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connected car news are, BMW, NXP, Expedera, Applied Info, Synopsys, UVeye, Wind River, Hyundai, onsemi and Lincoln Electric.
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BMW & NXP Earn CCC Digital Key Cert
The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), a cross-industry standards organization dedicated to advancing vehicle-to-device connectivity solutions, today announced a major milestone in the CCC Digital Key™️ Certification Program: automotive manufacturer BMW Group and semiconductor manufacturer NXP® Semiconductors have become the first two organizations to earn CCC Digital Key certification. BMW Group was certified for their comprehensive digital key product, which allows drivers to use their CCC Digital Key enabled smart phone to lock, unlock and drive their vehicle utilizing near-field communication capabilities (NFC). NXP was certified for the secure element and NFC chipsets within their digital key solution, which enable accessing and starting of a car with an NFC-enabled device.
The CCC Digital Key Certification signals that the NFC-based access use cases of a digital key product meet the CCC’s highest requirements for secure and interoperable vehicle-to-device access, two of the most significant barriers to widespread consumer adoption. Historically, many proprietary implementations of digital keys lacked the interoperability standards needed for the technology to be fully leveraged, which slowed consumer acceptance. But recent research from McKinsey & Company showed that more than 90% of vehicles sold in 2030 will be connected, up from 50% today. As connected cars continue to gain in popularity, it’s imperative that all aspects of the vehicle-to-device ecosystem align with a universal standard and enable consumers to leverage the full benefits.
“Certifying digital key solutions at every point of the vehicle-to-device ecosystem is imperative as we work to increase adoption and build trust among consumers and the industry at large. Since launching the CCC Digital Key Certification Program in December, our entire membership, spanning automakers, device manufacturers, suppliers, and technology companies, has played a role in reaching this milestone so quickly,” said Alysia Johnson, President of the CCC. “We’re proud to designate BMW and NXP implementations as CCC Digital Key certified and look forward to seeing the CCC Digital Key logo on additional implementations, whether in vehicles, devices, or other technical components, soon.”
Three of the many CCC Digital Key Certification benefits include:
- Enhanced security to instill consumer trust: Receiving the CCC Digital Key Certification builds credibility among consumers, partners, and stakeholders and affirms a manufacturers digital key implementation is secure and reliable.
- Proven interoperability to improve user experience: The CCC Digital Key Certification ensures global compatibility of products and services for a seamless experience when using CCC Digital Key, regardless of car or device.
- Greater brand confidence to drive future growth: Once certified, companies can display the CCC Digital Key logo on their product implementations, social media, and marketing materials. This signals a commitment to meeting the highest industry standards and increases the potential for new customer growth.
“The security of digital keys has been touted as a top consumer concern since the technology’s inception and universal standard is crucial to consumer trust and a consistent user experience,” said Jerome Legros, Vice President, Secure Embedded Transactions, at NXP. “As a charter member of the CCC, NXP has long been on the forefront of enabling trustworthy and reliable vehicle-to-device access through NXP’s Secure Element technology. As the first semiconductor supplier to be certified under this universal standard, we believe the quality and security of NXP’s integrated systems will help advance this rapidly growing market.”
The CCC Digital Key Certification Program currently includes end-to-end interoperability testing and certifies NFC implementations. Those who are certified or pursuing certification will also have access as the CCC expands to certify for Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE), which enables remote command, and ultra-wideband with BLE, which provides full passive entry capabilities. These additional certifications will be available later this year.
“We continually work to provide our drivers with the best experience possible, and ensuring our digital key is interoperable through the CCC’s Digital Key certification is a key component of those efforts,” said Kai Barbehön, Vice President of Development Central Control Units, Wiring Harness, Power Supply at BMW Group. “We look forward to continuing our work with the CCC and consider the CCC Digital Key as an integral function of our current and future vehicle platforms.”
For more information on the CCC Digital Key Certification Program or how to become a member, please visit www.carconnectivity.org.
