Mobility – Page 7439 – I wish I had more to offer

Comma.ai’s George Hotz ousts George Hotz as CEO

Comma.ai’s board, of which founder George Hotz is the only member, is making changes at the autonomous driving startup: Hotz is no longer CEO of the company. A new CEO, who Hotz declined to name, is expected to be announced Friday via the company’s Medium blog. He confirmed that the CEO is indeed a human… Continue reading Comma.ai’s George Hotz ousts George Hotz as CEO

Plug Power develops new hydrogen filling robot

Plug Power fuel cell
Filling up with hydrogen is not as easy as filling up with gas or plugging in an electric car—at least it's not yet.

To make it easier—and importantly, cheaper for businesses—Plug Power, a New York fuel-cell company, has developed a new robotic hydrogen filling station.

Plug Power GenFuel hydrogen filling station

The system is designed to work in warehouses where hydrogen-powered forklifts and other equipment can save time refueling. Plug Power says every additional second spent refueling can add up to $1,000 in costs annually for such businesses.

CHECK OUT: California now has 33 hydrogen fueling stations for 4,200 fuel-cell cars so far

Plug Power worked with the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the National Renewable Energy Lab to develop the fueling stations, using a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy.

The robotic fueling station isn't just about hydrogen-powered forklifts in warehouses, although that's expected to be the first application.

“Today, the technology can retrofit existing GenFuel sites supporting the more than 20,000 GenDrive fuel cells in the field,” said Dustan Skidmore, vice president of engineering at Plug Power. “In the future, the technology can be used in on-road fleet vehicles, autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), and self-driving passenger cars.”

READ THIS: FedEx and UPS burn less gas to deliver boxes

Plug Power built the fuel-cell that powers the nation's first fuel-cell FedEx delivery truck in upstate New York. The truck, converted to fuel-cell power by Workhorse, fills up with hydrogen at Plug Power's Latham, New York, headquarters and has accumulated more than 3,000 miles in testing.

Apple’s autonomous vehicle fleet swells 27% in four months

Apple keeps adding autonomous vehicles to its test fleet in California, boosting its ranks 27 percent since May, according to records from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The company now has 70 autonomous vehicles permitted to test on public roads, Mac Reports first reported. The permits, which are issued by CA DMV, require a safety driver… Continue reading Apple’s autonomous vehicle fleet swells 27% in four months

Ball Corporation (BLL) Arm to Manufacture LIDAR Cameras Now

Ball Aerospace, a unit of Ball Corporation (BLL – Free Report) , has signed an exclusive license agreement to manufacture the Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GmAPD) light-detection and ranging (LIDAR) cameras for defense and aerospace industries. The license provides the sole ownership to Ball Corporation to make these cameras after Argo AI. Pittsburgh, PA-based Argo AI… Continue reading Ball Corporation (BLL) Arm to Manufacture LIDAR Cameras Now

Ford’s shares lag as CEO Hackett provides scant details of turnaround plan

Rebecca Cook | Reuters
Ford Motor Company president and CEO James Hackett

It's one of the biggest unknowns in the auto industry: How will Ford CEO Jim Hackett restructure the beleaguered automaker?

More than a year after becoming CEO, and two months after he said it will cost at least $11 billion to restructure Ford, Hackett has yet to give Wall Street details about his turnaround plan. The longer Hackett goes without unveiling his plan, the lower Ford shares slide. The stock is under $10, down almost 26 percent so far this year and close to a nine-year low.

“We just don't see much to get excited about in terms of the stock,” said Brian Johnson, auto analyst at Barclays.

Johnson, like others on Wall Street, expects Hackett to dramatically downsize the company as part of a plan to cut costs and exit businesses and markets where Ford is either losing money or struggling to grow profits.

South America and Europe are two regions Ford could eliminate or dramatically cut operations, according to analysts. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas gave a sobering assessment of Ford's business in South America. “In our opinion, it is very difficult to see Ford continuing operations on a profitable basis in the region,” he wrote in a note to clients in late August.

Jonas was even more blunt in assessing of Ford's operations in North America. “We estimate roughly one quarter of the region's physical and human capital is within businesses that have no path to positive ROIC (return on invested capital),” said Jonas.

What also worries analysts is the lack of details surrounding Ford's plan to capitalize on hefty investments in autonomous-drive vehicles and mobility solutions. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Hackett and his leadership team outlined their vision for the future of transportation.

“We're working on a new self-driving business model. It's a systems-based approach, transporting both people and goods,” said Jim Farley, president of global markets at Ford.

It sounds intriguing, but analysts wonder how much it will cost to develop these self-driving vehicles and how Ford will make money off of those mobility services.

Adding to investors' concerns is whether Ford will be forced to cut its dividend to preserve cash. The company has been adamant the dividend will remain in place. With $25 billion in cash, liquidity is not an immediate concern.

Still, this turnaround will be tough. In late August, Moody's downgraded Ford's credit rating to one notch above junk status saying, “Success could be challenged by having to address the serious performance problems in multiple business units simultaneously.”

When the plan will be revealed remains unclear.

“The real question is, is there more going on behind the scenes and under the surface than is apparent in the quarterly earnings,” said Johnson. “I think the bull case, such as there is on Ford, is that Mr. Hackett is driving deep, fundamental, cultural change in the company.”

— CNBC's Meghan Reeder contributed to this article.

Questions? Comments? BehindTheWheel@cnbc.com.

