Mobility – Page 7372 – I wish I had more to offer

Madrid authorities order Lime, Wind and Voi to halt e-scooter sharing in the Spanish city

More evidence has emerged that the e-scooter sharing market faces a bumpy ride, as news circulates that authorities in Madrid have revoked licenses for all three operators in the city. Lime, Wind and Voi, are being given a maximum of 72 hours to remove scooters from the city’s streets, whilst I understand it follows a… Continue reading Madrid authorities order Lime, Wind and Voi to halt e-scooter sharing in the Spanish city

Citroën says that government aid to electric companies is “biased” and defends the future of diesel

Posted 04/12/2018 12: 39: 33CET VILLAVERDE (MADRID), 4 Dec. (EUROPA PRESS) – The general director of Citroën for Spain and Portugal, Pablo Puey, has defended that the diesel is a fuel with a lot of future and has affirmed that the aid to the purchase for electric vehicles offered by the Government are “biased”. In… Continue reading Citroën says that government aid to electric companies is “biased” and defends the future of diesel

Handelsblatt Auto summit: BMW sees itself well positioned with Elektrostrategie in the USA

BMW manager Oliver Zipse “You have to accept the primacy of politics.” (Photo: Uta Wagner for Handelsblatt) Wolfsburg is relaxed BMWProduction Manager Oliver Zipse on the Handelsblatt car summit, Because the manager knows: In the discussion about tariffs and added value with the US government has BMW good arguments. “Long before the issue of tariffs… Continue reading Handelsblatt Auto summit: BMW sees itself well positioned with Elektrostrategie in the USA

Ambu-Trans Ambulette Cuts Annual Collision-Related Costs by 95 Percent after Implementing Mobileye

[embedded content] What’s New: The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies could prevent over 2.7 million crashes, 1.1 million injuries and nearly 9,500 deaths in the U.S. each year if installed on all vehicles1. Collision avoidance systems can help business fleet operators do their part in enhancing… Continue reading Ambu-Trans Ambulette Cuts Annual Collision-Related Costs by 95 Percent after Implementing Mobileye

Handelsblatt Auto Summit: Volkswagen announces the end of the internal combustion engine

VW production director Michael Jost Energy balance for the entire life cycle of a vehicle. (Photo: Uta Wagner for Handelsblatt) Wolfsburg product strategy is nothing new for Michael Jost. Already ten years ago, the automanager joined Skoda taken care of. In 2015 he moved to Wolfsburg to do the same job for the brand there… Continue reading Handelsblatt Auto Summit: Volkswagen announces the end of the internal combustion engine

Here’s the buyout GM offered before announcing 14,000 job cuts

John Gress | Reuters
Trucks come off the assembly line at GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 25, 2018.

General Motors executives painted a bleak outlook of the global economy in offering buyouts to 17,700 employees last month.

“We must take significant action and now while our company and the economy are strong,” they said in talking points given to managers in October to discuss the severance plan with staff. CNBC obtained the “leader talking points,” and GM verified their authenticity.

An “intensely competitive” industry combined with pressure from rising commodities prices, interest rates and a difficult trade environment created a sense of urgency. “We need … to make the right pre-emptive moves so that we come out of this tough time ahead,” they said in the talking points.

Larry Summers says GM shouldn't hide from cost-cutting measures
12:39 PM ET Wed, 28 Nov 2018 | 05:50

The Detroit automaker on Monday announced plans to halt production at five factories in North America and cut about 14,000 jobs in the company's most significant restructuring since its bankruptcy in 2009. The news falls on the heels of an otherwise strong quarter. Its third-quarter earnings released Oct. 31 — the same day GM started soliciting the buyouts — showed its first year-over-year earnings growth since the first quarter of 2017 and sent the stock soaring 9 percent.

'Not an option'

But executives saw stiff competition and a tough economy ahead. The cuts are designed to free up some cash and position its workforce of 180,000 for the future of autonomous vehicles and electric cars.

“We cannot afford to wait and see what happens in the industry, or with China, or in international trade or currency, to then react,” the severance document said. “Even if macro-economic factors are partially to blame, continuing to lower guidance to Wall Street is not an option.”

GM offered voluntary buyouts to roughly 17,700 eligible employees in North America with at least 12 years of service, according to the document. The company was aiming for 8,000 voluntary buyouts among its salaried workers as part of a total headcount reduction of 14,000, spokesman Pat Morrissey confirmed. He said about 2,250 workers accepted severance agreements by the Nov. 19 deadline.

The carmaker previously said that involuntary layoffs would follow if there were not enough takers. Roughly 5,750 salaried workers and 6,000 hourly employees will be laid off, he confirmed. Half of the hourly workers are in Canada with the other half in the U.S., where the company will work with union officials to try to move to other plants, Morrissey said.

