Market trends and business perspectives
BMW has been showing off the sporty version of its electric and autonomous concept car, which it calls Vision M NEXT (main picture).
The BMW Vision M NEXT was one of the highlights at the #NEXTGen Event held at BMW Welt in Munich.
Visitors to the IAA Cars 2019 show were also treated to a glimpse into the electrified future of the BMW M brand (pictured below). [Read more…] about BMW shows off sporty version of electric and autonomous concept car
NXP Semiconductors and Volkswagen have shared early glimpses into Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology and its future applications.
In a Volkswagen concept car, the companies showed the capabilities of Ultra-Wideband for advancing security, safety and convenience in vehicles.
Lars Reger, CTO of NXP Semiconductors, and Maik Rohde, head of body electronics and car access systems, Volkswagen, discussed the pioneering collaboration as part of a broader, cross-industry push to leverage the unique capabilities of UWB: accurate localization and fine ranging at maximum security levels. [Read more…] about NXP and Volkswagen explore ultra-wideband technologies
Septentrio, a manufacturer of GPS / GNSS technology for demanding applications, is providing positioning technology to Artisense, supplier of innovative computer vision solutions for automated vehicles.
Artisense incorporates Septentrio GPS / GNSS in their latest Visual Inertial Navigation System (VINS), which will be demonstrated live at Auto AI Show in Berlin, Germany on September 25-27, 2019.
VINS combines computer vision, inertial sensors and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) measurements to deliver highly accurate global 3D positioning and orientation information in any environment, even indoors. [Read more…] about Septentrio and Artisense to demonstrate advanced localization technology for autonomous vehicles at Auto AI Show
by Sam Francis
BMW has unveiled what the automaker describes as “the world’s blackest of black” cars, using a coating called “Vantablack”.
The company says Vantablack “highlights the expressive design language and confident, dominant and muscular appearance of the new BMW X6 to perfection”.
Vantablack is the registered trademark for the VBx2 nanostructure paint finish BMW used on the new X6 vehicle. [Read more…] about BMW unveils ‘the world’s blackest’ car using nanotech coating
A self-driving technology startup called Voyage Auto has raised $31 million in Series B funding.
The investment round was led by Franklin Templeton, with significant participation from Khosla Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion Ventures, and Chevron Technology Ventures.
The latest funding round brings Voyage Auto’s total capital raised to $52 million. [Read more…] about Self-driving tech startup Voyage Auto raises $31 million in funding
Škoda Auto has opened a new automotive paint shop at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, in the Czech Republic, featuring 66 industrial robots configured for applying the paint.
Up to 168,000 car bodies will be coated with paint there each year, taking the plant’s total annual painting capacity up to 812,000 vehicles.
Škoda Auto has invested €214.5 million in the new building, creating more than 650 new jobs. (See infographic below.) [Read more…] about Škoda opens new $200 million paint shop featuring 66 robots
by Anna
Bosch and Daimler have chosen in a city located in the San Francisco Bay in Silicon Valley, California, as the pilot location for a first test fleet developing fully-automated and driverless driving.
Bosch and Daimler will offer customers a shuttle service with automated vehicles on selected routes. Daimler Mobility Services is envisaged as the operator of this test fleet and the app-based mobility service.
The pilot project will demonstrate how mobility services such as car sharing (car2go), ride-hailing (mytaxi) and multi-modal platforms (moovel) can be intelligently connected to shape the future of mobility.
[Read more…] about Bosch and Daimler to pilot automated driving in California
Volkswagen has already built 200 pre-production vehicles of the new electric car ID.3, although none are for sale yet.
The initiative involved the conversion of VW’s vehicle factory in Zwickau, which the company says will eventually be “the largest facility for electric mobility in Europe”.
The members of Volkswagen’s group and brand boards of management, as well as the group works council, were able to see that for themselves at today’s site symposium for all three locations in Saxony held at Zwickau. [Read more…] about Volkswagen has already built 200 pre-production vehicles of its new electric car ID.3
by Mai Tao
Neolix, a maker of small autonomous delivery vehicles, has laid the foundation stone to mark the start of building a factory for manufacturing driverless vehicles.
The company says the new facility in Changzhou will be the first unmanned vehicle mass-production base in the region, and possibly the world.
The plant will produce vehicles which have “Level 4” autonomation, which is described as “full autonomy with human driver” by the SAE. [Read more…] about Neolix inaugurates factory for manufacturing autonomous vehicles
by Mai Tao
NEDO, Sharp Corporation, and Toyota Motor plan to commence public road trials of electrified vehicles equipped with high-efficiency solar batteries later this month.
The trials aim to assess the effectiveness of improvements in cruising range and fuel efficiency of electrified vehicles equipped with high-efficiency solar batteries.
To facilitate the execution of this trial, Sharp modularized its world-class, high-efficiency solar battery cells (conversion efficiency of 34 percent+), previously developed for a NEDO-led project, to create an onboard solar battery panel. [Read more…] about NEDO, Sharp, and Toyota to begin public road trials of electrified vehicles equipped with high-efficiency solar batteries
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