In connected car news this week were Tesla, Infineon, Airbiquity, FlexDrive, Aptiv, Blink, Luxsoft, ParkMobile, Magneti Marelli and Octo.
Tesla Warnings
Tesla sent emails to vehicle owner warning of ways to prevent theft, “You can decrease the likelihood of unauthorized entry by disabling Passive Entry when parked in public spaces or storing your key in a holder which blocks electromagnetic transmissions, such as an RFID-blocking sleeve or Faraday cage.”
Infineon Parnters with Alibaba
Infineon Technologies AG and Alibaba Cloud Computing Company (Alibaba Cloud) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the joint promotion of IoT applications within the fields of smart life and smart industry. Infineon and Alibaba will thus facilitate the digital upgrade of Chinese enterprises and cities. Both parties will make use of Alibaba Cloud’s integration capabilities and successful experiences in IoT and work together to create advanced and secure IoT solutions. This will help upgrade and transform the smart digitalization of SMEs, allowing them to manage the entire production process through digital means.
Getaround Shares Cars in Philly
Getaround, the carsharing platform that empowers users to instantly rent and drive great cars shared by people in their city, joins the Greater Philadelphia community today.
Every car on the platform can be booked hourly or daily and is equipped with Getaround Connect™, a patented technology that enables users to remotely locate and unlock cars using the Getaround iPhone or Android app. Philadelphians can conveniently carshare with people near them, without coordinating a key pickup or dropoff. This puts a wide variety of cars at the fingertips of consumers while empowering car owners to earn thousands in extra income that helps offset the cost of their vehicle.
Airbiquity Joins JASPAR
Airbiquity, a global leader in connected vehicle services, announced it has become a member of Japan Automotive Software Platform and Architecture (JASPAR), an organization dedicated to advancing the standardization of in-vehicle software and networks to enhance development efficiency and reliability. Bringing together nearly 200 manufacturers, suppliers, and developers across various industries, JASPAR works to identify and resolve common issues faced by the vehicle electronics sector and encourages the industry to adopt new automotive technology.
By tapping into the proven technical capabilities of its members – which includes leading automakers and automotive suppliers – JASPAR explores critical new areas that will help promote and standardize connected vehicle technology. As a JASPAR member, Airbiquity will bring over 20 years of connected vehicle software development and technology integration expertise to one or more technical working groups.
moovel Moves 5 Million
moovel Group products are used by five million people. The Daimler subsidiary is a Mobility-as-a-Service pioneer. The term Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) refers to the bundling of various types of public transportation, such as buses, subway, car sharing, bike sharing, and taxis, to form a multimodal transportation solution. Customers book and pay for services using an integrated account accessed via one app. This combines public transportation options with the sharing economy to form a seamless, flexible service. moovel Group introduced its first MaaS platform with integrated booking and payment functions back in 2015.
The moovel Group is represented in North America by moovel North America, based in Portland, Oregon. moovel North America is the leading provider of mobile-ticketing apps that enable customers to book and pay for tickets using their smartphone. moovel products are used by five million people – an increase of 71 percent, adding two million users over the past 12 months.
New Auto Audio Amps from STMicroelectronics
The FDA803D and FDA903D digital-input automotive audio amplifiers from STMicroelectronics are richly featured to simplify integration and maximize reliability in telematics and emergency-eCall equipment, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) in hybrid/electric vehicles, and to enhance high-end infotainment systems.
With I2S and TDM digital-audio inputs and feedback-after-filter topology for low noise and high sound quality, these 1x45W class-D amplifiers simplify design and save BOM costs. Combining these features with full I2C automotive-grade diagnostics including unique offset and open-load detection in play mode, the FDA803D and FDA903D realize the next generation of amplifiers for cost-effective essential safety equipment. Thanks to these integrated features, they simplify certification to the required ISO 26262 ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level), too.
The FDA903D has an additional load-current monitoring feature, which allows continuous monitoring of the speaker thus enabling advanced diagnostics as well as speaker performance enhancement.
The devices extend ST’s FDA family of robust full-digital audio amplifiers for automotive applications, which includes 2-channel and 4-channel devices up to 4x135W with features for reliable diagnostics and ST’s innovative feedback-after-filter concept.
The FDA803D and FDA903D have a wide supply-voltage range of 3.3V to 18V, allowing use in a variety of equipment powered from the car battery or other sources. They are tested according to CISPR class V to help ensure compliance with stringent EMC specifications for automotive equipment.
Production samples of both devices are available now. Budgetary pricing for orders of 1000 pieces is $2.60 for the FDA803D and $2.80 for the FDA903D.
FlexDrive for eCarOne
Dallas/Ft. Worth-based eCarOne and Essence Maserati and Alfa Romeo tapped Flexdrive, a car subscription technology and services company that enables dealers and fleet owners to offer on-demand car subscriptions to consumers via mobile devices, as their technology partner to launch a vehicle subscription program.
Flexdrive, a joint venture between Cox Automotive and fleet management company ARI, will act as the technology platform for both dealerships’ car subscription programs, while also providing a consumer marketplace for the dealerships to tap into.//
Hertz Partners with Aptiv
The Hertz Corporation and its fleet management subsidiary, Donlen, announced a new strategic partnership with Aptiv a global technology company enabling the future of mobility.