Expedera ASIL-B Cert
Expedera Inc., a leading provider of scalable Neural Processing Unit (NPU) semiconductor intellectual property (IP), today announced that it has received Automotive Safety Integrity Level B (ASIL-B) certification according to the ISO 26262 international standard for its Origin™ IP.
Functional safety has become a critical priority as the automotive industry rapidly expands electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity, incorporating more advanced electronics and safety assistance systems. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers seeking to integrate safety-critical features into their vehicles can confidently include Expedera’s NPU IP, which undergoes rigorous testing and validation procedures that meet the highest safety standards.
Expedera’s ASIL-B certification, awarded by SGS-TUV, underscores the company’s rigorous adherence to the functional safety standards defined by ISO 26262. This internationally recognized standard focuses on the safety of electrical and electronic systems within road vehicles, ensuring that all potential risks are systematically identified, evaluated, and mitigated. This certification is crucial for components used in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicles (EVs), and autonomous driving technologies, ensuring they meet stringent safety and reliability requirements.
“This certification is a testament to our commitment to safety and quality and reinforces our position as a trusted partner in the automotive industry,” said Da Chuang, co-founder and CEO of Expedera. “We remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation to deliver safe, reliable, and high-performance solutions for our customers.”
Applied Info C-V2X Asks for Greenlights for Safety
First responders and transit system operators that use optical preemption, an infrared technology developed in the 1970s, can now easily transition their fleets to Applied Information’s cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology to request green lights at intersections, reducing response times and improving safety.
The announcement was made at the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) annual meeting in Irving, TX.
Applied Information’s Glance® Preemption system automatically enables optical and C-V2X technologies to work together to request a green light. The Glance Preemption system also provides first responders with vehicle tracking and reporting. Additionally, Glance Preemption can notify the public of a nearby active emergency vehicle on Waze, HAAS Alert Safety Cloud® and the TravelSafely® smartphone app.
“The Glance Preemption system has proven time and time again to provide better response times, and now there is a seamless pathway for first responders to easily take advantage of the newer technology,” said Bryan Mulligan, President of Applied Information. “By navigating intersections faster and more safely than before, first responders can focus on what’s important—reaching people in an emergency.”
Where Glance Preemption has replaced optical-only systems, first responders report saving approximately 10 seconds per signalized intersection on their emergency calls.1 One study using Glance Priority technology found that it was able to reduce travel times by 47%.2 The Glance Preemption system can control multiple traffic signals in the direction of travel, keeping traffic moving and out of the way of emergency vehicles. Glance Preemption uses a combination of GPS, edge computing, and redundant cellular and direct radio communications to work with the traffic signal. Adding the Glance Optical Data Aggregator (ODA) activates the optical option and provides connectivity and reporting previously not available.
About Applied Information –
In 2011, Applied Information® transformed the traffic industry by using Internet of Things technology to make school zones safer for children. Today, Applied Information makes it easy to see and manage all types of traffic control devices from anywhere, on your phone or in a browser. Our Glance® technology provides hardware, software, communications, cloud computing and cutting-edge connected vehicle applications in one easy-to-use solution.
Synopsys ISO/SAE 21434 Cybersecurity Certification
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) tannounced that Synopsys ARC® HS4xFS Processor IP achieved ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity certification by SGS-TṺV Saar, meeting stringent automotive regulatory requirements designed to protect connected vehicles from malicious cyberattacks. The ISO/SAE 21434 standard defines the engineering requirements for cybersecurity risk management, helping to ensure that cyber risks are monitored, detected, and mitigated throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. The ARC HS4xFS Processors are also certified to the ISO 26262 standard, meeting ASIL D Random and ASIL D Systematic compliance for safety-critical systems, making it both cybersecurity and safety certified. In addition, Synopsys achieved certification of its IP development process to the ISO/SAE 21434 standard to help ensure its IP products are developed with a security-first mindset through every phase of the product development lifecycle. The company will continue to invest in certifying its broad IP portfolio, including specific interface, security, and processor IP products, to help ensure compliance to cybersecurity requirements, reducing design risk and accelerating time-to-market for safe and robust systems-on-chips (SoCs).
