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Via and Trinity Metro Launch ZIPZONE, Connecting Fort Worth Residents to Public Transit

Published July 22, 2019 3:26 pm, Via NYC
Via and Trinity Metro Launch ZIPZONE, Connecting Fort Worth Residents to Public Transit
The new first- and last-mile service will support connections to the Mercantile Center Station

July 22, 2019 (FORT WORTH, TX) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new public transportation deployment in partnership with Trinity Metro, a leading Texas public transit provider. Called Mercantile ZIPZONE, the new on-demand shared transit network brings TEXRail and bus commuters first- and last-mile connections to the Mercantile Center Station.

ZIPZONE marks Via’s third on-demand public transportation deployment in Texas, joining successful shared transit deployments in the neighboring cities of Arlington and Austin. More than 175,000 trips have been taken with Via’s Arlington service since the city’s pilot program launched in December 2017, earning a 97 percent approval rating from users.

“We are thrilled to partner with the innovative team at Trinity Metro to bring Via’s technology to Fort Worth,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “The new ZIPZONE service a great example of how public transportation and technology can work together to make a city smarter, building on key learnings from our successful neighboring mobility deployments in Arlington and Austin. Residents just north of Fort Worth now have a comfortable, convenient, and affordable way to move around. This is truly a great example of a city embracing the future of mobility.”

Using the Trinity Metro ZIPZONE app, riders are able to hail a shuttle directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms will enable multiple riders to seamlessly share the vehicle. The powerful technology will direct passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick up and drop off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

ZIPZONE will operate 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be no charge to use the service at launch. After the free period, rides will vary $1 to $3.

“Mercantile ZIPZONE expands the range of options offered by Trinity Metro to ease the burden of commuters who want and need to connect to this live, work and play destination,” said Wayne Gensler, Trinity Metro vice president and chief operating officer for bus and paratransit. “We are proud to work with the City of Fort Worth while we look at innovative ways to solve the first mile-last mile challenges in our area.

The project will operate in partnership with Avis Budget Group, who will provide the vehicles, as well as turnkey fleet management services, including maintaining the vehicles to ensure they are ready to hit the road.

Commuters in Fort Worth can use the new ZIPZONE service by downloading the Trinity Metro ZIPZONE smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Users can book rides between the Mercantile Center Station and anywhere within Mercantile ZIPZONE boundaries.

Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help re-engineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via now has more than 80 launched and pending deployments in nearly 20 countries, providing more than 60 million rides to date. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

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 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 dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

GM Cruise delays the launch of autonomous ride-share, adds to test fleet

General Motors Cruise test vehiclesSource: General MotorsCruise, the subsidiary of General Motors developing self-driving vehicles and services, said Wednesday it is postponing a plan to launch an autonomous ride-share service by the end of 2019.
It is the latest indication automakers and tech firms are finding it tougher than expected to put self-driving cars on the roads for public use.
Cruise CEO Dan Ammann announced the delay in launching an autonomous ride-share program through a post on Medium. “Our first deployment needs to be done right and we will only deploy when we can demonstrate that we will have a net positive impact on safety on our roads,” he said. The company has tabbed San Francisco as the location for the service when it eventually starts.
Before that happens, Cruise will be put more test vehicles on the road in San Francisco to better understand and solve the challenges of navigating busy city streets. Right now, Cruise has a fleet of 180 specially designed all-electric GM cars, modified with lidar sensors, cameras and radar logging thousands of miles every day, all with a safety driver ready to take control of the car if a complex or dangerous situation arises.
Since late 2017, Ammann and General Motors have said they plan to have an autonomous ride-share service on the road by the end of 2019. That optimism is one reason why the Softbank Vision Fund, Honda and others have invested more than $7.25 billion into Cruise, pushing its valuation to $19 billion last May, according to company figures.
The appeal of robotaxis is the potential to generate large profits by eliminating the driver, the biggest cost facing Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies. In previous briefings with reporters, Cruise has estimated the cost to operate an autonomous ride-share program in San Francisco could be as low as $1.50 per mile, 40% below the cost of similar services operated by a human driver.
While investors may be optimistic about the potential profits of robotaxis driving passengers around a city, those who track the industry are not surprised Cruise is tapping the brakes on its plans. “The closer you get to ground zero and putting an autonomous vehicle or vehicles on the road, the difference between where the technology is now and where it needs to be cannot be ignored,” said Mike Ramsey, automotive analyst for Gartner Research. “The right thing to do is to not put a product out on the road too soon.”
Late last year, Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, launched its own commercial ride-share service in metropolitan Phoenix. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to have “a million robotaxis” on the road by the end of 2020, capitalizing on Tesla's autopilot technology.
“I feel very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year,” Musk told analysts in May. He later admitted his timing for plans is sometimes wrong.
For Cruise, the focus now is expanding the number of miles its test fleet is driving.
“Having our cars running many more miles on the road will further accelerate our rate of learning and safety validation,” said Ammann. “It will also give us crucial operational learnings from running a larger scale fleet and a larger scale ride service, which we currently operate for our employees.”

