In connected car news are GM, Honda, BorgWarner, Hitachi, UVEYE, Nissan, Synopsis, Elecktrobit and DRiV.
GM & Honda MOU Partnership
General Motors and Honda announced they have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding following extensive preliminary discussions toward establishing a North American automotive alliance. The scope of the proposed alliance includes a range of vehicles to be sold under each company’s distinct brands, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development, and connected services.
Under the proposed alliance, Honda and GM would collaborate on a variety of segments in North America, intending to share common vehicle platforms, including both electrified and internal combustion propulsion systems that align with the vehicle platforms. Co-development planning discussions will begin immediately, with engineering work beginning in early 2021.
The announcement builds on the agreement signed between the companies in April to jointly develop two all-new electric vehicles for Honda based on GM’s highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. The GM-Honda relationship, which began more than two decades ago, includes recent collaboration between the companies on fuel cells, batteries and the Cruise Origin shared autonomous vehicle.
BorgWarner Works with Plug & Play
BorgWarner announced its next venture with Plug and Play, a global innovation platform and accelerator ecosystem for startup companies, by becoming a partner of its newly planned incubator location in Detroit. Developed through a collaboration between Plug and Play and the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC), Plug and Play Detroit will supply many startup companies with resources, guidance and financing through its global innovation platform in an effort to achieve technical advancements faster than ever before. Joining forces with Plug and Play in Detroit – in addition to its existing cooperation with Plug and Play in Silicon Valley – directly connects BorgWarner to a host of smart, innovative future collaborators.
Hitachi Forms Automotive Electric Motor Systmes America
Hitachi Automotive Electric motor Systems Ltd. (President: Noboru Yamaguchi) newly established Hitachi Automotive Electric Motor Systems America, Inc. (President: Shingo Nakamura) in Kentucky, USA, for the development, manufacture and sale of electric vehicle motors. The new company will utilize the existing office and manufacturing facilities in Berea City, owned by Hitachi Automotive Systems. Full production is expected to start in 2022 dependent on the effects of COVID 19.
The establishment of this new company will further strengthen Hitachi Automotive Electric Motor Systems’ business foundation in the expanding electric vehicle market and respond to growing demand for electric vehicle motors in the USA.
UVeye Intros Virutal Fingerprint
UVeye, a leading developer of vehicle threat-detection systems for the security industry, is introducing technology that can create a virtual “fingerprint” for any vehicle after a UVeye underbody scan.
The company will host a free SIA (Security Industry Association) webinar on “How to Fingerprint Vehicles Using Computer Vision” at 12:00 p.m. EDT.
The company’s CEO Amir Hever and Chief Marketing Officer Yaron Saghiv plan to discuss how computer-learning and artificial-intelligence technology can be used to identify vehicle fraud and security threats based on underbody scans.
New CFRP Method from Nissan
A material used in airplanes, rockets and sports cars may find its way into more mass-market cars thanks to a new production process developed by Nissan.
The new process speeds up the development of car parts made from carbon fiber reinforced plastics, or CFRP. Lightweight yet extremely strong, the material can be used to make cars that are safer and more fuel efficient. It can also lower a car’s center of gravity when applied to upper body parts, making it more agile and exciting to drive.
HONK Technologies Virtual Assistant
HONK Technologies, the platform connecting drivers and towing professionals, today announced the release of a new contact center customer engagement tool: the HONK Virtual Assistant.
This new digital system combines interactive voice response (IVR) capabilities with a synchronized mobile web visual interface designed to help motorists who are in need of roadside assistance navigate self-service menus, making the information gathering process faster, more streamlined and comprehensive. Motorists can set their smartphone to speaker and the IVR system audibly and visually walks them through the process of entering their service request details, car and location information into an enhanced mobile web experience built for ease of use and accuracy. Motorists can interrupt to ask questions or speak to a call center representative at any point.