Lyft Commits to Full Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewable Energy

Earlier this year we announced our Green Cities Initiative, a new business unit dedicating significant resources to tackling climate change. As Lyft continues to grow, we have an increasing responsibility to commit additional resources towards our values in order to maximize the positive impact of the Lyft platform. Our first step was to create a… Continue reading Lyft Commits to Full Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewable Energy

Pay-with-your-face systems and self-driving cars: Inside Baidu’s headquarters in Beijing

Pay-with-your-face systems and self-driving cars: Inside Baidu's headquarters in Beijing

A trip to Baidu's headquarters may offer a glimpse into the future of payments, building security and driving.

Baidu is often referred to as the “Google of China” because the tech titan commands roughly 70 percent of China's internet searches. Like Alphabet in the U.S., the Chinese company is also working on a host of other technologies.

CNBC recently visited its headquarters in Beijing, which is home to around 20,000 of its 40,000-person workforce. Similar to companies in Silicon Valley, Baidu has multiple buildings spread across a sprawling campus boasting amenities from yoga classes to rock climbing walls.

Employees now have the option of registering their faces, which they can use to get through security checkpoints and even pay for things like lunch or items at vending machines.

Uptin Saiidi | CNBC
An employee pays with his face at Baidu's cafeterira in Beijing, China

Meanwhile, a small park on its campus is used to try out autonomous vehicles. During CNBC's visit, staff tested a combination of vehicles, including passenger cars, 14-passenger buses and logistics vehicles that could eventually deliver packages.

This week, Baidu announced it will work with BYD — China's leading electric car maker, which is backed by Warren Buffett — to reach mass production of autonomous cars within three years.

Baidu has already produced more than 100 autonomous buses and has plans to sell to foreign markets, including Japan, which is set to receive 10 in early 2019.

Baidu has partnered with companies including Microsoft, BMW, Ford and Intel as part of its autonomous driving project.

Baidu, BYD partner to bring mass production of self-driving cars
4:16 AM ET Thu, 6 Sept 2018 | 02:31

Aston Martin St Athan confirmed as ‘Home of Electrification’

Published: Sep 10, 2018

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Neil Allison

Aston Martin announced today that its second major UK manufacturing facility will become the brand’s centre for electrification and the production home of the Lagonda brand, the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque.

11 September 2018, Gaydon, UK: Aston Martin announced today that its second major UK manufacturing facility will become the brand’s centre for electrification and the production home of the Lagonda brand, the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque.
St Athan has also been named as the home of Lagonda production. As the world’s first luxury marque exclusively driven by zero emission powertrain technologies, Lagonda heralds the beginning of a new range of luxury vehicles that will commence production in 2021. The ‘Lagonda Vision Concept’, revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show hints at the bold design language that could be seen in future Lagonda products in as little as three years.
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Aston Martin sees itself as a future leader in the development of zero emission technologies, and I am delighted that St Athan will be our ‘Home of Electrification’ for both the Aston Martin and Lagonda brands.
“The Rapide E will spearhead development of Aston Martin’s low- and zero-emission vehicle strategy. With the reintroduction of the Lagonda brand, this is a demonstration of how electrification features prominently in our business plan moving forward.”
International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said: “I’m delighted that Aston Martin has chosen St Athan as its centre for electrification and the home of Lagonda production in a move that will create hundreds of high skilled jobs in the coming years. The UK has world leading expertise in manufacturing and developing low carbon vehicles and this investment is yet another vote of confidence in the our highly competitive automotive industry.
“My international economic department continues to work with investors to create jobs in all parts of the country, maintaining the UK’s position as Europe’s premier investment destination.”
First Minister, Carwyn Jones said “I am very proud of Aston Martin’s decision to locate its new manufacturing facility in St Athan. It shows a huge vote of confidence in the Welsh Government’s can-do attitude and in the package of support that we can offer to businesses that want to work with us.
“Today’s announcement that St Athan will also be the “Home of Electrification” for both Aston Martin and Lagonda is another huge win for Wales. It is a genuine testament to the reputation, dedication and skills of our workforce but also an excellent and very tangible example of how Welsh Government support can act as the catalyst for further economic growth and job creation.”
Aston Martin St Athan is now in the third and final phase of becoming a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility, in which production of the company’s first sports utility vehicle (SUV) is due to begin in late 2019. The project includes the conversion of three super hangars on the former Ministry of Defence site. The plant is a demonstration of Aston Martin’s continued commitment to the UK and an additional investment of £50million to make St Athan the home of electrification for the marque shows a clear vision on the future of Aston Martin in the UK. The new plant will bring up to 750 high skilled jobs to South Wales over the coming years, with more than 150 already recruited.

Bristol driverless car report challenges business models

The £5m VENTURER project has released its final report, detailing key research results that challenge developments by major global companies. The three-year project explored the barriers to the adoption of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in the UK and how best they could be overcome. “One of the first research and development projects to explore… Continue reading Bristol driverless car report challenges business models

Chipmaker Renesas goes deeper into autonomous vehicles with $6.7B acquisition

Japan-based semiconductor firm Renesas — one of the world’s largest supplier of chips for the automotive industry — is scooping up U.S. chip company IDT in a $6.7 billion deal that increases its focus on self-driving technology. Renesas produces microprocessor and circuits that power devices, and automotive is its core focus. It is second only to NXP… Continue reading Chipmaker Renesas goes deeper into autonomous vehicles with $6.7B acquisition