Hertz will assist with the operations and management of Aptiv’s Las Vegas autonomous vehicles (AVs). Aptiv’s technology powers safe and reliable AVs in cities worldwide with Las Vegas serving as the initial North American commercial deployment market.
Blink Earns Energy Star Rating
Blink Charging Co. leading owner, operator and provider of electric vehicle (“EV”) charging equipment and networked EV charging services, announced that it is the first company to have earned the ENERGY STAR® certification on an 80A, network connected charging station. This certification demonstrates that Blink’s next-generation Level 2 EV charging stations have met or exceeded the ENERGY STAR® requirements for the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Program. Business owners deploying these next-generation stations from Blink will be eligible for Energy Star related government grants, resources, refinancing programs and tax incentive
Americans Trust Steel in Cars
A new national study, conducted by Lab42, and commissioned by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), finds Americans in the market for a new vehicle continue to trust and prefer steel as the automotive material of choice. Additionally, a second study conducted by Ducker Worldwide shows the steel industry has made monumental strides in developing new, advanced grades of steel and making them commercially available. Current and potential consumers view steel as critical to key vehicle attributes such as safety, strength and durability and favor steel vehicles over brands relying on aluminum.
Garage Juice Bar Expands with Oasis Charger Corp
Garage Juice Bar, a pioneering manufacturer and distributor of electric vehicle charging stations, announced strategic transaction with Oasis Charger Corporation to support a major expansion of its North American network.
Headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, Juice Bar’s chargers operate in parking lots and garages in 71 cities throughout the United States and Canada. Oasis Charger Corporation was formed to acquire Juice Bar’s assets and invest in the growth of its award-winning EV charger infrastructure.
Luxoft & Daimler Partner for MBUX
Luxoft Holding, Inc, a global IT service provider, and Daimler AG, the global automotive manufacturer, have [partnered to develop the software platform that powers Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), a state-of-the-art infotainment system installed in all new Mercedes A-class vehicles.
The platform connects MBUX to the underlying features in the infotainment system and enables the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality into the in-car experience. This helped to create the deep and emotional connection between the Mercedes-Benz, driver and passengers.
ENGIE Displaces Green House Gases
ENGIE Resources announced that it has now supplied enough Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) to displace the estimated greenhouse gas emissions of more than 1 million passenger vehicles driven for a year. A REC is created when one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity is generated and delivered to the electricity grid from a renewable energy resource.
Since ENGIE began offering RECs in 2007, the company has seen considerable growth in its renewable product offerings, which now help commercial, industrial, and institutional customers across the U.S. meet their sustainability commitments.
RECs encourage the development of domestic sources of renewable energy while giving customers a low-risk opportunity to strengthen environmentally responsible brands. Each REC represents the environmental attributes or benefits associated with a specific quantity of energy generated from a renewable source, such as solar or wind.
ParkMobile Partners with Park Place
ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the US, will partner with Park Place Parking to allow customers to use their mobile devices to pay for parking. The service is available across 2,000 spaces at 20 lots across Columbus.
The ParkMobile app has replaced the previous mobile parking provider across all Park Place Parking lots. New stickers and signage will provide information to drivers on how to pay for parking using the new app. To use ParkMobile, customers can register for free through the app for iPhone, Android or online at parkmobile.io. After setting up their account, customers can immediately begin using the system with their registered device.
Users can choose to upgrade for $0.99/month to the ParkMobile Pro membership which includes Parking Availability, a feature that shows where the open on-street parking spots are in immediate area. Additionally, membership comes with special offers on automotive related services like oil changes, rental cars and more.
Magneit Marelli Buy SmarteMeUp
Magneti Marelli announces the signing of an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of SmartMeUp, a French start-up operating in the field of “perception software” aimed at autonomous driving, smart cities and safety technology applications. Closing is expected to take place in the last quarter of 2018, following some formal steps.
In particular SmartMeUp develops software for processing sensor’s signals, detecting and recognizing objects around the vehicle, allowing 3D Environment Building and Object Movement Tracking. This type of software will be a key enabler for autonomous vehicles.
The differentiating feature of SmartMeUp’s software is that it requires low computing power and generates low heat, making it possible to be rolled out on a large scale for embedded automotive applications. SmartMeUp also focuses on developing software for “Driver Monitoring”, that is included in the NCAP requirements roadmap, expected to be mandatory by 2020. The acquisition will bring into Magneti Marelli a group of high skilled scientists and engineers, with proven capabilities in the field.
Bird Flies into Paris & Tel Aviv
Bird, the leader in last-mile electric mobility, today announced the first steps in taking its mission to reduce car trips, traffic, and carbon emissions global. The company today is launching pilot programs for its fleet of dock-free electric scooters in Paris and Tel Aviv. Leading this effort is Patrick Studener, Bird’s Head of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and a veteran of bringing innovative transportation solutions to international markets.
In Paris and Tel Aviv, Bird will commit to collecting all of its vehicles each night for charging and necessary maintenance and practicing responsible growth by only adding more vehicles when each Bird averages three or more rides per day.
Octo Parnters with Nebula Sys
Octo Telematics, a global provider of telematics for the auto insurance industry, has announced a strategic partnership along with a minority investment in Nebula Systems Ltd.
Nebula Systems, a UK company with deep roots in automotive diagnostics and data acquisition, have developed a technology that enables third parties to access deep level OEM data, on virtually any car.
Octo invested in Nebula to boost the data it can leverage from its own customer fleets to enable new and exciting connected car business models.
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