Synopsis & Elektrobit
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) and Elektrobit (EB), a visionary global supplier of embedded and connected software products for the automotive industry, today announced availability of EB tresos Classic AUTOSAR software for Synopsys’ ASIL-D compliant DesignWare® ARC® EM and ARC HS Functional Safety (FS) Processor IP. This version of the EB tresos AUTOSAR software used with the ARC Functional Safety processors provides a hardware-software platform that makes it easier for automotive semiconductor companies, OEMs, and Tier 1 suppliers to develop software applications based on the AUTOSAR standard. The combined solution accelerates time-to-market for the complex automotive electronic control units (ECUs) required for applications such as ADAS, infotainment, gateways, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems used in modern vehicles.
“Elektrobit has been active in the development of the AUTOSAR standard from its inception and continues to be a leader in AUTOSAR software and tools,” said Artur Seidel, vice president for Americas at Elektrobit. “We are pleased to be the first automotive software company to collaborate with Synopsys on a software solution for its ARC Functional Safety processors, providing a turnkey approach that makes it quicker and easier for customers to develop automotive safety applications.”
The ARC Functional Safety processors support ASIL B and ASIL D safety levels to simplify safety-critical automotive system on chip (SoC) development and accelerate ISO 26262 qualification. The complete portfolio includes the ARC EM22FS, HS4xFS, EV7xFS, and VPX5FS safety processors with integrated hardware safety features to detect system errors. The DesignWare ARC MetaWare Development Toolkit for Safety (EM22FS, HS4xFS) helps software developers accelerate the development of ISO 26262-compliant code. To accelerate early software development, Elektrobit supplies Classic AUTOSAR to the ARC EM Software Development Platform and the ARC HS4x/4xD Development Kit. A Microcontroller Abstraction Layer (MCAL), which abstracts the hardware devices, is available for each platform, allowing engineers to begin software development immediately. The ARC Functional Safety processor IP is developed based on the ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System (QMS) for Synopsys DesignWare IP supporting additional automotive quality requirements.
“Embedded processors used in advanced automotive applications must adhere to the highest safety standards and be developed with ISO 26262 compliance in mind,” said John Koeter, senior vice president of marketing and strategy for IP at Synopsys. “Our collaboration with Elektrobit, a company known for its AUTOSAR expertise, to provide our ASIL ARC Functional Safety Processor IP with AUTOSAR OS support enables semiconductor vendors, Tier 1 suppliers, and car makers to accelerate software development and innovation for automotive applications.”
Availability and Resources
- The DesignWare ARC EM22FS Processor is available now from Synopsys
- The DesignWare ARC HS4xFS Processors are scheduled to be available from Synopsys in Q3, 2020
- EB tresos Classic AUTOSAR software will be available for ARC HS4xFS Processors in Q3, 2020 and for ARC EM22FS Processors in Q4, 2020 from Elektrobit
- Learn more about Synopsys and Elektrobit collaborations at the ARC Processor Virtual Summit on September 9-10, 2020
DRiV Drives ID.3 Suspension
Owners of Volkswagen’s new ID.3 electric vehicle can benefit from a variety of innovative technologies, including an advanced semi-active suspension from DRiV that senses and adapts to changing road conditions for a more controlled and comfortable ride. DRiV™ is a Tenneco Inc. division and leading global provider of aftermarket and OE ride performance products and services.
The ID.3 model can be equipped with a Continuously Variable Semi-Active suspension with external valve (CVSAe), one of several electronic suspension technologies available through DRiV’s Monroe® Intelligent Suspension portfolio. The system senses and continuously adapts to changing road and driving conditions via four electronically controlled dampers. An electronic control unit (ECU) processes various sensor inputs and controls the electronic valve on each damper. The driver can select a preferred driving mode, either Comfort or Sport, to experience the desired ride and handling characteristics.
“The ID.3 is engineered to give drivers a very personalized and enjoyable ride,” said Henrik Johansson, vice president and general manager, Advanced Suspension Technology, DRiV. “We are excited to bring these benefits as an option to the owners of this appealing new vehicle from Volkswagen.”
The ID.3 is the first vehicle built on Volkswagen’s new modular all-electric platform. Designed to be both efficient and affordable, it offers a connected driver experience in a compact package that includes voice-activated controls, an “augmented reality” display projected onto the windshield, wireless device charging and extra interior space.