Salary and benefits

GM is allowing some employees who took the buyouts to leave as early as this coming Saturday with an official last day of Jan. 31 and salary and benefits continuing for six months after that. Executives could also leave in December with an effective last day of Feb. 28 and a full year of salary and benefits, according to the severance materials.

GM CEO Mary Barra is accountable to her shareholders, not politicians, says Jeff Sonnenfeld
12:05 PM ET Wed, 28 Nov 2018 | 07:01

GM warned this summer that the trade war instigated by President Donald Trump could force job cuts in the United States. Trump was irate with GM's announcement this week, tweeting on Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” with the company and CEO Mary Barra for idling plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland.

“Nothing being closed in Mexico & China. The U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get,” Trump tweeted. He also threatened to cut all of the company's federal subsidies, following up on Wednesday with the announcement that the administration was studying all tariffs on cars imported to the U.S. because of the “G.M. event.”

GM says the move would help to save $6 billion a year. Shares of the company jumped 4.8 percent on the announcement Monday, but Trump's tweets drove the stock down Tuesday and Wednesday. Its shares have fallen by almost 20 percent during the last year.

“A strong cash position is the only way the company can deal with these factors and also continue to invest in growth opportunities and to set ourselves up for the future,” the talking points said.

“The leadership team is very focused on improving our cash generation and profit performance on each of our vehicles.”

— CNBC's
Robert Ferris
contributed to this article.

Audi decides on investment program for realignment

The Audi Group is accelerating its realignment with high investments in future-oriented topics. From 2019 until the end of 2023 alone, the company plans advance expenditure of approximately €14 billion in electric mobility, digitalization and autonomous driving. This includes investments in property, plant and equipment as well as research and development expenditure. Overall, the company’s… Continue reading Audi decides on investment program for realignment

The future of the auto industry lies in car sharing, Chinese executives say

Dave Zhong/Getty Images for CNBC International
Freeman H. Shen, Founder, Chairman & CEO of WM Motor, speaks during Fireside Chat on Day 2 of CNBC East Tech West at LN Garden Hotel Nansha Guangzhou on November 28, 2018 in Nansha, Guangzhou, China.

Several Chinese auto and transportation industry leaders are preparing for a future in which people share cars, rather than own them individually.

“(The new generation), they're not interested in the ownership. They're probably more interested in accessibility,” Freeman Shen, founder and CEO of Chinese electric car company WM Motor, said last week at CNBC's East Tech West conference in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, China.

Technological advances in the last several years have aided the rise of multibillion-dollar ride-hailing giants such as Uber and Didi. They, in turn, have challenged the traditional taxi driver system and cultivated a habit of on-demand car services for tens of millions of users globally despite ongoing safety concerns. Traditional automakers, many already trying to navigate rising interest in the electric vehicle market, are paying close attention to the ride sharing trend. Notably, General Motors is testing the waters with its own rental program.

In China, Feng Xing Ya, general manager of Guangzhou-based automaker GAC, also said the future of the auto industry lies in car sharing.

“(It's) a challenge for the auto industry because people may buy fewer cars,” Feng said in Mandarin, according to a CNBC translation, during a Nov. 27 conference session.

Without giving much detail on a plan, Feng said he favored a strategy of entering — rather than avoiding — the car sharing economy, which he said can still generate a lot of income for a company.

However, such a rapid change in consumer tastes could give start-ups an advantage.

Shen, formerly a director at Fiat Chrysler and Chinese automaker Geely, said traditional automakers are too focused on selling cars rather than improving user experiences. He said his company's focus on software and newness to the market means he has everything to gain and little to lose from a shift to ride sharing.

Shen founded WM Motor — which stands for “world champion” in German — in 2015 and the company has received more than $1 billion in funding, according to Crunchbase.

The rise of car sharing may also lead to new kinds of living environments in China as Beijing tries to encourage technological and urban developments through “smart cities.”

“If we can allocate the seats instead of vehicles … then we can use the transportation system more efficiently,” Henry Liu, vice president, chief scientist of smart transportation at Didi, said during a conference session.

“If you think about the future city, I think the future city will have much less in terms of parking spaces, road spaces, because we don't really need that much of spaces for vehicles,” Liu said. “At that moment, I think we have an autonomous vehicle fleet. And they can serve the transportation demand.”

SEAT and Snam partner to support the implementation of natural gas and renewable gas infrastructure, research and development projects

The strategic agreement aims at supporting the implementation of CNG and bio-CNG infrastructure and research and development projects
SEAT is the brand with the most comprehensive CNG vehicle lineup in Europe
Snam is a European leader in gas infrastructure and is developing new refuelling stations

MILAN, 27-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — SEAT President Luca de Meo and Snam CEO Marco Alverà today signed a strategic agreement in Milan to promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable gas (biomethane) for sustainable mobility, as well as joint research and development projects in this scope. SEAT and Snam share strategic markets such as Italy, France and Austria, which will enable the creation of synergies to boost CNG and bio-CNG as a clean and competitive alternative to traditional fuels.

