In connected car news are Brewer Science, Heraeus Epurio, Washoe County School District, Zum Mobility, Aeva, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, MediaTek and Infineon.
In this Article
Brewer Science Expands Semiconductor Materials Portfolio Through Heraeus Epurio Acquisition
Brewer Science, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of Heraeus Epurio’s semiconductor chemicals business line, completing a targeted vertical integration to secure critical sub-tier material sourcing. The transaction incorporates Heraeus Epurio’s manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio, along with regional technical and sales teams in Asia, directly into Brewer Science’s manufacturing network. The consolidation grants the organization direct operational control over precursor synthesis and specialty formulation processes required for leading-edge lithography and advanced packaging.
The acquired chemical portfolio encompasses photoacid generators, photoinitiators, monomers, and crosslinkers processed to ultra-low trace-metal specifications. Integrating chemical synthesis directly into its production tier allows Brewer Science to extend its Zero Defects quality control system further upstream, mitigating contamination risks for sub-nanometer node fabrication. The Dayton site expands domestic manufacturing capacity, working alongside existing facilities in Missouri and Arizona to support local supply chain resiliency for microelectronics manufacturing.
Washoe County School District Integrates Zum Mobility Platform for Fleet Operations
Washoe County School District has selected Zum to deploy its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) technology platform across its student transportation network. Serving approximately 20,000 daily student riders, the implementation integrates telemetry, routing, dispatch, and communication tools into a unified operating system. The software suite provides district operators with real-time fleet visibility, route optimization data, and operational intelligence intended to maintain schedule adherence and streamline district-wide logistical dispatch.
The platform deployment expands data access across district personnel and end users by offering automated boarding notifications, live vehicle tracking, and dynamic arrival time updates for standard routes and extracurricular travel. By replacing legacy, segmented transportation management tools with a centralized real-time OS, the district aims to improve on-time performance, elevate cross-agency communications, and enhance operational transparency for school administrative teams and families.
Aeva Establishes Optical Connectivity Unit to Address AI Infrastructure Market
Aeva has launched an Optical Connectivity business unit aimed at deploying its silicon photonics and high-power optical source platform into artificial intelligence data center architectures. The strategic expansion adapts technology previously developed for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LiDAR sensing in automotive and industrial markets to supply External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable Source (ELSFP) modules, Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), and Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) configurations.
In tandem with the business unit launch, Aeva executed a joint development agreement with a provider of high-speed optical engines to integrate its laser sources into custom modules intended for a major hyperscaler. Initial field deployments under the customer program are scheduled for the second half of 2027, preceding a volume production ramp targeted for 2028. Senior Vice President of Photonics Pradeep Srinivasan will lead product development and commercial execution for the new division.
Hyundai and Kia Deploy Wire-Car Test Bench for Pre-Prototype SDV Validation
Hyundai Motor and Kia are expanding operations at the Next-generation Open Validation & Automation (NOVA) Lab within the Namyang R&D Center to validate complex electrical architectures prior to physical prototype assembly. Centered on a full-scale wire-car test bench, the facility links 300 to 500 electronic control units (ECUs) across approximately 500 wiring connectors to replicate complete vehicle electronic frameworks without structural body panels. The hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environment isolates circuit integrity, cross-controller communication, diagnostic timing, and functional logic, capturing an estimated 150 to 200 system integration defects before hardware builds.
The bench incorporates a proprietary Torque Wheel Dynamometer to apply dynamic driving loads during acceleration and braking, alongside ADAS simulation modules that project synthetic radar targets and virtual road imagery to evaluate active safety functions like lane keeping and adaptive cruise control. Beyond conventional passenger vehicle programs, NOVA Lab infrastructure is scaling to support high-speed Automotive Ethernet, 48V power distribution, and redundant steering and braking topologies required for software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and driverless robotaxi platforms. Front-loading software debugging to the pre-prototype phase minimizes downstream engineering re-work costs while standardizing regional validation capabilities.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks Integrates Infrastructure Toll Data for Mobile Parking Availability
Mercedes-Benz Trucks is rolling out a real-time parking availability search tool within its mobile Truck Remote App to address commercial vehicle parking deficits across primary European freight corridors. Scheduled for late August deployment in Germany before expanding to Austria and broader European networks, the application dynamically evaluates capacity across roughly 2,000 public highway parking facilities to alleviate a regional shortage estimated at 20,000 heavy-vehicle spaces by the ADAC.
Rather than relying solely on crowd-sourced inputs or dedicated roadside sensor networks, the platform processes positioning data generated by mandatory onboard toll collection hardware. By cross-referencing active toll-transponder telemetry with mapped facility boundaries and total stall capacities, the backend algorithms derive real-time occupancy estimates. The feature expands the Truck Remote App’s existing vehicle telematics and remote monitoring architecture—which tracks tire pressure, door locks, and battery state-of-charge for zero-emission platforms like the eActros 600—repurposing regulatory highway tolling infrastructure into an operational telematics layer for long-haul fleet management.
MediaTek Qualifies Infineon QSPI NOR Flash for Dimensity Auto Cockpit Platform
Infineon Technologies has secured qualification from MediaTek for its 512 Mb Quad SPI (QSPI) NOR Flash memory on the Dimensity Auto Cockpit platform C-X1. The automotive-grade memory solution provides OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and system integrators with a pre-validated boot memory component designed to store critical firmware and execution code. Built on proprietary MirrorBit technology, the AEC-Q100 qualified device supports extended operating thermal ranges up to +125 °C while ensuring high-density storage for increasingly complex software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures and over-the-air (OTA) update frameworks.
The 512 Mb QSPI NOR Flash acts as a primary execution layer for edge-level AI workloads hosted on the C-X1 SoC, enabling real-time processing for natural language voice assistants, driver monitoring systems, environmental perception, and personalized cabin telematics. By supporting Safe and Secure Boot protocols, the flash device delivers fault-tolerant hardware redundancy required to maintain functional safety and data integrity across mission-critical cockpit domains. The partnership optimizes reference designs for high-throughput digital cockpits without requiring custom memory interface adaptations.