With Y Combinator’s seal of approval, MyPetrolPump raises $1.6 million for its car refueling business

Even before pitching onstage at Y Combinator, Indian car refueling startup MyPetrolPump has managed to snag $1.6 million in seed financing. The business, which is similar to startups in the U.S. like Filld, Yoshi and Booster Fuels, took 10 months to design and receive approval for its proprietary refueling trucks that can withstand the unique… Continue reading With Y Combinator’s seal of approval, MyPetrolPump raises $1.6 million for its car refueling business

Cruise’s Modified Strategy Marks A Mega Phase Shift In Self-Driving Car Industry – Forbes

Cruise, the self-driving car element of GM, made an announcement that could be seen as a healthy sign that the driverless car industry is embracing the tech race and now the trust race too. Photocredit: AP When you are knee-deep in a particular industry it can be difficult at times to notice when an overall… Continue reading Cruise’s Modified Strategy Marks A Mega Phase Shift In Self-Driving Car Industry – Forbes

Report: Lyft COO Jon McNeill is leaving

Shortly after going public, Lyft is losing one of its top executives, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Jon McNeill, who joined the ride-hailing business from Tesla about 18 months ago, is reportedly stepping down. Lyft declined to comment. Lyft’s stock (Nasdaq: LYFT) is down nearly 3% on the news. Despite a turbulent first… Continue reading Report: Lyft COO Jon McNeill is leaving

Fisker teases electric SUV’s front end, promises recycled materials inside

Henrik Fisker maintains the car's starting price will be below $40,000.

Road/Show by CNET article by ANDREW KROK

There's more than a little Range Rover inspiration in those headlights.

Henrik Fisker has taken the slow-burn approach to introducing his new electric SUV. We've seen a series of design teasers, most of which have come directly from the famed car designer's Twitter account, and what do you know, that's where the latest teaser has come from, too.

Henrik Fisker on Saturday posted a new picture of his upcoming EV SUV's front end to his Twitter account. While we've seen this part of the car in teasers before, they were limited to design mockups. This, however, appears to be its production-ready form. It's not much different from the previews, with some interesting angles on the hood and lower bumper. There's also a trick daytime running light design from LEDs in both the headlights and the bumper.

In addition to the picture, Fisker said in the tweet that his company hopes to make “the world's most sustainable vehicle.” In addition to a starting price below $40,000, Fisker claims that the interior is mighty spacious and makes use of recycled materials. In a reply to a different person's tweet, Fisker said he's keeping the interior a secret until its proper unveiling, which is scheduled for later this year.

Thus far, we still don't know much about Fisker's new EV. We know there will be a turn signal in the D-pillar, as well as a solar roof, and based on the few teasers we've seen, it's clear that the SUV will rock a shape that's at least a little bit blocky. It's believed to have a range north of 300 miles, but any mention of range should wait until the EPA or WLTP has the chance to test it. Fisker hopes to have the car on sale in 2021.

There's bound to still be a turn signal in the taillight, right?