“As a leading IP provider, Synopsys recognizes the critical importance of cybersecurity in the automotive industry and the needs of automotive OEMs to safeguard their vehicles against evolving cyber threats,” said John Koeter, senior vice president of product management and strategy for IP at Synopsys. “Achieving the industry’s first third-party ISO/SAE 21434 certified IP product with ARC Processor IP demonstrates Synopsys’ commitment to deliver high-quality and safe IP that helps our customers to meet the latest regulations for their safety- and security-critical devices.”
What’s Driving the Need for ISO/SAE 21434 Compliance?
Cars are becoming increasingly software-defined, enabling car manufacturers to add new features or functions remotely through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. However, OTA updates and other connected applications, such as vehicle telematics and smartphone connectivity, can create security gaps that open systems to unauthorized access, tampering, and the injection of malware and viruses. For this reason, to release new road vehicles, automotive OEMs are mandated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s UN R155 regulation to adopt a cybersecurity management system like ISO/SAE 21434, making compliance a prerequisite for market success. By integrating products that adhere to the ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity standard, OEMs can more easily meet regulatory requirements to better protect their customers’ data.
“As a supplier of highly reliable microcontrollers for use in automotive systems, it is critical that our products meet automotive cybersecurity standards to minimize the vulnerability to cyberattacks. At Infineon, we firmly believe that the robustness of ISO 21434 compliant solutions over the lifecycle relies heavily on strong collaboration among all stakeholders, including IP/hardware/software suppliers and customers,” said Mr. Joerg Schepers, Vice President for Automotive Microcontrollers at Infineon. “The automotive industry has a complex supply chain, and vendors, like Synopsys, that provide ISO 21434 certified solutions help ensure that security best practices are followed throughout the entire development process from IP to final vehicle assembly.”
“With the increase in hardware and software vulnerabilities in connected cars, automotive vendors across the supply chain are adhering to tougher cybersecurity regulations to help OEMs meet governmental standards,” said Tobias Hörmann Product Manager, Cybersecurity at SGS-TṺV Saar. “By achieving ISO 21434 certification for its IP development process and for the ARC HS4xFS Processor IP, Synopsys is helping automotive engineers meet automotive cybersecurity requirements.”
About Synopsys ARC HS4xFS Processor IP for Automotive Applications
The Synopsys ARC® HSxFS functional safety processors are optimized for high-performance embedded applications. They feature a dual-issue, 32-bit superscalar architecture, with a small area footprint and low power consumption. The ASIL D certified processors come with comprehensive safety documentation including FMEDA reports, and programming support through the ARC MetaWare Toolkit for Safety. Synopsys ARC HS4xFS IP is part of Synopsys’ broad portfolio of processor IP, including the new RISC-V based ARC-V™ Processor IP.
Availability and Resources
The ARC H4xFS Processor with ISO 262626 safety and ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity certifications is available now.
UVeye Partners with my Kaarma
UVeye, creator of an AI-driven automated vehicle inspection platform, announced its strategic partnership with myKaarma, an innovator in service lane technology solutions. This collaboration aims to significantly enhance the dealership service experience by integrating UVeye’s advanced, AI-powered inspection technology with myKaarma’s comprehensive communication, payments, and service lane tools – straight to a car owner’s phone.
The integration allows dealerships to streamline their service process and instantly share detailed inspection data with customers, with easy-to-understand, visual reports on drivers’ smartphones. This not only enhances customer satisfaction by fostering greater trust and transparency, but also simplifies operations for service advisors by reducing the need for manual data entry and saving between 10-15 minutes per vehicle. Some of the issues detected by UVeye include: underbody diagnostics such as leaks, broken parts, or rust patterns; tire issues such as worn tires, uneven wear patterns, sidewall damages, bulge or cuts in the rubber; and exterior issues such as scratches or dents.
“While we expand our reach and install our systems at thousands of dealerships across the USA, our partnership with myKaarma is pivotal in our mission to revolutionize customer service and transparency at dealerships,” said Amir Hever, CEO of UVeye. “By combining our automated inspection systems with myKaarma’s ultra user-friendly communication platforms, dealerships can provide detailed inspection reports directly to customers through apps, email, text, and phone calls.”