Concluded within the framework of Snam’s Partners’ Day, the agreement provides that both companies explore business and commercial development opportunities aimed at corporate customers, dealers and consumers to promote the network of gas stations, as well as identify technological projects.

In addition, SEAT and Snam will collaborate in developing mobility services and creating new products, with the goal of offering added value to users of these kinds of vehicles. The strategic agreement, which could extend to other Volkswagen Group brands, also includes the technological development of biomethane, a renewable energy that helps reduce emissions even more.

SEAT President Luca de Meo highlighted that “the agreement with Snam enables us to take steps to democratising CNG. Italy is the leading market in the use of this energy and represents 55% of the sale of vehicles powered with this fuel in Europe this year. For SEAT, one out of every five vehicles sold in Italy uses CNG. With this agreement we aim to further enhance the development of compressed natural gas in Italy and export this success case to other countries.”

Snam CEO Marco Alverà said: “this partnership will strengthen the development of natural gas and biomethane-powered sustainable mobility, both in Italy and across Europe, combining Snam’s innovative infrastructure development, and SEAT’s expertise in rolling out new sustainable models. We believe that natural gas is the most immediate solution to improving air quality in our cities, in addition to having environmental sustainability, performance and economic advantages. The rapid spread of renewable gas has highlighted this. Sustainable mobility is one of the key areas of focus for our 200 million euro investment plan in energy transition businesses”.

CNG, a sustainable alternative

There is an upward trend in the use of compressed natural gas cars in Europe. Italy is the main market with a fleet of approximately 1 million vehicles and 1,300 refuelling stations. SEAT is committed to CNG as an efficient, profitable alternative. The brand currently offers compressed natural gas and petrol hybrid technology with the Mii, the Ibiza, the Leon and the Arona, the only CNG SUV in the world.

Snam has recently inaugurated its first L-CNG filling station in Pesaro, it has about 50 natural gas and biomethane refuelling plants currently in implementation and a pluriennal development plan of approximately 300 new distributors.

Driving with CNG emits 75% less nitrogen oxide compared to a diesel vehicle and 25% less CO2 than one that runs on petrol, and it does away with practically all particulate matter. Mobility with vehicular natural gas is considered environmentally friendly by the European Union, so the benefit of this kind of fuel includes the possibility of accessing European cities when there are traffic restrictions due to pollution. Besides contributing to the fight against climate change, natural gas also ensures significant economic advantages to consumers, as it enables savings of over 30% per kilometre compared to diesel and over 55% in the case of petrol.

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 80% of its vehicles, and is present in over 80 countries on all five continents. In 2017, SEAT obtained an after tax profit of 281 million euros, sold close to 470,000 cars and achieved a record turnover of more than 9.5 billion euros.

The SEAT Group employs more than 15,000 professionals and has three production centres – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza, Arona and Leon. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Tarraco in Germany, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia.

The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focussed on developing innovation for Spain’s largest industrial investor in R&D. SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the company’s global digitalisation process to promote the mobility of the future.

Snam is Europe’s leading gas utility. Founded in 1941 as “Società Nazionale Metanodotti”, it has been building and managing sustainable and technologically advanced infrastructure guaranteeing energy security for over 75 years. Snam operates in Italy and, through subsidiaries, Austria (TAG and GCA), France (Teréga) and the United Kingdom (Interconnector UK). It is one of the main shareholders of TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline) and is the company most involved in projects for the creation of the Energy Union.

First in Europe by transport network size (over 32,500 km in Italy, about 40,000 with international subsidiaries) and natural gas storage capacity (16.7 billion cubic meters in Italy, about 20 billion with international subsidiaries), Snam manages the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant built in Italy and is a shareholder of the country’s main terminal.

Snam’s business model is based on sustainable growth, transparency, nurturing talent, and development of local areas by dialoguing with communities. It fosters sustainable mobility, expands into energy efficiency, and invests in biomethane and innovative technologies to increase the use of renewable gas, a key resource of the green economy.

SEAT Communications
Cristina Vall-Llosada
Head of Corporate Communications
T/ +34 93 708 53 78
M/ +34 646 295 296
cristina.vall-llosada@seat.es
http://seat-mediacenter.com

Snam Communications
Salvatore Ricco
Head of Communications
T/ +39 02 3703 9505
M/ +39 335 7709861
salvatore.ricco@snam.it
www.snam.it

SOURCE: Snam SPA

Hyundai partners with AI start-up to make HD maps for autonomous cars

(Image: Hyundai) Hyundai Mnsoft will collaborate with AI startup Netradyne for the development of high definition maps for next-generation vehicles, the companies announced. Hyundai Mnsoft, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group focused on navigation solutions, will leverage Netradyne’s crowd-sourced deep vision technologies for the development of HD maps. Netradyne, founded in 2015, specialises in using… Continue reading Hyundai partners with AI start-up to make HD maps for autonomous cars