In connected car news this week were Tesla, NIAS, Microchip, Baidu, BMW, Hyundai, VOXX, UniKey, Foresght, HyreCar, Sygic, Leti and Mentor.
Tesla Opens up Tesla 3 Sales, Federal Tax Credit Will Be Reduced
Tesla will now selling Model 3 entry-level sedan to anyone who wants to go online and order one. Previously buyers needed an invitation to order the Model 3. Sales require a $2,500. The good/news bad/news is that Tesla announced that it has sold a total of 200,000 EVs reducing the federal tax credit. The $7,500 credit will be available to Tesla buyers for two more quarters. Then the credit is cut 50% to $3,750 for two quarters and another 50% to $1,850, before it ends.
Detroit Auto Show Moves to Summer in 2020
Due to competition from CES and the cold weather in Detroit, The Detroit auto show, aka the North American International Auto Show, will likely move to June in 2020. The show is expected expand with outdoor events. Confirmation is expected in announcement on July 24.
Uber Venmo Payments
Uber and Venmotannounced that they’re partnering to deliver a seamless new payment experience available with Uber and Uber Eats. More than six million payments on Venmo mentioned “Uber” in their description over the past year, making a seamless connection between the two apps a natural fit.
Uber customers in the United States ordering rides and food will soon be able to pay with their Venmo balance, linked bank account, credit card or debit card so they can easily split the cost with friends and family in the Venmo app, for no additional fee. Users can also share their purchases in their Venmo feed with custom emojis that are exclusive to the partnership, with Uber as the first company to have a branded emoji in the app.
New Gesture 3D Gesture Recognition form Microchip
Microchip Technology Inc. has announced a new three-dimensional (3D) gesture recognition controller that offers the lowest system cost in the automotive industry, providing a durable single-chip solution for advanced automotive HMI designs. The MGC3140 joins Microchip’s family of easy-to-use 3D gesture controllers as the first qualified for automotive use.
Suited for a range of applications that limit driver distraction and add convenience to vehicles, Microchip’s new capacitive technology-based air gesture controller is ideal for navigating infotainment systems, sun shade operation, interior lighting and other applications. The technology also supports the opening of foot-activated rear liftgates and any other features a manufacturer wishes to incorporate with a simple gesture action. The MGC3140 is Automotive Electronics Council AEC-Q100 qualified with an operating temperature range of -40 to +125 degrees Celsius, and it meets the strict electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements of automotive system designs. Each 3D gesture system consists of a sensor that can be constructed from any conductive material, as well as the Microchip gesture controller tuned for each individual application.
Apollo Partners with BMW and Analog Devices
Baidu and the BMW Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which the BMW Group will join Apollo, the open autonomous driving platform by Baidu, as a board member.
Analog Devices & Baidu
Analog Devices, Inc. announced that it has signed a collaboration memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Baidu to jointly advance autonomous driving. The collaboration is expected to enhance autonomous driving solutions for Project Apollo, Baidu’s autonomous driving system platform, including sensor fusion, algorithms and ecosystem partners.
Hyundai & Baidu for IoV
Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai) and Baidu today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Internet of Vehicles (IoV), signaling their commitment to strengthening cooperation on next-generation connected car technologies. The newly-signed MOU will see the existing partnership — between the world’s fifth-largest auto-making group and the leading Chinese language Internet search provider — reinforced to accelerate development of disruptive innovations in vehicle connectivity.
As a first step on the partnership’s roadmap, Hyundai and Baidu will co-develop a connected car service that provides a wide range of in-car content — real-time traffic status and live information about the user’s end-destinations for example — based on big data, maps, artificial intelligence (AI) and portal services. Through such a service, Hyundai and Baidu expect to meet the growing demand for connectivity services among consumers in China and beyond.
New UL-Novi OATL for DSRC
UL, a leading global safety science organization, announced that the UL-Novi facility is now an OmniAir Authorized Test Laboratory (OATL) to conduct certification testing for dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices. UL helps manufacturers assess their V2X devices so they can interoperate seamlessly with each other and connected vehicles through DSRC wireless protocol.
ADAS & Telematics to Grow
The penetration rate of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is expected to grow strongly over the next decade, driven mainly by government regulations and increasing consumer awareness. Europe and US NCAP mandates that all new cars must be equipped with Autonomous Emergency Breaking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) systems.