When a customer drives through a UVeye system, the myKaarma platform allows the dealership to send inspection results directly to the customer’s phone. This process not only enhances customer satisfaction by providing immediate updates, but also increases transparency. Customers receive a welcome text alongside their inspection results enabling them to conveniently review their vehicle’s condition on their phone and easily share the results for second opinions, adding openness and transparency like never before.
“This collaboration with UVeye underscores our commitment to innovation in the automotive service industry. Together, we’re setting a new standard for how dealerships communicate with their customers, ensuring every vehicle is inspected thoroughly and every customer is informed,” said Ujj Nath, CEO of myKaarma.
#1 Cochran in Pennsylvania will be among the first dealer groups to benefit from the integration. Customers coming in for service appointments will be able to receive complete condition and safety reports at no extra charge.
“Looking ahead, the integration of UVeye and myKaarma’s technologies promises to revolutionize our service operations. We anticipate providing our customers with instant, comprehensive inspection data on their phones, significantly boosting transparency and elevating the entire service experience,” said David Bernardini, Corporate Strategy Director for #1 Cochran.
Future enhancements to the integration will further embed UVeye’s inspection data into myKaarma’s platform. myKaarma’s MPI product, providing video inspections to customers, will be automated using UVeye’s detection technology, offering an enhanced MPI experience to dealerships. Additionally, UVeye plans to integrate its leads into myKaarma’s BDC product, allowing dealerships to easily contact strong prospects provided by UVeye.
Wind River Used for NETA Auto Supercomputing
Wind River®, a global leader in delivering software for the intelligent edge, t announced that NETA Auto has used Wind River Linux to develop its HOZI supercomputing XPC Intelligent Control Domain Controller (XPC-S32G). The integrated gateway domain controller can serve as the “central nervous system” within intelligent vehicles, supporting iterative vehicle upgrades and enhancing safety and control.
“The HOZI XPC-S32G will play a key role in supporting the increasing intelligence and software-defined future of NETA Auto products and open new intelligent experiences for customers. Wind River delivers the highest levels of professional services ability, including expertise in performance optimization, localization, security, and safety combined with long-term support. We look forward to our continued work with them,” said Dai Dali, CTO, NETA Auto.
“Software continues to create new possibilities for automakers and consumers and drive the evolution of next-generation vehicles,” said Woody Zou, General Manager, China, Wind River. “Wind River Linux can help innovators such as NETA Auto develop high-performance open source frameworks designed to enable the rapid development and deployment of software applications that will accelerate the software-defined vehicle.”
As the center of the main communication network within intelligent software-defined vehicles, the HOZI XPC-S32G can enable secure cross-domain data interconnectivity, strong automotive network security, and efficient vehicle control management with low latency. It features nine core functions: central gateway, vehicle thermal management, battery energy management, power torque management, remote diagnostics and calibration, full data collection, SOA Gateway, edge computing, and over-the-air (OTA) master. The HOZI XPC-S32G will be installed in NETA Auto’s new vehicles starting with the NETA S model, releasing later this year.
The HOZI XPC-ICDC controller is built on the NETA Auto Shanhai Platform’s scalable electronic and electrical architecture. It integrates NXP® Semiconductors’ S32G high-performance vehicle network processor, based on Arm® Cortex®-M7 and Cortex-A53 processor cores, with Wind River Linux. The HOZI XPC-ICDC uses a service-oriented architecture (SOA) software framework developed with HiRain Technologies’ expertise in automotive domain control technology.
Wind River Linux offers high stability and security to meet the high-performance needs of next-generation software-defined vehicles. As the embedded industry’s most advanced Linux platform, Wind River Linux helps teams develop, deploy, and operate robust, reliable, and secure embedded solutions running on a purpose-built Linux operating system.