Topics:
Fisker News,
Fisker EVs,
Innovation,
Design,
SUV,
Electric Vehicle

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News Coverage: Velodyne Adds Mapper’s Software to Advance Lidar-Centric ADAS

News Coverage: Velodyne Adds Mapper’s Software to Advance Lidar-Centric ADASJuly 29, 2019|In Media Coverage|By Albie Jarvis

Lidar can enhance advanced
driver-assistance systems (ADAS) by delivering perception data that provides
real-time free space detection in all light conditions.

Velarray™
is the first solid-state Velodyne lidar sensor that is embeddable and fits
behind a windshield, as an integral component for superior, more effective
ADAS.

Eric Walz wrote
an article in FutureCar about the news that Velodyne Lidar acquired
high-definition mapping and localization software, as well as intellectual
property assets from Mapper.ai. Mapper technology will enable Velodyne to
accelerate development of Vella™,
a groundbreaking advanced driver assistance solution that builds upon the
directional view Velarray sensor.

In discussing Velodyne technology in the FutureCar story, Dr.
Nikhil Naikal, founder and CEO of Mapper, said:

“Velodyne has both created the market for high-fidelity
automotive lidar and established itself as the leader. We have been Velodyne
customers for years and have already integrated their lidar sensors into easily
deployable solutions for scalable high-definition mapping.”

In a story
on the Mapper news, Gilbert Shar of Auto Connected Car News, quoted
Velodyne CTO Anand Gopalan saying:

“The goal in the automotive market is to make transportation
safer. By adding Vella software to our broad portfolio of lidar technology,
Velodyne is poised to revolutionize ADAS performance and safety.”

Mapper’s entire leadership and engineering teams will join
Velodyne, bolstering the company’s large and growing software development
group. An
Automotive World story, quoted Gopalan discussing this move:

“Expanding our team to develop Vella is a giant step towards
achieving our goal of mass producing an ADAS solution that dramatically
improves roadway safety. Mapper technology gives us access to some key
algorithmic elements and accelerates our development timeline. Together, our
sensors and software will allow powerful lidar-based safety solutions to be
available on every vehicle.”

Other media outlets that wrote about the Mapper news include
Autonomous
Vehicle International, Autonomous
Vehicle Technology, Green Car
Congress, LED
Inside and The
Robot Report.

To read the complete FutureCar article, please go to: Velodyne
Acquires HD Mapping Startup Mapper.ai to Advance its Lidar-based Driver Assist
Software.

To review the Auto Connected Car News story, please see: Velodyne
Buys Mapper.ai.

The Automotive World story can be found here: Velodyne Lidar acquires Mapper.ai for ADAS launch

For Velodyne Lidar products click HERE.

Tritium to become sole supplier of rapid chargers for UK’s DRIVE ENERGI

Tritium, a manufacturer of fast chargers, has signed a deal with BOX ENERGI to be the sole supplier of rapid chargers for the DRIVE ENERGI charging network currently in development in the UK. DRIVE ENERGI aims to install 2,500 charging locations by 2025, with at least 100 sites live by the end of January 2020.… Continue reading Tritium to become sole supplier of rapid chargers for UK’s DRIVE ENERGI

Chesil E Speedster Is Your Next Electric Porsche 356 Electric Kit Car

This is the first product after Westfield bought Chesil. Nowadays, with running restrictions to cars in many cities, even mainstream manufacturers are willing to convert their classics into EVs. Jaguar, for example. But what if you could buy a classic that is already electric? Or build it yourself? This is what the Chesil Motor Company… Continue reading Chesil E Speedster Is Your Next Electric Porsche 356 Electric Kit Car

How parking app SpotHero is preparing for an era of driverless cars

On-demand parking app SpotHero wants to be ready for the day when autonomous vehicles are ubiquitous. Its strategy: target the human-driven car-sharing fleets today. The Chicago-based company, which has operations in San Francisco, New York, Washington, D.C. and Seattle, has launched a new service dubbed SpotHero for Fleets that targets shared mobility and on-demand services.… Continue reading How parking app SpotHero is preparing for an era of driverless cars