Tesla competitor, Byton’s M-byte, has a dashboard video screen as big as 7 iPads

Source: Paul Eisenstein
The interior of the Byton M-Byte features a 48-inch video screen.

A Chinese startup that's vying for Tesla's customers unveiled Sunday a 48-inch-wide video screen that stretches across the top of the dashboard of the Byton M-byte battery-electric vehicle.

The video screen, the size of seven iPads across, will anchor a business model that focuses as much on selling “content” as cars, CEO Carsten Breitfeld told CNBC.com. The SUV offers an optional 95-kilowatt-hour battery that can travel as far as 325 miles between charges.

The Chinese start-up staged one of the lead-off events for the annual Consumer Electronics Show — now known as CES — in Las Vegas. Fittingly, Byton's hour-long news conference focused on the connected technologies that will be built into its first product, the M-byte sport-utility vehicle set to go into production “before the end of the year,” said Breitfeld. That includes not only the massive screen atop the instrument panel but another that will float atop the steering wheel, allowing a driver to operate virtually all vehicle functions.

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The M-byte will target a variety of established automakers moving into the battery-car space, including Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Tesla, now the sales leader in the electric vehicle market. At a starting price of $45,000, it will come in at around the same price as the least expensive Tesla Model 3 currently on the market.

The base car will include a 71 kWh lithium-ion battery capable of around 250 miles range. A fully loaded version, Breitfeld added, will push into the $60,000 range will include the longer-range, 95 kWh battery. It will also feature all-wheel-drive, rather than the rear-wheel-drive system in the base model. And it will be offered with optional Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities. That will permit the vehicle to operate largely hands-free on highways, though the driver will need to be ready to take retake control in an emergency.

Both versions will come equipped with the 48-inch screen, the floating touchscreen atop the steering wheel and a third touch-enabled pad atop the center console that can be operated by a passenger. The vehicle will also allow a motorist to operate its various digital functions by voice or by using gestures, similar to technology found in several new BMW models.

Source: Paul Eisenstein
Dr. Carsten Breitfeld,, Byton CEO on stage at CES

The CES event focused primarily on the digital technology going into the new M-byte, an extensive array of features that the company has dubbed “Byton Life,” something meant to “transform those four wheels into the next-generation smart device.” Breitfeld declared. “M-byte could become the most important digital device in your life.”

The system relies on the latest in digital microprocessing technology operating both artificial intelligence and machine learning software, added Daniel Kirchert, Byton's co-founder and president. And it will link to the world through the new 5G wireless network just starting to go into place in the U.S., China and Europe.

Byton has also partnered with Amazon and will integrate the U.S. firm's Alexa voice assistant into the battery-SUV. That will allow passengers to plug in destinations, change audio sources and remotely operate smart home systems – turning on their lights at home while driving home at the end of the day, for example. But Byton hopes to also sell videos, games and other content that can be displayed on screens throughout the vehicle, including twin LCD displays for rear seat occupants.

“Our business model will not just be about selling cars, but using the car as a platform,” Breitfeld said in an impromptu interview following the CES news conference. “In the future, we will make more money selling digital content and shared mobility.”

The CEO believes in one of the big transformations many experts anticipate will sweep through the transportation industry over the next decade. A study released a year ago by the Boston Consulting Group forecast 30 percent of the miles that Americans clock on the road each year will be in self-driving vehicles operated by ride-sharing services. Breitfeld said he thinks that could come closer to 50 percent.

Byton, he added, plans to set up its own ride- and vehicle-sharing operations, rather than just selling its vehicles to existing services like Uber, Lyft or Waymo. The latter, a spin-off of Google, last month launched the world's first commercial self-driving ride-sharing program in Phoenix. Byton isn't the only automaker exploring that option. General Motors has said it plans to launch a similar service this year through its Cruise Automation subsidiary. Volkswagen and Ford have outlined similar plans.

Backed by the Nanjing government, as well as First Auto Works, or FAW, one of China's largest homegrown auto companies, Byton is one of a growing list of Chinese-funded electric vehicle start-ups. It's finalizing work on a plant in Nanjing that will be able to produce up to around 300,000 vehicles annually, Breitfeld told his CES audience. He subsequently told CNBC that the plan is to sell about half of those vehicles in China, and about a third, or 100,000 annually, in the U.S. The rest will go to Europe.

Source: Paul Eisenstein
Concept version of Byton M-Byte, set to be 1st vehicle to go into production in China this year.

The M-byte will be its first model, a move that reflects the growing dominance of SUVs in the global automotive market. Sales are expected to begin in China by the fourth quarter of this year and the company will open its first showroom in Shanghai on Jan. 17. The M-byte is expected to go on sale in the U.S. and Europe in the third quarter of 2020.