Hyundai Mobis Airbags for PBVs
Hyundai Mobis (KRX: 012330) introduces the world’s first airbags specifically designed for Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs). These safety technologies consider the unique characteristics of PBVs, which typically have a spacious interior and versatile design options. With the anticipated commercialization of PBV-based fleet services, the demand for passenger safety technologies in this sector is expected to increase.
On the 18th, Hyundai Mobis announced the development of the world’s first ‘door-mounted curtain airbag’ that deploys from the bottom to the top and the ‘self-supporting passenger airbag,’ which absorbs impact solely through the support from the lower part of the airbag.
Both technologies aim to prevent passenger ejection and significantly reduce injuries during collisions or rollovers. They also meet stringent safety standards in advanced markets such as North America.
- Innovative Curtain Airbag with Vertical Deployment along Wires, Revolutionizing Installation Locations
The door-mounted airbag breaks the conventional notion of curtain airbags that typically deploy from top to bottom, as it inflates vertically from bottom to top within 0.03 seconds during an accident.
Hyundai Mobis is the first to apply a wire mechanism to curtain airbags. The cushion unfolds along wires installed on both sides of the airbag, preventing passengers from being ejected from the window. This design meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) ejection mitigation standard (FMVSS 226), ensuring enhanced safety.
PBVs often use sliding doors for rear passenger access, which might limit the space available for airbag installation due to the door structure located on the ceiling. In such cases, the door-installed airbag proves effective.
Lee Kyu-Sang, Head of Safety System R&D Group at Hyundai Mobis stated, “We developed the new concept curtain airbag with the urban transportation-focused PBV market in mind. Given that RoboRide PBVs emphasize openness with larger side windows, we anticipate a growing need for advanced passenger safety devices.”
- Self-Supporting Airbag that Absorbs Impact without Windshield Support, Offering Future Scalability
Considering the distance to the windshield, the self-supporting airbag is designed for PBVs with spacious interiors. This technology protects front-seat passengers by absorbing impact using only the support from the lower part of the airbag.
Sedans or SUVs use a windshield angled at about 30 degrees to support the inflated cushion. In contrast, PBVs might have a considerable distance to the windshield, which could be nearly vertical. The self-supporting airbag overcomes these structural challenges.
Hyundai Mobis has incorporated technology that secures the airbag cushion close to the front crash pad, ensuring stable passenger protection even without contact with the windshield. This design meets the high safety standards set by the North American New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
Moreover, Hyundai Mobis is focusing on the scalability of airbags for PBVs. They plan to develop and introduce a variety of airbags tailored to diverse interior designs, catering to customer needs with flexible seating arrangements and passenger orientations.
onsemi EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs
In the face of escalating climate crises and a dramatic rise in global energy demands, governments and industries are committing to ambitious climate goals aimed at mitigating environmental impact and securing a sustainable future. Key to these efforts is the transition to electrification to reduce carbon emissions and embrace renewable energy resources. In a significant step towards accelerating this global transition, onsemi (Nasdaq: ON) introduced its latest generation silicon carbide technology platform, EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs. The company also disclosed plans to release multiple additional generations through 2030.
“The future of electrification is dependent on advanced power semiconductors. Today’s infrastructure cannot keep up with the world’s demands for more intelligence and electrified mobility without significant innovations in power. This is critical to the ability to achieve global electrification and stop climate change,” said Simon Keeton, group president, Power Solutions Group, onsemi. “We are setting the pace for innovation, with plans to significantly increase power density in our silicon carbide technology roadmap through 2030 to be able to meet the growing demands for energy and enable the global transition to electrification.”
The EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs will play a fundamental role in enabling the performance and reliability of next-generation electrical systems at lower cost per kW, thus influencing the adoption and effectiveness of electrification initiatives. With the ability to operate at higher switching frequencies and voltages while minimizing power conversion losses, this platform is essential for a wide range of automotive and industrial applications such as electric vehicle powertrains, DC fast chargers, solar inverters and energy storage solutions. Additionally, the EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs will enable the transition to more efficient, higher-power data centers to meet the exponentially increasing energy demands that power a sustainable artificial intelligence engine.
