In connected car news this week were Opus IVS, NVIDIA, BlackBerry, Transition Networks, Iteris, ZF, Cree and Amtrack (connected train).
Opus IVS Consolidation
Drew Technologies, Autologic Diagnostics, Farsight, and Bluelink Diagnostic Solutions, companies within the Intelligent Vehicle Support (IVS) division of Opus Group AB (publ), announced they are unifying and will officially be known as Opus IVS.
In 2017, Autologic was welcomed into the Opus IVS division alongside Drew Technologies. Shortly thereafter Farsight and Bluelink joined the Opus IVS division. These companies have used their combined expertise to support collision repair shops, independent mechanical repair shops, and technicians in repairing complex vehicle technology.
NVIDIA MLPERF
NVIDIA announced that the brain of the drive AGX platform leads MLPERF inference tests.
BB
BlackBerry was chosen to provide ADAS and Autonomous software for Hyundai.
Transition Networks NYC
Transition Networks, Inc., a leading provider of IoT and edge connectivity solutions, announced the start of a significant intelligent transportation project with New York City’s transportation agency to connect, power and manage traffic data via its hardened TAA-compliant, Power-over-Ethernet (PoE+) switches. This application brings intelligent transportation infrastructure citywide and reinforces the relevance and timeliness of Transition Networks’ strategy of developing smart city Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Transition Networks is working with a major North American telecommunication services company on the deployment of the solution.
DOT Contracts for Iteris
Iteris, Inc. the global leader in applied informatics for transportation and agriculture, announced that five departments of transportation (DOT) have extended their contracts to continue Iteris’ service of their 511 traveler information systems. Georgia DOT, Montana DOT, Kansas DOT, West Virginia DOT and the Riverside County Transportation Commission have renewed Iteris’ 511 services in contracts totaling more than $1.5 million.
ZF and Cree Partner for Drivelines
ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a US leader in silicon carbide semiconductors, announce a strategic partnership to create industry-leading, highly efficient electric drivelines.
With this strategic partnership, ZF and Cree are intensifying their existing cooperation. “We’re delighted that we’re building on our cooperation with Cree using their Wolfspeed silicon carbide technology and are absolutely convinced that combining our strengths will further improve efficiency and competitive edge for our components and systems,” says Jörg Grotendorst, Head of the ZF E-Mobility Division.
The future use of silicon carbide-based power semiconductors will increase the range for electric vehicles in contrast to today’s standard silicon technology. Due to high battery costs, the efficient electric drive represents an enormous growth potential for the foreseeable future. In particular, silicon carbide technology in conjunction with the 800-volt vehicle electrical system voltage makes a significant contribution to further increasing efficiency.
“Partnering with a tier-one leading global automotive supplier like ZF for the use of silicon carbide-based power inverters in next generation electric vehicles is indicative of the integral role silicon carbide plays in extending the capabilities of EVs everywhere,” said Gregg Lowe, CEO of Cree.
Electrified drivelines are making vast contributions to achieving worldwide emission targets and making mobility more sustainable.
Cree’s technology will initially be used to fulfill orders that ZF has already received for silicon carbide based electric drives from several leading global automakers. Through the partnership, ZF expects to make silicon carbide electric drivelines available to the market by 2022.
Since January 2016, ZF has bundled its electromobility activities in the E-Mobility Division headquartered in Schweinfurt, Germany. More than 9,000 employees work in this division, spread across various locations around the world.
Cree is committed to leading the global transition from silicon to silicon carbide and recently announced silicon carbide capacity expansion with a mega materials factory in Durham, N.C. and the world’s largest silicon carbide device manufacturing facility in New York. The company offers a comprehensive set of silicon carbide and GaN (Gallium nitride) power and RF (radio frequency) solutions through its Wolfspeed® business unit.
Amtrack On Track
— Through continued investment in safety and the customer experience, Amtrak delivered its best operating performance in company history this past fiscal year. The company set new records for ridership, revenue, and financial performance on its path to achieve operational breakeven in fiscal year 2020. Preliminary results for fiscal year 2019 (Oct. 2018-Sept. 2019) include:
- Safety: Implemented a Safety Management System and expanded Positive Train Control (PTC) operations, resulting in improvements in a broad range of safety metrics
- Capital Investment1: $1.6 billion, 9.4% higher than last year’s investment
- Ridership: Set a company record providing 32.5 million customer trips, a year-over-year increase of 800,000 passengers
- Operating Earnings1: ($29.8 million), The best operating performance in history, improving earnings by $140.9 million or 82.6% over FY 2018, which was ($170.6 million)
- Total Operating Revenue1: $3.3 billion, increased 3.6% over FY 2018
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