The concept version of the electric SUV on display in Las Vegas is about 80 percent accurate when compared to the final production model, said Benoit Jacob, the carmaker's vice president of design and the former head of BMW i, the German automaker's electric sub-brand. The most notable difference will come with the addition of conventional sideview mirrors replacing the camera system on the concept.

That's not unusual, automakers typically try to push the envelope on a prototype, then tame back their production designs. But, “I challenged the team to make the production car even better than the show car,” Jacob said during the news conference.

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Byton unveiled a concept version of its second model, the K-byte, at the Los Angeles Auto Show five weeks ago. The sedan will feature the same electric drivetrain and digital electronics technology as the M-byte. It is set to go into production by 2021, with a third model on tap for two years later. Byton officials would not discuss plans for that product.

The use of such a massive video display generated plenty of buzz at the tech-focused CES, but also raised questions about whether it might distract the driver — something CEO Breitfeld discounted.

For his part, David Trippany, the associate director of supply chain and technology at IHS Markit, said the bigger question is why. “Right now, it doesn't seem like there's a user justification to have so much real estate (devoted to) the screen.”

Byton officials said they designed the M-byte to be “future proof,” anticipating they will find reasons to have that screen covering the entire instrument panel. But Trippany said the future could see very different technologies replace conventional screens. “Everything could go AR (augmented reality)” over the life of the M-byte, making the system obsolete.

Source: Paul Eisenstein
Concept version of Byton M-Byte, set to be 1st vehicle to go into production in China this year.

World Premiere: Power bank for electric cars – the mobile quick charging station by Volkswagen Group Components

World Premiere: Power bank for electric cars – the mobile quick charging station by Volkswagen Group Components

Flexible charging station can support the stationary development of a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and serve temporary needs
CEO of Volkswagen Group Components, Thomas Schmall: “Completely new approach for the construction and expansion of the charging network”
Head of Technology at Group Components, Mark Möller: “Sustainable power can simply be stored temporarily until use”
MEB battery pack forms the energetic core of the charging station

WOLFSBURG, 27-Dec-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — At the turn of the year, Volkswagen is offering a glimpse of the company’s future mobile quick charging station. It can be set up flexibly and independent of the power supply wherever it is needed: for example, in public parking lots in the city, on company premises, or as a temporary charging point at large-scale events. The mobile charging station works according to the principle of a power bank – which is familiar to many people with smartphones – but for electric vehicles instead. The charging capacity of up to 360 kWh enables up to 15 e-vehicles, including members of Volkswagen’s new ID. family,1 to be charged in stand-alone operation. Thanks to quick charging technology, the charging process2 only takes 17 minutes on average. If the energy content of the integrated battery set is less than 20 percent, the depleted charging station is simply exchanged for a charged one. If, however, it is permanently attached to the power supply with up to 30 kW via alternating current, the battery pack perpetually recharges itself. In case the charging process is based on renewable power supply, the charging station furthermore allows the temporary storage of sustainably generated power, such as solar or wind energy – and therefore CO2-neutral mobility.

The first mobile quick charging stations will be set up as early as the first half of 2019 in Volkswagen’s hometown as part of a pilot project, and will support the expansion of a charging infrastructure in the urban area. As of 2020, the charging station will also be implemented in other cities and communities.

Thomas Schmall, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Components, says: “The mobile charging stations are a decisive step toward an efficient network of charging points. They can be set up anywhere as required – with or without connection to the power supply. This flexibility enables a completely new approach for the rapid expansion of the charging infrastructure. Cities can, for example, find out the most suitable places for a permanent charging point before making major investments in developing the network. In addition, it will be possible to set up a large number of charging stations temporarily – exactly when and where they are needed.”

The mobile charging stations can be set up at defined points, for example, spread out across a city. The flexible locations can be easily found via the Internet or apps. Each charging station enables DC quick charging with up to 100 kW. In addition to electric cars, e-bikes can also be charged. Up to four vehicles can be charged simultaneously: two with DC and two with AC connections. The total battery storage capacity of up to 360 kWh is sufficient for up to 15 e-vehicles. There is also the possibility of connecting to the power supply directly, allowing the station to be charged with up to 30 kW via alternating current by means of a permanent standard grid connection. This enables charging points for electric vehicles to be set up quickly and simply, without any structural changes or major financial outlay. The battery pack in the charging station can be recharged around the clock thanks to the direct power connection. This time-independent recharging, and therefore buffering of power, also considerably reduces the strain on the power supply at peak periods.