Trusted Platform Delivers Generational Efficiency Leap
Through onsemi’s unique design engineering and manufacturing capabilities, the EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs achieve a significant reduction in both conduction and switching losses on the trusted and field-proven planar architecture. Compared to previous generations, the platform can reduce conduction losses by 30% and turn-off losses by up to 50%1. By extending the life of SiC planar MOSFETs and delivering industry-leading performance with EliteSiC M3e technology, onsemi can ensure the robustness and stability of the platform, making it a preferred choice for critical electrification applications.
The EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs also offer the industry’s lowest specific on-resistance (RSP) with short circuit capability which is critical for the traction inverter market that dominates SiC volume. Packaged in onsemi’s state-of-the-art discrete and power modules, the 1200V M3e die delivers substantially more phase current than previous EliteSiC technology, resulting in approximately 20% more output power in the same traction inverter housing. Conversely, a fixed power level can now be designed with 20% less SiC content, saving costs while enabling the design of smaller, lighter and more reliable systems.
Additionally, onsemi provides a broader portfolio of intelligent power technologies including gate drivers, DC-DC converters, e-Fuses and more to pair with the EliteSiC M3e platform. The end-end onsemi combination of optimized, co-engineered power switches, drivers and controllers enable advanced features via integration, lowering overall system cost.
Accelerating the Future of Power
Global energy demands are projected to soar over the next decade, making the need for increased power density in semiconductors paramount. onsemi is leading innovation across its silicon carbide roadmap – from die architectures to novel packaging techniques – that will continue to address the general industry demand for increased power density.
With each new generation of silicon carbide, cell structures will be optimized to efficiently push more current through a smaller area, increasing power density. When coupled with the company’s advanced packaging techniques, onsemi will be able to maximize performance and reduce package size. By applying the concepts of Moore’s Law to the development of silicon carbide, onsemi can develop multiple generations in parallel and accelerate its roadmap to bring several new EliteSiC products to market at an accelerated pace through 2030.
“We are applying our decades of experience in power semiconductors to push the boundaries of speed and innovation in our engineering and manufacturing capabilities to meet the rising global energy demands,” said Dr. Mrinal Das, senior director of technical marketing, Power Solutions Group, onsemi. “There is a huge technical interdependency between the materials, device and package in silicon carbide. Having full ownership over these key aspects allows us to have control over the design and manufacturing process and bring new generations to market much faster.”
The EliteSiC M3e MOSFET in the industry-standard TO-247-4L package is now sampling.
2024 North American Testival Hosted by Lincoln Electric
With almost 60 million electric vehicles (EVs) expected on the road by the end of 2024, seamless communication, integration, and interoperability between OEMs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) providers is crucial to reduce charging anxiety and promote EV adoption. At the forefront of fostering industry-wide collaboration is CharIN, the leading international industry association promoting EV charging standards and interoperability, whose 2024 North American Testival and Conference gathered 415 participants in mid-June to test vehicles and equipment in real-life scenarios.
As part of a global event series presented by CharIN, the conference and Testival was hosted by Lincoln Electric in Cleveland, Ohio and was the largest held to date, with 22 vehicle platforms and 23 EVSEs working together to enhance performance and interoperability between vehicles and charging equipment.
“It’s a privilege to collaborate with CharIN once again and welcome back the North American Testival to Lincoln Electric,” said Steve Sumner, Vice President of Corporate Innovation at Lincoln Electric. “CharIN events like this, focused on ensuring robust interoperability, are crucial for the industry’s growth and ultimately, for instilling consumer confidence. This ongoing partnership underscores our shared dedication to shaping the future of mobility with cutting-edge solutions that make EV ownership more convenient, accessible, and secure.”