ADAS applications have entered the growth phase in 2018, OEM’s and their suppliers understand that ADAS features can also become the main differentiating factor among automotive companies.
The world market for Automotive Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will record revenues of $38.4bn in 2018 reports Visiongain.
The latest report from business intelligence provider Visiongain offers comprehensive analysis of the global Commercial Vehicle Telematics market.. It assesses that this market will generate revenues of $30.0bn in 2018.
Cadence part of ISO 26262
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. announced that its Cadence Automotive Solution has been used by ROHM CO., Ltd. for safety verification, a critical component of its ISO 26262-compliant tool chain for automotive LSIs. The ROHM flow, which has achieved ASIL D certification from TÜV Rheinland, a global leader in independent inspection services, utilizes Cadence fault injection simulation technology, which can reduce the effort required to complete the safety verification process by up to 50 percent for automotive applications.
The Cadence Automotive Solution’s Safety Verification flow automates what can otherwise be a manual, time-consuming process for achieving ISO 26262 functional safety compliance. The solution is part of the Cadence Verification Suite’s application-optimized solution for automotive devices. It also supports the company’s System Design Enablement strategy, which enables system and semiconductor companies to create complete, differentiated end products more efficiently.
Keyless Start for VOXX & UniKey
VOXX Automotive,, and UniKey Technologies, the world’s largest mobile access control platform provider, today announced a strategic partnership that will see the two companies bring secure, keyless products, and vehicle access solutions to the automotive market
VOXX brings strength and experience in the automotive vertical to this partnership as well as its Phone-as-a-Key technology, which seamlessly lets drivers use smartphones as vehicle key fobs. UniKey adds Bluetooth® location capabilities, communications and secure cloud services expertise, as well as a scalable digital key sharing platform. Together, the technology harnesses a Bluetooth-enabled mobile application, vehicle sensor array and cloud infrastructure for drivers to seamlessly access, use and share their vehicles.
A contract awarded to VOXX Automotive by an electric vehicle (EV) maker has the two companies already working on a keyless solution for an EV model to be delivered in 2019. Looking ahead, this partnership is expected to yield family key-sharing and car-sharing services as well as similar uses by car rental firms and auto fleet operators.
High Res Sensor from STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics introduced the automotive-grade ASM330LHH six-axis inertial sensor for super-high-resolution motion tracking in advanced vehicle navigation and telematics applications.
Serving demands for continuous, accurate vehicle location to support automated services, the ASM330LHH lets advanced dead-reckoning algorithms calculate precise position from sensor data if satellite signals are blocked. This often happens in urban canyons, tunnels, covered roadways, parking garages, or dense forests. Its advanced, low-noise, temperature-stable design enables dependable telematics services such as e-tolling, tele-diagnostics, and e-Call assistance. Precision inertial data in six axes also meets the needs of advanced automated-driving systems.
For the ASM330LHH, as with all its MEMS sensors, ST owns the entire manufacturing process, from designing the sensors, through wafer fabrication, packaging, test, calibration, and supply. Full end-to-end control enables ST to create high-performing sensors and assure customers of a robust and responsive supply chain, with rigorous end-of-line quality screening.
Engineering samples will be available for evaluation by Q3 2018, and volume production will begin the following quarter. Budgetary pricing starts at $5.00 for orders of 1000 pieces.
Bosch Signs with NIO
The Bosch Group and electric vehicle company NIO signed a strategic cooperation agreement focused on sensor technology, automated driving, electric motor controls, and intelligent transport systems. The signing ceremony took place in Berlin in the presence of German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. NIO began delivering its 7-seat high performance electric SUV, ES8, to its users in China in June. The vehicle contains key components from Bosch, such as driver assistance systems, control units, sensors and the iBooster electromechanical brake booster. The components will be further developed for NIO’s future models.
Foresight QuadSight Sold
Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd an innovator in automotive vision systems, today announced the sale of another prototype of its breakthrough QuadSight quad-camera vision system targeted for the semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle market.
Designed to allow near-100% obstacle detection under any weather and lighting conditions, the system was ordered by a leading Chinese electric and autonomous vehicle manufacturer to evaluate the system and its performance with the manufacturer’s current electric vehicles. The vehicle manufacturer may choose to integrate QuadSight™ into its future autonomous electric vehicles upon successful testing. Revenue from the prototype system sale is expected to total tens of thousands of dollars.
