Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

gm

Workhorse might be taking over GM’s massive facility in Ohio

by

Workhorse, the electric vehicle developer, could be about to take over General Motors’ Lordstown, Ohio facility in a deal which may see the two companies form a joint venture.

This is according to a tweet by US President Donald Trump, whose comments appear to have pre-empted the deal and caught the two companies by surprise.

Trump tweeted: “GREAT NEWS FOR OHIO! Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, who informed me that, subject to a UAW agreement etc., GM will be selling their beautiful Lordstown Plant to Workhorse, where they plan to build Electric Trucks. GM will also be spending $700,000,000 in Ohio…

[Read more…] about Workhorse might be taking over GM’s massive facility in Ohio

GM’s autonomous driving business Cruise raises another $1.15 billion

by

The autonomous driving business which General Motors acquired three years ago, Cruise, has raised more than $1 billion in its latest funding round, bringing total capital raised to approximately $7 billion.

Cruise says the equity investment of $1.15 billion is from a group comprising institutional investors, including funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, and existing partners GM, SoftBank Vision Fund and Honda.

Dan Ammann, Cruise CEO, says: “Developing and deploying self-driving vehicles at massive scale is the engineering challenge of our generation.

[Read more…] about GM’s autonomous driving business Cruise raises another $1.15 billion

GM launches e-bike range 

by

GM has announced the name of its new ebike brand, ARĪV. The brand includes two ebikes: the Meld, a compact eBike, and the Merge, a folding ebike.

The name ARĪV was selected as part of a global crowdsourcing campaign announced in November 2018.

ARĪV eBikes are launching first in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, due to the popularity of lithium-ion battery-powered eBikes in those markets. ARĪV ebikes are scheduled to begin to be shipped to customers in Q2 of 2019.

[Read more…] about GM launches e-bike range 

Lightweighting: How GM and Autodesk are using generative design for vehicles of the future

by

Autodesk and General Motors have been working together to develop new technologies for engineering design, as Bill Danon reports (see video below)

General Motors’ auto engineers have been heavyweights in vehicle lightweighting for years.

Just since 2016, GM has launched 14 new vehicle models with a total mass reduction of over 5000 pounds or more than 350 pounds per vehicle.

The lighter the car, the less fuel it uses, the less carbon it emits and the more money the driver saves. Pretty important stuff.  [Read more…] about Lightweighting: How GM and Autodesk are using generative design for vehicles of the future

Honda partners on General Motors’ next-gen battery development

by

General Motors Co. and Honda will partner on new advanced chemistry battery components, including the cell and module, to accelerate both companies’ plans for all-electric vehicles.

The next-generation battery is aimed at delivering higher energy density, smaller packaging and faster charging capabilities for both companies’ future products, mainly for the North American market.

Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate based on GM’s next generation battery system with the intent for Honda to source the battery modules from GM.

[Read more…] about Honda partners on General Motors’ next-gen battery development

General Motors reveals autonomous electric mobile platform

by

 

General Motors has unveiled a new type of vehicle which the company says is flexible, autonomous and is powered by fuel cell technology – or electric. 

GM says the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure – Surus, for short – delivers highly mobile autonomous capability and agility in unpredictable terrain.

This would make it suitable for military use, which is what GM is aiming at. But it could also find applications in the commercial logistics industry, another market GM has listed where Surus could find work. [Read more…] about General Motors reveals autonomous electric mobile platform

GM acquires lidar developer Strobe to accelerate driverless car development

by

 

General Motors has acquired lidar – light detection and radar – technology company Strobe.

As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent will join GM’s Cruise Automation team to develop next-generation lidar solutions for self-driving vehicles.

Kyle Vogt, founder and CEO, Cruise Automation, says: “Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale.” [Read more…] about GM acquires lidar developer Strobe to accelerate driverless car development

Electric cars will change the way industrial robots are used in manufacturing, says Fanuc boss

by

 

With Volvo’s decision to go all electric in its future vehicles, combined with the French government’s decision to ban sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 and similar moves in Germany, the automotive industry is preparing for a tectonic shift in the manufacturing landscape. 

The way electric cars are made already differ considerably now, and new techniques will take the production of the new vehicles further away from traditional methods.

An interesting insight into the future was offered by a senior executive at the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturer, who suggested that electric cars are highly likely to fundamentally change the way industrial robots are used.  [Read more…] about Electric cars will change the way industrial robots are used in manufacturing, says Fanuc boss

General Motors produces new fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles

by

Company claims to be the first company to use mass-production methods for autonomous and electric vehicles

General Motors says it has completed production of 130 Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles equipped with its next generation of self-driving technology at its Orion Assembly Plant located in Orion Township, Michigan.

The vehicles will join the more than 50 current-generation self-driving Bolt EVs already deployed in testing fleets in San Francisco; Scottsdale, Arizona; and metro Detroit.

GM CEO Mary Barra says: “This production milestone brings us one step closer to making our vision of personal mobility a reality.

“Expansion of our real-world test fleet will help ensure that our self-driving vehicles meet the same strict standards for safety and quality that we build into all of our vehicles.”  [Read more…] about General Motors produces new fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles

US government set to change driverless vehicle regulations under pressure from automakers

by

US President Donald Trump is set to announce “within the next few months” new regulations that will eliminate the barriers to autonomous cars on the roads, according to a report on Reuters. 

The current transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, acknowledged that automakers have been calling for rule changes which will give them more freedom to test and develop autonomous cars.

Chao says: “The pressure is mounting for the federal government to do something. We don’t want rules that impede future technological advances.”  [Read more…] about US government set to change driverless vehicle regulations under pressure from automakers