In connected car news are Kia, AGL, Faraday Future, Geely, Arcimoto, Google, Molex and Goodyear, LG Innotek, Awesense, Lytx and ZF.
No Super Bowl for Kia Feeding Homeless Youth Instead
After a decade of creative and award-winning Super Bowl campaigns, Kia will not be advertising in Super Bowl LV. Instead, the brand will expand its charitable initiatives in support of America’s youth. Kia’s “Accelerate The Good” program began in 2019 when the Great Unknowns Scholarship was established to help young people in need get a foothold in higher education. At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, we continued our efforts through two separate $1 million donations to organizations that support America’s homeless youth population.
AGL New Members
Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a collaborative cross-industry effort developing an open source platform for connected car technologies, announces aicas, AVL, and Citos as new Bronze members.
Faraday Future & Geely Patner for Foxconn Prodcution
Faraday Future, a global shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company and China’s largest privately owned automotive group, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, have jointly signed a framework cooperation agreement. The two sides will cooperate in technology and engineering support, and will explore the possibility of using OEM production services provided by the joint venture between Foxconn and Geely.
At the same time, Geely Holding Group has also signed a subscription agreement to become a minority investor in Faraday Future in connection with the previously announced business combination between Faraday Future and Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: PSAC), which remains subject to customary terms and conditions including the consummation of such business combination.
Arcimoto Buys TRIO
Arcimoto, Inc. makers of affordable, practical, and joyful pure electric vehicles for everyday commuters and fleets, announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Tilting Motor Works. Under the terms of the agreement, Arcimoto will acquire the assets of Tilting Motor Works for a combination of cash and Arcimoto shares in the range of $9.25 million to $10.25 million. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2021.
Tilting Motor Works is the creator of the TRiO, the leading three-wheel conversion kit for touring motorcycles. The TRiO technology allows the rider to lean naturally, maintaining performance and the thrill of the ride while increasing safety, stability and confidence. All TRiO kits come standard with the TiltLock leveling system, allowing the bike to stand up by itself, eliminating the need to put your feet down at lights or in stop-and-go traffic.
“I’ve been riding motorcycles my whole life, and after my first ride on the TRiO, I was blown away by how naturally and intuitively this three wheeler leaned into every turn,” said Terry Becker, COO of Arcimoto. “This amazing technology manages to combine the added safety and stability of a three-wheeler with the one-of-a-kind ride sensation of a two wheel bike.”
New EV Route Planning from Google
To take the guesswork out of trip planning and recharging, Google rolling out three new features for EVs with Google Maps built in.
Newly developed routing algorithms that use a type of math called graph theory serve up stress-free routes and charging stop recommendations in the latest release of Google Maps that’s built into participating EVs, including the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge.
Now when you enter a destination that requires two or more recharge stops, algorithms in Maps will search and filter through tens to thousands of public charging stations to find the most efficient route — all in less than 10 seconds. You can see how long each charge will take and your updated total trip time, so your final ETA will never again be a mystery.
For shorter trips where only one charge is needed, like a Saturday hike or weekend getaway, you can select a charging station that best fits your needs from a list of recharge points in Google Maps.
You can see which charging stations are the fastest and select specific stations if you have a membership. You can also see if a charging spot is close to a grocery store or coffee shop, so you can knock out errands or recharge yourself with a latte while you wait.
ANC Cancel Noises from Molex
Advancements in the electronics industry have enabled ANC technology, more commonly associated with high-end headphones, to transform how car manufacturers address road-based noises. Instead of installing expensive and heavy sound-absorbing materials to insulate car interiors from excessive road noise, ANC sensors are designed to be installed on a car’s chassis for more accurate and efficient results. Devices mounted to wheel wells and car frames, however, must be built to withstand the harshest conditions.
According to Molex’s recently commissioned “The Future of Automotive Survey,” nine in 10 new cars in 2030 will be hybrid or fully electric. In fact, respondents ranked electrification, connectivity and sensor technology among the most important innovations. They also cited the need for electronics and software to operate in extreme scenarios as a barrier to innovation.
Goodyear Partners with ConMet
For the first time in the industry, two companies will use their combined expertise in connected mobility and their existing data resources to provide fleets with holistic insights on tire and wheel end performance. The goal is to allow fleets to remotely monitor their vehicles in real time, automate insights and make better maintenance decisions in order to improve vehicle safety, as well as maximize efficiency and uptime.
