AutoMobility LA Auto Show Connected Car Round-up 1: Ford, Intel, Argus, BMW, Hyundai & RideCell

laautoshosignAutoMobility LA Auto Show offered many announcements and speakers about connected cars and new mobility options. Here is around-up of the first round of announcements, we’ll have video from the show and other surprises throughout the week.

Ford supports cities of tommorrow

Ford’s CEO Mark Fields said, “We are ont he cusp of a mobility revolution…mobility is really not just about technology. It’s about people. That’s why we created the Ford City Solutions team to work with cities around the world to help map the future, starting with San Francisco and growing from there.”

He announced that Ford is beginning to collaborate with Mike Bloomberg in his philanthropic work with a coalition of mayors worldwide. Ford will work together to help create the City of Tomorrow, incubating ideas around mobility and to accelerate solutions in cities.

Intel tells it the world it serious about automotive autonomous data

Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich talked about  “Data is the New Oil” and how it will drive the future of automated driving. As part of his keynote. Krzanich also announced a $250M Intel Capital investment for autonomous driving. The fund will focus on:

  • Technologies that will drive global IoT innovation in transportation.
  • Areas where technology can directly mitigate risks while improving safety, mobility, and efficiency at a reduced cost.
  • Companies that harness the value of the data to improve reliability of the automated driving system.

Krzanich talked about the big data coming from cars. In an autonomous car, we have to factor in cameras, radar, sonar, GPS and LIDAR – components as essential to this new way of driving as pistons, rings and engine blocks. Cameras will generate 20-60 MB/s, radar upwards of 10 kB/s, sonar 10-100 kB/s, GPS will run at 50 kB/s, and LIDAR will range between 10-70 MB/s. Run those numbers, and each autonomous vehicle will be generating approximately 4,000 GB – or 4 terabytes – of data a day. He also was one of the first to mention 5G a viable option for sending and receiving data.

Argus Cyber Security secures ECUs

Argus announced  expansion of its In-Vehicle Network Protection suite with its new  ECU Fingerprinting technology. This technology makes it much harder for hackers to perform successful cyber-attacks on vehicles. For the first time, it is now possible to identify and trace to their source messages that were maliciously initiated by an unauthorized or wrong electronic control unit (ECU). Tests have shown this technology to be highly accurate at identifying malicious messages with zero false positives. ECU Fingerprinting pinpoints a malicious message and the ECU that triggered it. This vital information was to date unattainable due to the nature of the communication protocol in the in-vehicle network.

“Alexa start my Sonata Hyundai”

Hyundai announced that it is the first mainstream automaker to connect cars with homes using Amazon Echo and its new Blue Link skill for Amazon Alexa. Hyundai owners with Blue Link enabled and an Amazon Echo device can use voice commands for locking, unlocking and remote starting their vehicles from the comfort of their couch, kitchen or bedroom. The new Blue Link skill for Amazon Alexa is available across Alexa-enabled devices and Hyundai vehicles equipped with the second generation of Blue Link.

Wwners of the all-new Hyundai IONIQ Electric and Plug-in Electric vehicles are able to start and stop the charge of their cars with the ease of simple voice commands with the Blue Link skill. Hyundai owners can request various functions of their car including:

  • Remote start and stop charging of the Hyundai IONIQ Electric, IONIQ Plug-in and Sonata Plug-in.
  • Remote engine start with climate control across all supported Hyundai models.
  • Remote door lock/unlock across all Hyundai models.
  • Remote horn/lights across all Hyundai models equipped.

RideCell sells MaaS platform for car and ride sharing

RideCell, Inc., developer of a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform for leading automakers and transit providers globally, unveiled  its multiservice platform that allows car manufacturers to provide on-demand mobility when it’s needed and where it’s needed.

By integrating ridesharing and carsharing into a single platform, RideCell makes it easy for car manufacturers to create and launch a premium mobility service in a matter of months.

RideCell offers the ability for automakers to brand and launch a standalone ridesharing service, a standalone carsharing service, or a service that offers both all from within a single integrated app experience.

BMW ReachNow reaches

ReachNow, BMW Group’s free-floating premium car sharing service, announced its latest city expansion into Brooklyn, NY and debuted four new mobility services: Ride, Reserve, Share, and Fleet Solutions for residential buildings. Continuing its rapid growth Brooklyn, NY becomes ReachNow’s third North American city and marks the company’s first expansion beyond the West Coast of the United States.

  • ReachNow members seeking an on-demand ride service can order a driver as well as schedule individual and recurring rides in a ReachNow BMW vehicle. ReachNow’s Ride on-demand service will launch as a pilot program in Seattle on Dec. 8, 2016.
  • ReachNow Fleet Solutions will offer residential members an unparalleled level of convenience with exclusive use of BMW i3 electric vehicles and BMW 3 Series that remain onsite at select apartment and condominium buildings or complexes.
  • MINI owners of 2016 or 2017 model year vehicles are invited to join the ReachNow Share pilot program in Seattle. Share enables MINI owners to rent their vehicles via ReachNow when they don’t need access to it, helping to offset the cost of car ownership. Vehicles can be rented for a minimum of two days. ReachNow Share service will begin in Seattle on Dec. 15, 2016.
  • ReachNow members who wanted to use the vehicles for longer trips of 2 to 5 days could select a vehicle via the ReachNow app and see multi-day price caps automatically applied.

New Car Reveals:

New MINI Countryman incorporates BMW Group engine technology and vehicle architecture. The ALL4 offers an all-turbocharged engine lineup with outstanding acceleration and the go-kart driving dynamics that MINI owners have come to know and love. At the same time, this new architecture delivers excellent ride quality and enables the most spacious MINI interior ever.

To celebrate the launch of the 2017 Lexus IS sports sedan, Lexus created a bolder, spicier customized version of the original: the Lexus Sriracha IS. By joining forces with the authentic, beloved sauce made by Huy Fong Foods, Lexus turns up the heat with custom auto detailing, foodie finishes and an arsenal of Sriracha within easy reach for emergency situations.

Genesis  introduced the all-new 2018 Genesis G80 3.3T Sport trim, which will be on display at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. The G80 3.3T Sport builds on the refined performance of the popular Genesis G80 and adds a powerful new 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine plus unique sport performance upgrades delivering improved driving dynamics and sport agility. In addition, distinctive styling elements and features visually differentiate the new 3.3T Sport from the rest of the enhanced Genesis G80 model line-up.