Testivals provide an invaluable opportunity for the global EV and charging industry to test equipment interoperability. Highlights of the 2024 Testival and Conference included the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation showcasing the EVerest project, along with Seamless Retry, Remote Test Harness, and, most notably, Prescribed Testing demonstrations by ChargeX Consortium, a collaborative effort between Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“A moderation team of 14 members from the ChargeX Consortium led and facilitated an optional prescribed testing program at the June 2024 CharIN Testival. Twenty-two testers opted-in to the program, reserving 30 minutes of each testing slot to follow test procedures with defined pass criteria,” said Sam Thurston, Testing Task Force Lead of the ChargeX Consortium. “Being the first ever CharIN Testival with optional prescribed testing, the ChargeX team gathered lots of valuable feedback and insight from testers which will be used to create a public report on the results of the testing, and to improve future prescribed testing efforts.”
The Testival also saw the testing of the inaugural set of charging equipment products integrated with the ISO 15118-20 protocol. ISO 15118 streamlines the charging experience with innovations like Plug & Charge, enabling EV owners to connect their vehicles directly to compatible charging stations without manual authentication. This enhances ease of use and convenience while safeguarding user information. Hubject, a global leader in Plug & Charge technology deployments, led the first end-to-end Plug & Charge testing at the June Testival. End-to-end testing was made available to all participants and included all the necessary backend systems, infrastructure, and technical experts to test Plug & Charge interoperability under real-world conditions.
“Going forward, end-to-end testing will be critical if we are to provide a reliable and positive charging experience for EV drivers,” said Trishan Peruma, Hubject North American CEO. “Hubject is excited to collaborate with CharIN and provide this capability at future Testivals and test events.”
Additionally, this year’s event showcased successful multi-PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) testing. This is crucial for automotive manufacturers to verify vehicle compatibility across various charging stations by ensuring secure communication through encryption protocols and security certifications. For the first time, online PKI testing linked charging stations directly to the backend; prior tests were limited to offline PKI, focusing only on vehicle-station interactions. This shift to online PKI brings testing closer to real-world scenarios and enables comprehensive end-to-end evaluations.
“Interoperability is key to everything we do at CharIN,” said Oleg Logvinov, Chair of CharIN North America and President and CEO of IoTecha Corp, a provider of smart grid technology for EV charging. “If you look at what we’re doing at the Testival today, we’re not just testing interoperability between the vehicle and the charger; we’re also looking at end-to-end interoperability, including the charge point management system—tracing all the steps from the vehicle to the charger to the cloud to the consumer—validating the whole chain that allows us to deliver better service. That is an important step because we must create a more positive charging experience that encourages stronger consumer adoption of electric vehicles.”
The June event in Cleveland was the seventh CharIN testing event held in North America since 2018, and the next testing event in North America is planned for fall on the West Coast.
“The Testival began as a way to unite engineers in the pursuit of establishing universal standards for electric vehicle charging,” explained Claas Bracklo, Chairman of the Executive Board of CharIN. “Our goal was and remains to cultivate a collaborative environment where stakeholders from across the e-mobility sector could come together to exchange knowledge and collectively enhance the electric vehicle ownership and charging experience.”
For more information about CharIN and the Testival event series, please visit https://www.charin.global/events/global-testivals/.//
Westwater Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: WWR), an energy technology and battery-grade natural graphite company (“Westwater Resources” or “Westwater”), t announced the execution of a binding off-take agreement with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (“FCA”), a leading electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer and part of the Stellantis group of companies.
“We are honored to partner with one of the world’s leading manufacturers of EVs and to assist FCA in securing a U.S.-based supply chain for natural graphite anode material”
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Pursuant to the terms of the Off-Take Agreement, Westwater will supply natural graphite anode material from its Kellyton Graphite Plant located near Kellyton, Alabama, to FCA’s battery partner plants located within the U.S. Under the terms of the Off-Take Agreement, FCA will be obligated to purchase, on an annual basis, a quantity of product equal to a percentage of their forecasted volume.
“The contract with FCA is an important achievement for Westwater and a key step in the process of securing the remainder of construction financing for Kellyton Phase I construction,” said Frank Bakker, President and CEO of Westwater Resources.
“We are honored to partner with one of the world’s leading manufacturers of EVs and to assist FCA in securing a U.S.-based supply chain for natural graphite anode material,” added Terence Cryan, Executive Chairman of Westwater.
