GTC DC
Influential leaders and industry experts will give an inside look at AI policy matters at GTC DC, the largest AI conference in Washington, from Nov. 4-6. Key topics to be focused on include the national AI strategy, cybersecurity, healthcare, workforce training and diversity. Can’t-miss AI policy panels taking place at GTC DC include: AI in… Continue reading Top Experts from Government, Industry Join to Take On Critical AI Issues at GTC DC
Developing the Aurora Driver for Trucks
From the earliest days of Aurora, we’ve architected the Aurora Driver to pilot vehicles of all sizes, from small cars to large trucks, and to operate on both ride-sharing and logistics (delivery) service networks. To truly deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly, the Aurora Driver would need to move people and… Continue reading Developing the Aurora Driver for Trucks
MPs want an anti 4×4 and SUV penalty
After CO2, the weight of the vehicle? The National Assembly’s Sustainable Development Committee adopted on Monday evening, during the examination of the draft budget 2020, an amendment “for opinion” aimed at introducing, in addition of the bonus-malus on carbon dioxide emissions , a similar device based on the weight of the vehicle. The project is… Continue reading MPs want an anti 4×4 and SUV penalty
Bajaj Auto “seriously committed” to e-mobility, plans “exciting” products under Urbanite brand
Bajaj Auto, India's oldest two-wheeler manufacturer, is close to adding a new chapter to its journey with the entry into electric mobility, also seen as the future of the automobile industry.
The company says it has been working on some product propositions aimed to excite electric vehicle customers, a breed that is currently rare in India. Could Urbanite be a defining moment like Pulsar, the brand which established the erstwhile scooter maker as a formidable motorcycle maker? “Everything depends on how the customers respond to what we put in. Obviously, we will work our hardest to get out what we think would be very exciting for the customer, and I am very confident that when we do put out a product or a set of products, we will see a resonance from the marketplace,” Eric Vas, President of Bajaj Auto's Urbanite business unit, under which the OEM will offer personal electric vehicles, told Autocar Professional. Vas was speaking on the sidelines of the 59th annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) last month.
Vas said Bajaj Auto is “very committed” to electric mobility as it is going to be a “significant play” in the industry in the coming years. However, “timing is something which, frankly, I don't think any individual party can comment on right now. It depends on many parameters, including charging infrastructure which is a very big piece of course.”
In June this year, NITI Aayog, the central government's think-tank, had proposed that two-wheelers (below 150cc) sold from April 1, 2025 should be only electric powered. That, OEMs, who are already fighting the challenging BS VI emission deadline of April 1, 2020, felt was too stiff a timeline for the transition. Following a discussion between top executives of NITI Aayog and industry players, the policymakers asked OEMs to come up with a roadmap for electric mobility. A formal announcement of Bajaj Auto's entry into the electric mobility space may be made on Wednesday, 16th October.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant are expected to join Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, at the announcement.
Challenge and opportunity
Electric vehicles will have to have very strong value propositions to gain mass scale adoption, primarily because of the big price difference. For example, the current price of the largest selling scooter Honda Activa is around Rs 70,000 while that of an Ather 540, a new-age electric scooter is Rs 113,000. It’s a similar story for motorcycles. “Going by that reality, combustion engine vehicles are going to be around for quite some time. You do not know how fast the battery prices will fall. I believe EVs are going to be very important for us in the way forward,” Vas said in a panel discussion at the ACMA conference.
Vas' confidence also stems from the belief that there is a big set of customers who are sitting with a sense of ‘wokeness’, a term commonly referred to for being aware about developments in the world. “If you look at other brands that work around wokeness, they are very big and very substantial. I think the size of the market can surprise us and the price-point that people are prepared to pay for an electric product could also surprise us in a country like India,” said Vas during the discussion, while adding that it is impossible to put a figure to that potential market at this stage.
It is estimated that 50 percent of Indian use non-motorised transport to commute. That is a huge opportunity. Unless there's some major cost reduction in EV technology or disruption in EV concept, the opportunity is there for IC-engined two-wheelers to tap first. While that is also a positive for Bajaj Auto, it will bet on the growing number of people in wokeness to build its new business division before EVs become a choice of the masses. The Pune-based OEM that played a major role in writing the history of mobility on two wheels now wants to script a similar story again. 'Hamara Bajaj' wants to script a 'Hamara Kal'.
Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries
It seems that Maxwell and Jeff Dahn were only part of the strategy. Tesla is clearly pushing to produce its own batteries. The company has always tried to control all aspects of its production. After buying Maxwell Technologies and making a research partnership with Jeff Dahn for a 1-million miles battery, it has reportedly bought… Continue reading Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries
Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships
Boulogne-Billancourt – October 9th, 2019. To anticipate and support the deep changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns, Groupe Renault has been involved in new mobility services for the past four years by developing car services with or without drivers (Renault MOBILITY, Zity in Madrid, Moov’in.Paris, Marcel) and by making highly targeted acquisitions and equity investments… Continue reading Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships
Recognising slippery roads sooner with mobile networking: Pilot tests in the Zollernalb district: reducing the risk of accidents
09.
October 2019
Stuttgart/Balingen
Stuttgart/Balingen. In the coming winter, in cooperation with the district of Zollernalb, Mercedes-Benz will test how safety on wintry roads and the efficiency of municipal winter services can be improved with car-to-X communication. Car-to-X is the term used to describe communication between vehicles and the transport infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz passenger cars equipped with car-to-X technology, whose owners have activated the Live Traffic Service, will provide the necessary data for the pilot tests. Once the ESP® or ABS sensors of these vehicles have recognised slippery road conditions, this information including the GPS data is sent to the Daimler Vehicle Backend in real time, using the mobile radio network. This anonymised information is displayed on digital maps in the two road maintenance depots of the Zollernalb district in real time. In the future this will make it possible to deploy the winter service more effectively and optimise the use of de-icing salt.
In the next steps it will be possible to include public service vehicles, e.g. police cars, as well as vehicle fleets. The pilot test will start in January 2020 and continue until the end of winter. The Zollernalb district is in the administrative region of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg and has around 190,000 inhabitants, many of whom are commuters.
“With car-to-X functions we can improve safety in various driving situations,” says Michael Hafner, Head of Driving Technologies and Automated Driving at Daimler AG. “This is because thanks to seamless integration of the car-to-X system into the vehicle systems, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars can automatically detect different hazards such as slippery roads.” Car-to-X technology significantly extends the coverage of onboard sensors such as radar or camera systems, as the sensors of other vehicles are used in addition. This enables a vehicle to look around the next corner, so to speak. In addition to improving traffic safety, the technology in the pilot project could also contribute to environmental protection, as less de-icing salt is used thanks to targeted application.
Mercedes-Benz already introduced mobile networking in 2013, establishing a technology that allows danger warnings to be transmitted and received. Car-to-X communication has been installed as standard in combination with navigation systems since 2016 – first in the E-Class and now in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles – and is available after activation by the user. To use the “Car-to-X” service the customer must also hold a Mercedes me connect account. Only then are data registered in the vehicle, and the vehicle-related car-to-X data are sent to the backend where they are anonymised. In addition, Mercedes-Benz drivers can simply object to their data being shared for the purpose of a resale to third parties via their user accounts on the Mercedes me Portal.
The Zollernalb district is challenging in terms of both topography and climate: the region has the highest hills in the Swabian Alb range. In 2018 no less than 82 frosty and 13 icy days were recorded[1]. With its two road maintenance depots in Balingen and Albstadt-Lautlingen, the district is responsible for around 150 kilometres of federal highways, 210 kilometres of country roads and 270 kilometres of district roads.
District administrator Günther-Martin Pauli is pleased about the partnership between his district and Mercedes-Benz in this innovative project. “We are jointly pursuing the same, clear goal of improving safety on our roads with new, digital technology. This cooperation perfectly fits into our strategy of performing our work even better with digital tools. This is in the interests of all those who live and work in the Zollernalb district, and therefore a contribution to a continued, high quality of life in the district.”
The Zollernalb district is a pioneer in municipal digitisation: on 01.10.2018 it was the first district in Baden-Württemberg to have a dedicated digitisation office. The employees here consolidate all matters relating to digitisation in the district, and support the technical and organisational implementation of different projects. This includes for example the expansion of the district's broadband network.
Background: car-to-X technology at Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz has been involved in research projects in this field for more than ten years: as one of numerous activities the company started a Europe-wide cooperation project in June 2019. In cooperation with HERE Technologies, Tom Tom and the transport authorities in six European countries, Daimler, BMW and Ford are testing how information about acutely hazardous situations can be passed on using car-to-X technology. The test phase is scheduled to last twelve months, starting in the Netherlands.
[1] Figures for Hechingen, source: www.wetterkontor.de
Press Contact
Georg Walthart
Communications Mercedes me
georg.walthart@daimler.com
Tel: +49 711 17 99474
Fax: +49 711 1779065617
Sarah Widmann
Intelligent Drive & Passive Safety
sarah.widmann@daimler.com
Tel: +49 711 17-97729
Fax: +49 711 17-79094388
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Southern Germany to test how Car-to-X Communication can be used to improve safety on wintry roads and efficiency in winter road maintenance.
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Oct 9, 2019
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