“Our mobile charging stations offer a further crucial advantage,” says Mark Möller, Head of Technical Development at Volkswagen Group Components. “It is only when an electric car is charged with sustainably generated power that it can claim CO2-neutral mobility. Our charging station is the first to offer the possibility of temporarily storing sustainably generated power.” For example, the charging station can be charged specifically with solar or wind energy, which is then transmitted to the electric vehicles during charging. Technically, the mobile charging column is based on the battery pack of the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB). On the one hand, this offers the advantage of quick scalability and, on the other hand, the charging station allows batteries from electric vehicles to have a second life. This is because a battery loses charging capacity over time. If a vehicle battery has a defined, reduced residual capacity, it is exchanged. If this battery subsequently passes a thorough analysis, it can be reused in a mobile charging station.

An efficient network of charging points is regarded as one of the basic infrastructural prerequisites for convincing customers to buy electric vehicles such as the Volkswagen brand’s future I.D. family.1 Accomplishing this is one of the major challenges Volkswagen Group Components and others must tackle to ensure the breakthrough of e-mobility. As of January 1, 2019, the Components division is an independent business unit within the Volkswagen Group. The mobile charging station is an in-house development with the goal of developing a closed life cycle for the battery. The start of production is planned for 2020.

MEDIA CONTACT

Enrico Beltz
Volk­swa­gen Group Com­po­nents Com­mu­ni­ca­tion, Head of Me­dia Re­la­tions
Tel. +49 5361 9- 48590
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SOURCE: Volkswagen AG

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Research Study: Where To Install Public EV Charging Stations

RESEARCH STUDY: FINDING IDEAL LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC EV CHARGING STATIONS In the early days of EVs, much money was wasted by companies and local governments to install public charging stations in impractical locations – we’ve all driven by chargers at the local town hall or city park that never seem to be in use. *This… Continue reading Research Study: Where To Install Public EV Charging Stations

SK Plans To Double Investment At U.S. Battery Factory

5 H BY MARK KANE Construction to start later this year As we learned in December, South Korean SK Innovation intends to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, investing $1.67 billion and employing more than 2,000 people (first phase to be more like $1 billion and more than 1,000 jobs). The article states that by… Continue reading SK Plans To Double Investment At U.S. Battery Factory

Top Automotive Industry News for Week of December 31 – January 6, 2019

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week of December 31, 2018 – January 6, 2019.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-AEA Membership News-

The next AEA Members Reception will be held on Thursday January 24th,
2019 in San Francio. Invitations have been sent to all current AEA
Members. Annual AEA Member Dues renewal will occur on January 2 nd, 2019. If you have any questions, please contact
memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Detroit auto show will kick off year of uncertainty

(Detroit News)

Detroit's final January auto show prepares to go out with a bang

(Detroit News)

FCA Unveiling Heavy Duty Version Of Red-Hot Ram Pickup At North
American Show In Detroit

(Forbes)

GM's New President Will Double Down on Electric, Autonomous

(Automotive Fleet)

Infiniti Aims to Electrify With QX Inspiration Concept

(The Detroit Bureau)

Polestar’s First All-Electric Model Breaks Cover

(The Detroit Bureau)

-Automotive Evolution News-

Car Companies Will Show Off the Latest in Self-Driving Tech at CES

(Barrons)

GM Cruise and DoorDash are partnering on autonomous food deliveries

(CNBC)

Self-Driving Cars Keep Tapping the Brakes

(Bloomberg)

Toyota Aims For Sci-Fi Styling In Its Upgraded, Tech-Heavy Self-Driving
Car

(Forbes)

While we were looking at 3D TVs, CES morphed into an auto show

(Engadget)

Wielding Rocks and Knives, Arizonans Attack Self-Driving Cars

(NY Times)

-Automotive Retail News-

Car payments and loans jump amid surging demand for cars, SUVs

(CNBC)

Edmunds Analysts Predict Auto Finance Deals Will Wane in the New Year

(PR Newswire)

F&I trends to watch in 2019

(Automotive News)

GM, Ford, Toyota sales fall in December, but auto industry posts
surprisingly solid 2018

(USA Today)

Rising Interest Rates Will Drive Auto Sales Down in 2019

(The Detroit Bureau)

Tesla and GM are running up against the EV tax credit limit

(Business Insider)

Tesla cuts prices of electric vehicles: Model 3, Model X, Model S will
be cheaper

(USA Today)

The Year in Auto Sales: Facts, Figures, and the Bestsellers from 2018

(Automobile)

These 6 vehicles were the hottest-selling cars of 2018: Jeep, Toyota,
Tesla make the list

(USA Today)

Trucks, SUVs Pull in December Buyers Giving Industry Big Boost

(The Detroit Bureau)

U.S. Auto Sales Boom Will Finally End In 2019; Surely?

