Mobility – Page 7077 – I wish I had more to offer

Geely’s Ridehailing Arm to Offer Carsharing in China

Photo via Public Domain Pictures. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. announced that it plans to expand its car sharing service in September. In a report by Automotive News China, Geely’s subsidiary, CaoCao Chuxing, a Chinese-based vehicle sharing company, released plans to recruit owners of Geely-brand cars to begin providing carsharing services. The service will provide… Continue reading Geely’s Ridehailing Arm to Offer Carsharing in China

Press: Paradigm Shift for Electromobility: ZF Presents New Electric 2-Speed Drive for Passenger Cars

World premiere: first 2-speed e-drive from ZF Integrated system improves energy conversion efficiency and extends range Modular approach: drive concept can be scaled up for use in performance vehicles Friedrichshafen. ZF shifts up a gear: its new 2-speed electric drive for passenger cars integrates an advanced electric motor with a shift element and appropriate power… Continue reading Press: Paradigm Shift for Electromobility: ZF Presents New Electric 2-Speed Drive for Passenger Cars

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FILE PHOTO: A Go-Jek driver rides a motorcycle on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Beawiharta/File Photo (Reuters) – Visa Inc (V.N) said on Wednesday it has invested in Indonesia’s Go-Jek as part of the ride-hailing company’s ongoing Series F fundraising round. The two companies will work together to provide more options for… Continue reading Visa invests in Indonesian ride-hailing firm Go-Jek

Digesting Elon Musk’s Full Self Driving (Robotaxi) Tweetstorm

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Published on July 16th, 2019 |

by Chanan Bos

Digesting Elon Musk’s Full Self Driving (Robotaxi) Tweetstorm

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July 16th, 2019 by Chanan Bos

July 16th, Elon Musk tweetstorm number: (ERROR system overload).

Tesla CEO Elon Musk today tweeted several times regarding Autopilot and Full Self Driving (FSD). As we had heard before, once FSD is successfully implemented and Tesla can start operating robotaxis, the price of Tesla cars will increase significantly. We recently analyzed that information to put it into some potential future context, since it is not immediately clear how this practically fits into Tesla’s grand production and sales scheme. But a short TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) is as follows:

In about 3–6 years from now, Tesla could start releasing a robotaxi-tailored model, one without a steering wheel and to be sold at a higher price than the cars on the market today. This is something we at CleanTechnica are calling “Tesla Model Omega.”

Tesla hasn’t announced such a plan, but we’re getting more details on what Elon expects to change in coming years as FSD is implemented.

As you can see, there is still plenty of skepticism around autonomy and Elon’s claim that Teslas bought today will likely be appreciating assets. The important thing is, if Tesla vehicles suddenly become capable of robotaxi service with a software update, the value of a used (or new) Tesla should suddenly rise, even above 2018 or 2019 purchase prices.

What the tweet above reveals is that Elon believes Tesla cars to be worth between $100,000 and $200,000 once FSD is activated. Although, why Elon chose “~12 hours/week to ~60 hours/week” remains a bit of a mystery. While the 12 hour figure would equal just slightly under 2 hours a day and represents the daily commute of most people, the 60 hour figure would equal about 8 and a half hours per day, which is almost equal to a 9-to-5 job but would mean the car doesn’t drive in the evening and/or doesn’t drive on the weekends. 60 hours a week means the car stands idle quite a bit.

The assumptions here have major implications. Most importantly, perhaps, it determines how much a robotaxi will be worth. (People won’t want to pay more than they expect to make on the car.) Further, it raises the question, how many robotaxis does the world ultimately need?

This tweet above was quite puzzling and caused some controversy between CleanTechnica staff. However, after careful consideration, the team came to the following conclusion. (Note that sticker price is “the advertised retail price of a car.”) Elon Musk doesn’t have a specific price point in mind that Tesla robotaxis will be sold for, but the company will continue to be responsive to the market, and to avoid scalpers buying up all of Tesla’s cars and reselling them for more money without serving any real service to society, Tesla will raise prices as the market shows a need for it. (Tesla can then pump those greater profits into faster growth, presumably.)

From all communications up till now, it seems the Model 3 will remain on the market long after FSD is activated and Tesla launches a robotaxi network. Nonetheless, it is logical that something like the “Model Omega” is inevitable and is just a matter of time.

This entire discussion has also led Elon to reveal that the price of the FSD package will increase by ~$1000 in one month Elon justified the price increase by claiming that new features are going to be released around that date. What that update will include other than the wide release of “Enhanced Summon” is currently unknown, but considering the timing, the fact that Elon said in-browser viewing of videos from platforms like YouTube and Netflix are around the corner and he much earlier also said that these features would come with V10 software, this might be coming within a month. Although, there is currently no direct evidence of this. Tesla Early Access Program drivers are certainly not reporting any unusual new features other than “Enhanced Summon.”

In any case, all of this information will quite likely fuel multiple analyses further scrutinizing how these new numbers affect the grand scheme of things. For that, please make sure to check back with us again later this week!

