Mobility – Page 7166 – I wish I had more to offer

Waymo’s top scientist and CTO explain why Elon Musk’s approach to self-driving cars is ‘very risky’ (GOOG, GOOGL)

In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had harsh words for the sensor technology that most self-driving cars companies rely on, but on Wednesday executives at Alphabet’s Waymo,who pioneered that tech defended their approach. Musk’s attack was centered on the honeycomb-looking sensors — known as lidar — that Waymo and other companies like Uber, Ford, and… Continue reading Waymo’s top scientist and CTO explain why Elon Musk’s approach to self-driving cars is ‘very risky’ (GOOG, GOOGL)

Elon Musk hits back at Warren Buffett after he knocked Tesla’s plans to sell insurance

In a conference with analysts at the end of April this year, Musk confirmed Tesla was working on a new insurance policy for its own vehicles. Musk said in Manager Magazin that the product will be “more overwhelming than anything else out there”, and also explained that, for autopilot, insurance rates would be measured based… Continue reading Elon Musk hits back at Warren Buffett after he knocked Tesla’s plans to sell insurance

Bosch invests billions in climate action and air quality

Stuttgart and Renningen, Germany – For the Bosch Group, the 2018 business year was a successful one. The company increased its sales revenue to a record 78.5 billion euros. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) from operations reached 5.5 billion euros. In spite of heavy upfront investments in areas such as the electrification and automation… Continue reading Bosch invests billions in climate action and air quality

DC Government Launches New Ride Sharing Program to Transport Employees

Published May 9, 2019 2:39 pm, Via NYC
DC Government Launches New Ride Sharing Program to Transport Employees
District Government Employees can now book rides for official District business through Via, with ride expenses billed electronically to their agency.

May 9, 2019 (Washington, DC) — The Department of Public Works (DPW) recently announced a new partnership with Via to provide District government employees with a new ride sharing service. The ride sharing program minimizes the need for employees to use DC Government vehicles, eliminating maintenance, fuel, and acquisition costs. The program will also reduce fleet operating costs by nearly 20 percent from the resulting per mile rate, while also contributing towards a cleaner environment.

“We know from our previous pilot that an on-demand ride-sharing service is the fastest and most efficient way for our employees to travel for work-related activities,” said DPW Acting Director Chris Geldart. “Via is the best fit for our agencies’ needs and will result in a significant cost savings for the District over our previous fleet sharing options, whether leased or owned vehicles.”

DPW, together with the Department of for Hire Vehicles (DFHV), executed a
pilot with the local taxi cab companies to determine if ride sharing was a
viable option for transporting District government employees. This pilot
successfully ran from June 2017 until April 2018. More than 2,100 rides were
completed with 27 different agencies participating in the pilot. After a
successful pilot, DPW decided to create this as a permanent program for
District employees and Via was selected after a competitive bid process.

To use DPW’s new Vehicle on Demand service, employees simply
download the Via app designed for their iPhone
or Android
device, register for an account and then use it as they would any app-based private driver
service.

“We are delighted to partner with the Department of Public Works to provide an efficient and cost-effective way for employees to travel around the city,” said Alex Lavoie, Via U.S. General Manager. “Via’s vision is to provide cutting-edge mobility solutions that are smart, efficient, and help to reduce congestion and emissions here in D.C. and around the globe.”

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.

About DPW

DPW is a nationally recognized leader in sustainable government fleet management practices. It maintains and fuels more than 3,000 vehicles and continuously explores options to help the nation’s capital reach its goal to reduce carbon emissions.

Documents suggest sale of Jaguar Land Rover to PSA is “imminent” – Aberdeen Evening Express

(Jaguar Land Rover) Leaked information suggests a sale of struggling Jaguar Land Rover to French automotive group PSA could be imminent. It is understood a “post-sale integration document”, which outlines the benefits of the two companies joining forces, is already in circulation and the firms are exploring the detail of cost saving benefits after a… Continue reading Documents suggest sale of Jaguar Land Rover to PSA is “imminent” – Aberdeen Evening Express

Sixt’s Q1 Revenue Hits $697M

Photo via Sixt. Sixt continued its growth path in Q1 of 2019, increasing its revenue 14.2% from the previous year to 620 million euros ($697.4 million). The continued increase in demand registered by the foreign vehicle rental companies contributed to this growth in particular. Earnings were affected by the additional expenses for expansion abroad, the ramp-up… Continue reading Sixt’s Q1 Revenue Hits $697M

BMW Startup Garage secures early access to pioneering innovations.

Munich. The BMW Startup Garage – part of the company’s Research, New Technologies and Innovations unit – has been tracking down the most innovative startups in the business for four years now, allowing the BMW Group to tap into their potential quickly and directly. So far, more than 50 up-and-coming technology companies have completed its… Continue reading BMW Startup Garage secures early access to pioneering innovations.

Could buying ride-share app help secure JLR’s future?

“ Reeling from a £3.4bn quarterly loss, Jaguar Land Rover is sniffing around ride-share app Addison Lee. Is this what automotive manufacturers need to do to grab a piece of burgeoning ride-share market? The market for car-sharing is growing – image courtesy of Depositphotos. London’s second biggest taxi provider, Addison Lee, has been put up for sale by its… Continue reading Could buying ride-share app help secure JLR’s future?

Volkswagen has already built 200 pre-production vehicles of the new electric car ID.3

Quality check of the new ID.3 at the Zwickau car plant (from left): Volkswagen-CEO Herbert Diess, Heiko Rösch, Head of body construction, and Reinhard de Vries, Managing Director Technology & Logistic Volkswagen Saxony. Transformation of Zwickau to a pure e-car plant is right on schedule Production of the ID.3 will start as scheduled at the… Continue reading Volkswagen has already built 200 pre-production vehicles of the new electric car ID.3

As Uber goes public, profitability will be the next challenge

Uber is hitting the public markets on Friday and it's valuation could top $90 billion. The world's biggest ride-hailing business is debuting six weeks after smaller rival Lyft.
But Uber is far from making money. It reported an operating loss of $3 billion in 2018 after losing more than $4 billion the previous year. Still, not all investors are scared away from Uber's red ink. Some analysts predict it will eventually turn a profit.
Watch the video to learn how Uber spends money and what it will take for the business to become profitable.