Hyundai CRADLE Invests in Ionic Materials
Hyundai CRADLE, Hyundai Motor Company’s corporate venturing and open innovation business, is investing in Ionic Materials, a privately held battery developer based in Massachusetts, to advance the development of battery technology and improve EV performance with solid-state battery innovation.
Ionic Materials is a materials technology company developing advanced materials for high-energy-density batteries that are safer and less expensive than current ones. Using a patented solid polymer material, Ionic Materials enables solid-state batteries that are inherently safe, affordable, high in energy density and operational at room temperature. The special properties of Ionic Materials’ polymer electrolyte also support lithium-ion cells with little to no cobalt in their cathodes.
Expected Benefits of Solid-State Batteries:
- Eliminates safety issues with liquid electrolytes.
- Enables higher energy anodes and cathodes[
- Reduces battery cost through less expensive chemistries and manufacturing.
HyreCar Partners with HopSkipDrive
HyreCar Inc., the carsharing marketplace for ridesharing, announced its partnership with HopSkipDrive in Denver, the leading rideshare service for kids.
With more than 3,000 users registered in the Denver market, HyreCar has already enabled full-time rideshare drivers to rent vehicles on its platform so they can work for gig-companies like Uber, Lyft and Postmates. This new partnership will allow Denver rideshare drivers to easily find and affordably rent pre-approved vehicles to drive for HopSkipDrive.
Sygic for Apple CarPlay
Sygic following the Apple announced with iOS12 on #WWDC18 that CarPlay is opening for 3rd-party applications– announced its developers are working day/night to deliver Sygic offline navigation to your in-dash.
ForceGauge Sensor Family
NextInput, Inc., the leader in MEMS-based force sensing solutions, introduces the new ForceGauge sensor family with 200% higher sensitivity performance. This disruption paves the way for the emergence of force-based HMI in smart watches, large touch displays, automotive panels, stainless steel appliances, and many more applications. NextInput’s new FT-7124/7324/7524 ForceGauge sensors are fully qualified and released to production
Mentor ISO262262 Compliance
Mentor, a Siemens business, announces that independent testing company SGS-TÜV Saar has certified the ISO 26262 compliance of tool qualification reports for Mentor’s industry-leading Calibre physical verification tools.
The reports are now qualified for use in any safety-critical ISO 26262 designs and verification flows at all criticality levels up to and including ASIL D, regardless of the design house or manufacturing site. This suite includes all Calibre tools for physical verification, DFM and circuit verification.
Mentor’s Calibre PERC™ reliability verification software, which helps ensure the proper manufacture of key IC circuit operations even in harsh automotive environments, is one of the products included in this certification effort. Calibre PERC is also the EDA platform for the German RESCAR 2.0 program, which is focused on increasing the reliability of automotive electronics.
Leti Characterizes Sensors
Leti, a research institute at CEA Tech, Transdev, a leading global provider of mobility services, and IRT Nanoelec, an R&D center focused on information and communication technologies (ICT) using micro- and nanoelectronics, announced a pilot program to characterize and assess LiDAR sensors to improve performance and safety of autonomous vehicles.
In the pilot program, Leti teams will focus on perception requirements and challenges from a LiDAR system perspective and evaluate the sensors in real-world conditions. Vehicles will be exposed to objects with varying reflectivity, such as tires and street signs, as well as environmental conditions, such as weather, available light and fog. In addition to evaluating the sensors’ performance, the project will produce a list of criteria and objective parameters by which various commercial LiDAR systems could be evaluated.
What Size is the Car—Des it Fit in Your Garage
Edmunds, the car-shopping experts, announced an Android version of its Can It Fit augmented reality (AR) feature that allows car shoppers to visualize how different vehicles will fit in their garages, parking spaces and driveways before buying. Developed using ARCore, Google’s platform for building AR experiences, the feature is included in the latest update of the Edmunds app for Android and makes it easier than ever for shoppers to research and find their perfect car via a mobile device.
Edmunds experts say a critical and often overlooked step in the shopping process is to confirm that the car you’re looking to purchase can fit where you’re planning to park it. Many dealerships offer extended test-drive programs that allow shoppers to take the vehicle home for a night, but this isn’t always an option. This new AR feature from Edmunds allows car shoppers to conduct a virtual fit test with as many vehicles as they wish, right from their Android phone.
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