(Forbes)

U.S. sales rise 2.2% in Dec.; SAAR hits 2018 high

(Automotive News)

-Automotive Servicing News-

Ford Recalling Nearly 1 Million Vehicles with Faulty Takata Airbags

(The Detroit Bureau)

Recall Recap: The 5 Biggest Recalls in December

(Cars.com)

-Automotive Ownership News-

The Rise In U.S. Auto Loan Debt Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

(Forbes)

-General Business & Executive News-

Audi Is Making A Welcome Return To Super Bowl Advertising To Tout New
E-Tron

(Forbes)

California makes it illegal to charge more for car insurance based on
gender

(CNet)

Cars.com sheds 8 percent of workforce

(Chicago Business)

General Motors names long-time insider Mark Reuss as its president

(CNBC)

Healthy Global Auto Sales Growth Looks Doomed In 2019

(Forbes)

Top Auto Industry Stories Of 2018: From A Jailed CEO To The End Of The
World As We Know It

(Forbes)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

Contact Us Page >>

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

Member Services

memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

UPDATE – Tesla Announces Date for Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Webcast

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UPDATE – Tesla Announces Date for Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Webcast

Oct 22,2018

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UPDATE – Tesla Announces Date for Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Webcast

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UPDATE: At the request of a number of analysts, we are moving the call by one hour to 3:30pm Pacific Time (6:30pm Eastern Time).

Tesla will post its financial results for the third quarter of 2018 after market close on Wednesday, October 24, 2018. At that time, Tesla will issue a brief advisory containing a link to the Q3 2018 Update Letter, which will be available on Tesla’s Investor Relations website. Tesla will hold a live question and answer webcast that day at 3:30pm Pacific Time (6:30pm Eastern Time) to discuss the Company’s financial and business results and outlook.

Approximately two hours after the Q&A session, an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website.

For additional information, please visit ir.tesla.com.

Source: Tesla, Inc.

Discover National Parks and Historic Sites with Parks Canada and Communauto

Montreal, July 31st, 2017 – Communauto, North American car-sharing pioneer, and Parks Canada Agency are partnering for a sustainable partnership that combines historical discoveries and ecological displacements. All Communauto’s vehicles be equipped with a Discovery Pass that gives free access throughout the year to the 27 historic sites and national parks managed by Parks Canada located in Quebec.

Through articles and advice on his blog, Communauto will introduce history lovers to bucolic, historical and economic getaways. Looking for an excursion? Communauto and Parks Canada will suggest destinations throughout Quebec, both during summer and winter and for the whole family. With this partnership, Parks Canada continues to bring Canadians closer to their heritage through its extensive network of national parks, marine conservation areas and national historic sites.

“With this partnership with Parks Canada, we will demonstrate that you don’t need to own a car to get out of the city. With car sharing, you can now go out with a clear conscience, save money and reduce the environmental impact of traveling” said Marco Viviani, Vice President, Strategic Development, Communauto.”This partnership with Parks Canada is a great Recognition of the social and environmental vocation of our company and goes hand in hand with the mission of preservation and conservation of cultural and natural heritage promoted by the Agency” concluded Mr.Viviani.

Car-sharing offers a practical and economical alternative to ownership of a vehicle and helps to reduce the number of cars and their use, preserving quality spaces. Communauto’s fleet consists of 70% of eco-efficient vehicles. The company, through the rational use of cars by their subscribers, contributes to the avoidance of 40 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

About us

Communauto was founded in Quebec City in 1994. The company has a social, environmental and urban vocation. In addition to being the oldest car-sharing company in North America, Communauto was the first car-sharing organization on the North American continent to offer 100% electric cars to its customers, and to offer two types of car-sharing service (with and without reservation). Its service is based on the pooling of more than 2,000 vehicles. Communauto’s network is growing and is now present in 7 cities in Canada: Kingston, Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal (Laval and Longueuil), Quebec, Sherbrooke, Halifax and since 2012 in Paris.

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New cars rejected more CO2 in 2018

The numbers are stubborn and sometimes go against the times. While the merits of electric power are touted, as initiatives to pollute less multiply and the end of diesel seems announced, CO2 emissions of new cars increased in 2018 by 1%, to 112 grams per kilometer traveled. according to the Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers… Continue reading New cars rejected more CO2 in 2018

Announcing HERE Navigation On-Demand

HERE Navigation On-Demand is the world’s first ‘Navigation as a Service’ solution, providing a market-ready framework that can add connected services and navigation to any vehicle. If you’re in the business of building cars, you may find yourself in a difficult position when building in-car navigation and infotainment systems. On one hand, consumers demand easy-to-use… Continue reading Announcing HERE Navigation On-Demand