Jon Jacobs, Westwater’s Chief Commercial Officer, added, “With this deal, Westwater has now secured off-take agreements for 100% of its Kellyton Phase 1 capacity. Our team has worked hard to establish itself as an industry leader in the supply of U.S.-produced natural graphite, and we remain focused on securing additional supply agreements for our expanded Phase 2 volume.”
BMW Joins Eclipse SDV Working Group
The BMW Group has joined the Eclipse Foundation’s Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group as a strategic member. The Eclipse SDV Working Group facilitates global collaboration on open-source software technologies for use in modern vehicles. The BMW Group brings over 20 years of experience in in-house software development to the initiative and has set industry benchmarks in many important areas, such as digital vehicle access via smart devices, over-the-air upgrades across all functional domains and powertrains, as well as vehicle backend structures.
“BMW has mastered software from chip to cloud and has done so for generations. The number of digital functions in cars is growing rapidly. All players in our industry can benefit significantly from more cooperation in developing and securing software that does not differentiate from competition. That is why we are contributing our expertise to the Eclipse SDV Working Group,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.
The entire system of modern vehicles can contain hundreds of millions of lines of software code. The scope continues to grow rapidly, and many manufacturers are working with suppliers to develop their own software packages for basic functions. According to the Eclipse Foundation, mainstream operating system installations of Linux, Windows, and macOS are estimated to use much more code between each other than vehicles from any two OEMs. Even in the automotive industry, there is a great deal of potential overlap for basic software functionality.
“We see open-source as an active collaboration model for software development and expect a lot from the joint activities in the Eclipse SDV Working Group,” says Christian Salzmann, Vice President BMW Group Global Software Strategy and Software Factory. “As an active contributor in open-source projects such as ‘Zuul’, we already bring a lot of relevant experience to the table.”
“The Eclipse SDV Working Group has quickly become the ‘centre of gravity’ for open-source software development in the global automotive industry,” said Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. “We’re thrilled to have an innovative leader of BMW’s calibre join as a strategic member. Their contributions will play a pivotal role in driving this transformative shift in modern vehicle design.”
Strategic members of the SDV Working Group are organisations that view participation in Eclipse projects as strategic to their business and are investing significant developer and other resources to further drive Eclipse Foundation technology. As a Strategic Member of the SDV Working Group, the BMW Group has the opportunity to guide the working group’s direction and lead multiple projects. The BMW Group has been a long-standing member of the Eclipse Foundation for more than a decade and will continue to support and drive innovation within the openMDM and openPass working groups.
In addition to the new activities under the Eclipse Foundation, the BMW Group will continue to contribute to AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture). As a founding member of AUTOSAR, the BMW Group has been working with other automotive manufacturers, suppliers and companies from the electronics, semiconductor and software industries to advance standards for electrical electronics (E/E) architecture. “AUTOSAR is a success story that does a lot for the automotive industry. We see the activities in Eclipse as a supplement, not as a substitute,” adds Christian Salzmann.
What is the Eclipse SDV Working Group?
Eclipse SDV, a working group within the Eclipse Foundation, supports the open-source development of automotive software. With over 50 members, including major automotive manufacturers, global cloud providers, technology leaders, electronics companies, and supply chain partners, the initiative has garnered significant industry support. The working group’s objective is to provide a forum for developing and promoting open-source solutions for the global automotive industry. SDV projects adopt a “code first” approach, focusing on building the industry’s first open-source software stacks and associated tools for the core functions of future vehicle generations.
The SDV Working Group is designed as a vendor-neutral, member-led organisation. The working group provides a governance framework for open-source IP management and collaboration. This includes a steering committee that defines and manages the strategy and technical roadmap of the working group. A technical advisory board recommends which Eclipse Foundation open-source projects should be included within the scope of the working group.
How is the BMW Group getting involved?
The relevant specialist departments from the BMW Group’s development division, in particular from the Software Factory, will be directly and actively involved in the various projects of the Eclipse SDV Working Group. The aim will be to develop software for series projects together with the partner network. BMW Group employees will also take part in the SDV Hackathons and Community Days and work closely with experts from other member companies.