Additionally, Goodyear will continue to offer fleets the ability to proactively service their vehicles through Fleet HQ, where they can request 24/7 emergency roadside assistance or dispatch a vehicle to one of Goodyear’s more than 2,300 service locations across North America.
With more than 170 years in combined industry experience, Goodyear and ConMet are both on the forefront of connected mobility. With Goodyear’s suite of Complete Tire Management Solutions and ConMet’s PreSet Plus® SmartHub system, the two companies will work together to advance the way fleets operate.
LG Innotek Developes Digital Car Key
LG Innotek (CEO Cheol-dong Jeong) revealed on the 25th that it had succeeded in developing a digital car key module with improved location detection precision and security.
The digital car key module that LG Innotek developed uses the ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, which is a wireless LAN communication technology, and a proprietary algorithm, improving the location detection precision. In addition, the module has increased the security by applying a proprietary hacking prevention technology.
The digital car key module that LG Innotek developed can detect the location of a smartphone 5 times more precisely than the existing key modules. The module’s error range between the actual smartphone’s location and the recognition location has been reduced from 50 cm (19.7 in) to under 10 cm (3.9 in).
For example, if an existing car key module detects that a smartphone is located between 4.7 m (15.4 ft) and and 5.2 m (17.1 ft) from the module when the phone is actually 5 m (16.4 ft) away, the LG Innotek’s new digital car key module can detect that the smartphone is located between 4.9 m (16.1 ft) and 5 m (16.4 ft), which is a fairly good accuracy.
To achieve this, LG Innotek used the ultra-wideband technology with better precision for distance and direction than the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology. In addition, for the module, LG Innotek used its proprietary design technology for a wireless communication antenna and its proprietary location measurement algorithm.
The more precisely a digital car key module detects the location of a smartphone, the more diverse and more convenient functions can be implemented. The digital car key module can detect the smartphone location and open the driver’s seat door in advance or start the engine automatically..
Awesense Partners with EVSE for DERMS
Awesense has been selected as a partner in a project involving the integration of Electric Vehicle charging stations (EVSE), Energy Storage Systems (ESS), and a microgrid controller, to analyze, manage and optimize the use of these technologies in a pilot program focused on building resiliency and reducing costs.
The goal of the project is to provide a next-generation DERMS solution with unparalleled situational awareness and the ability to make decisions and control DER based on real-time grid conditions. The joint solution, developed between Awesense and Doosan GridTech will integrate Awesense’s Digital Energy platform, and Doosan’s DERMS software, DERO.
The microgrid will include Vehicle-to-Grid-enabled EVSE, capable of discharging stored energy from connected EVs back into the grid and provide support during an outage or other events. Located within and outside the microgrid, are utility-owned large scale ESS devices, controllable by the DERMS solution. These devices will also be leveraged to optimize for a set of pre-defined use-case scenarios, from congestion management, to peak load reduction and voltage support. All the use-cases aim to demonstrate the flexibility, scalability, and value of DERs in the grid. By demonstrating that by leveraging advanced analytics with data, the grid of the future is not only reliable, resilient, and flexible but also powered by clean renewable energy.
Lytx Partners with Ruan TMS
Lytx, a leading provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-powered video telematics, analytics, safety, and productivity solutions for commercial, public sector, and field service fleets, today announced that Ruan Transportation Management Systems has signed on to deploy the Lytx Driver Safety Program across its fleet of more than 3,000-vehicles, including tractors, maintenance trucks, and company cars. Founded in 1932, Des Moines-based Ruan is a family-owned transportation management company, providing dedicated contract transportation, managed transportation, and value-added warehousing to customers across the country at more than 300 operations.
In addition, it can provide a driver with personalized driving environment. When several people use the same car, the module can recognize the smartphone location and set the driver’s seat or side-view mirrors automatically for the corresponding driver. When several people with the same digital car key get on the vehicle, the module can detect the person on the driver’s seat accurately.
ZF Makes VW ID Brake Controls
ZF confirms its position as a technology and system supplier for electromobility with a new series production order. The latest in ZF brake control solutions will be established as standard in Volkswagen’s ID.3 and ID.4 models as well as in Volkswagen Group’s globally marketed modular e-drive system MEB platform. With its new brake control, ZF can help to meet high comfort and safety requirements. Furthermore, it optimizes the recovery of braking energy – increasing the range and everyday usability of electric vehicles.