About the Author

Chanan Bos Chanan grew up in a multicultural, multi-lingual environment that often gives him a unique perspective on a variety of topics. He is always in thought about big picture topics like AI, quantum physics, philosophy, Universal Basic Income, climate change, sci-fi concepts like the singularity, misinformation, and the list goes on. Currently, he is studying creative media & technology but already has diplomas in environmental sciences as well as business & management. His goal is to discourage linear thinking, bias, and confirmation bias whilst encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and helping people understand exponential progress. Chanan is very worried about his future and the future of humanity. That is why he has a tremendous admiration for Elon Musk and his companies, foremost because of their missions, philosophy, and intent to help humanity and its future. He sees Tesla as one of the few companies that can help us save ourselves from climate change.

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Uber launches in Hamburg, now live in six German cities

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One of Uber’s flying taxi partners just raised a $25 million Series A round

Uber Air, the transportation company’s upcoming flying taxi service, needs vehicle partners in order to make it a reality. Karem Aircraft, which Uber partnered with last year, has just raised a $25 million Series A round for its new air taxi spin-off. The round was led by Korean industrial conglomerate Hanwha Systems. “Karem’s technology for… Continue reading One of Uber’s flying taxi partners just raised a $25 million Series A round

Voyant Photonics raises $4.3M to fit lidar on the head of a pin

Lidar is a critical method by which robots and autonomous vehicles sense the world around them, but the lasers and sensors generally take up a considerable amount of space. Not so with Voyant Photonics, which has created a lidar system that you really could conceivably balance on the head of a pin. Before getting into… Continue reading Voyant Photonics raises $4.3M to fit lidar on the head of a pin

Japan’s demographics make case for self-driving cars

Growing worries over elderly drivers spurs carmakers to develop autonomous technology Go to Source

Electromobility breakthrough: ZF’s new electric 2-speed e-drive solution for the best possible range from each battery charge

Mehr Reichweite oder bessere Performance? Hersteller von Elektrofahrzeugen können dank seines modularen Konzepts beide Ansätze mit dem 2-Gang-Antrieb von ZF verfolgen.
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More range or better performance? Thanks to this modular concept, manufacturers of electric vehicles can pursue both approaches with the 2-speed drive from ZF.

RIEDRICHSHAFEN, 16-Jul-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — ZF announced the world premiere of its first 2-speed e-drive system meant for passenger cars. The system integrates an advanced electric motor with a shift element and appropriate power electronics.

Extended driving range for each battery charge is achieved through the improvement in energy conversion efficiency compared to previous e-drives. Due to its compact design the new drive system is of particular interest to passenger cars in the compact class and thanks to its modular approach in the design the unit can easily be scaled up for use in sports and performance vehicles.

The passenger car sector already sees the next generation of electromobility with the introduction of ZF’s new electric 2-speed drive solution.

Commenting on the improvement in the energy conversion efficiency, Bert Hellwig, Head of System House at ZF’s E-Mobility division, said:

“For electric vehicles in everyday use, it is important to obtain as much range as possible from each battery charge. Every percent of improvement in energy conversion efficiency translates into two percent more range. Bringing together our know-how in relation to electric motors, gearboxes, and power electronics ensures that we achieve the best possible range from each battery charge.”

ZF leveraged its expertise in systems to work on and develop a new electric motor with a maximum power rating of 140 kW paired with a two-stage shift element in order to increase the performance rating of the new electric axle drive system.

Extending the range comes from the new 2-speed drive which consumes less energy as shifts take place at 70 km/h. It can extend the range of up to five percent as compared to a one-speed unit. Other shift strategies are also possible by connecting to the vehicle’s CAN communication possibly linking to digital map material and GPS. A possibly use is for the vehicle to predictively switch into Eco-mode, if it identifies from the GPS route programming how far the next charging station is. Furthermore, effective shifts will also be possible in taking into account the topography on the interstate, and on inter-city trips. Over-the-air updates are available for the software in the drive thanks to the network link to the Cloud services.

Presently, car markers can rely on two options when using the new new 2-speed drive to improve energy conversion efficiency. The OEM can either choose to go for an extended range while retaining the same size of accumulator, or utilize a smaller accumulator.

The unit is designed in a way that optimizes installation space, the 2-speed system is a perfect fit for compact passenger cars where interior space is at a premium. At the same time, the 2-speed concept offers also benefits for OEMs who are pursuing performance.

.Bert Hellwig explained further:

“Until now, with electric motors, vehicle manufacturers have had to choose between high initial torque and a high top speed. We are now resolving this conflict and the new drive will be compatible for performance and heavier vehicles – for example for passenger cars towing a trailer.”

The modular approach of ZF combines the 2-speed gearbox with even more powerful electric motors rated for up to 250 kW, which results in an enhanced acceleration and, potentially, faster top speeds. The new drive system can meet a variety of requirements with this modular concept.

Media contacts:

Frank Discher
Technology and Product Communications
phone: +49 7541 77-960770
e-mail: frank.discher@zf.com

Robert Buchmeier
Head of Technology and Product Communications, Heritage Communications
phone: +49 7541 77-2488
e-mail: robert.buchmeier@zf.com

SOURCE: ZF Friedrichshafen AG

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Jaguar Land Rover receives £500m government loan guarantee for EV production

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