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Electric vehicles and their impact on the environment

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The global market for electric vehicles made significant progress during the last 10 years. According to recent figures, the quantity of light electric vehicles (or EVs as most people call it) reached over 2.2 million units in 2019-2020, which is 9 percent higher than in 2018.

However, sales still declined in the United States and China, two of the largest EV markets worldwide. Even then, the Global EV Outlook, a yearly publication showcasing the latest developments in electric mobility still consider 2019 a banner year for this industry.

As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, industry experts see a brighter future in the years to come. [Read more…] about Electric vehicles and their impact on the environment

Driving the future: How AI will shape the fleet industry

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is simply an intelligent machine.

Unlike a human’s natural intelligence, AI is where a machine has been programmed to possess intelligence which can help make jobs and tasks easier for us.

It’s used in many industries, but one where it is already present and going to thrive further is in the fleet industry. [Read more…] about Driving the future: How AI will shape the fleet industry

Driverless cars: what technology do they need apart from being ‘driverless’?

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The concept of “driverless” had existed for decades, and as time went on, it became a reality. And it is emerging to be the norm in the next decade.

Especially because of Google’s most surprising startup – Waymo. This company originally started off as a self-driving car project but has made a name of itself.

In fact, Waymo is even launching driverless taxi services in Phoenix. Driverless cars are all the rage now, but so are startups. [Read more…] about Driverless cars: what technology do they need apart from being ‘driverless’?

Top 25 autonomous shuttle manufacturers

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Autonomous vehicles have become an unsettling reality. Unsettling for some who can’t get used to the idea of cars driving themselves – too spooky, like ghosts living and driving among us. 

While those feelings of apprehension may prevent driverless cars taking to public roads for many years, manufacturers of autonomous shuttles are already doing a brisk trade.

Airports, for example, have been among the most enthusiastic customers for driverless shuttles that can transport passengers between the terminal and plane. In the past, airports provided driverless transport available on rails, which obviously requires greater investment in infrastructure. [Read more…] about Top 25 autonomous shuttle manufacturers

Avnet poised to play key role in next-generation automotive technology

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The automotive industry is undergoing an historic transformation which will fundamentally shift the way vehicles are manufactured as well as change the way we look at and use cars, and possibly all road-going automobiles.

In-keeping with the widespread trend, Avnet, one of the world’s leading distributors of electronic components, is taking a leading position in developing the technologies required to make the future a reality.

A number of predictions are being made for the automotive industry, and many of them may have sounded outlandish in the past, but now that the public at large has accepted driverless cars as a realistic concept, anything is possible – even flying cars. [Read more…] about Avnet poised to play key role in next-generation automotive technology

Einride emerges as a leader in autonomous freight

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Einride, a Swedish technology company that develops and provides freight transport solutions based on electric and autonomous vehicles, has announced $10 million in new funding from existing investors led by impact fund – Norrsken VC. The EQT Ventures fund (“EQT Ventures”), Nordic Ninja VC, Ericsson Ventures, and other investors contributed.

This new funding will be used to fast track the official launch of its Einride Pods and meet the overwhelming demand from existing clients including Oatly, Lidl, and more. A representative from Norrsken VC, which was founded by the Klarna co-founder Niklas Adalberth, will be joining Einride’s advisory board.

In March 2020, the AI and robotics industry saw major names shut its doors which sent a shiver down the spine of the autonomous trucking industry. Contrarily, in the wake of COVID-19, there has been a shift towards searching for a more efficient, contactless way to achieve the same levels of transport as before. During this time, Einride has maintained a strong stream of new partnerships, including onboarding two major partners, Oatly and Lidl, and launching the mainnet version of its Freight Mobility Platform. [Read more…] about Einride emerges as a leader in autonomous freight

Siemens and VSI Labs partner to advance autonomous vehicle development

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Siemens Digital Industries Software and VSI Labs, a leading researcher of active safety and autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies, announced that they are partnering to further advance development of self-driving car technology. Through the partnership, Siemens’ PAVE360™ platform will be used to create digital twin simulations for the validation and testing of all processors, electronics, sensors and systems powering the VSI Labs Capability Demonstrator — an advanced AV development vehicle equipped with components from best-in-class automotive technology leaders and integrated by VSI solutions engineers.

“The primary objective of this partnership is to demonstrate equivalence between Siemens’ industry-leading digital twin technology and a physical platform, thereby increasing confidence in digital twin-based modeling methodologies well in advance of the existence of a physical vehicle,” said Ravi Subramanian, senior vice president, IC Verification, Mentor, a Siemens business. “This collaboration with VSI has the potential to significantly advance the AV space with the creation of a high-fidelity autonomous vehicle digital twin that simulates the interaction and combined power of the most advanced AV components and technologies in the world.” [Read more…] about Siemens and VSI Labs partner to advance autonomous vehicle development

Autonomous shuttles: Large, diesel buses being replaced with electric, self-driving shuttles

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The autonomous mobility industry is tackling part of the last-mile problem that many commuters encounter when using public transportation by replacing large, diesel buses with a fleet of electric, self-driving shuttle buses that transport small groups of people along defined and planned routes.

Autonomous shuttles could be a key element that connects the public transportation systems to reduce private car ownership in the future.

The autonomous shuttle total market size will be over $18 million by 2040, according to IDTechEx’s report, Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses 2020-2040. [Read more…] about Autonomous shuttles: Large, diesel buses being replaced with electric, self-driving shuttles

FLIR and VSI use sensors and AI to improve pedestrian safety systems

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FLIR Systems recently announced results from recent automatic emergency braking (AEB) tests that examined how adding a thermal sensor and fusing the data with a radar, a visible sensor, and a trained neural network can improve pedestrian detection from current AEB systems.

Following positive proof-of-concept test results announced earlier this year, FLIR and VSI Labs returned to the American Center for Mobility and conducted positive detection AEB tests of VSI Labs’ Ford Fusion test vehicle and current AEB systems on the Tesla Model 3, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Forester, and BMW X7.

The tests were designed by VSI and aimed at testing AEB system performance in common real-world driving conditions not currently included in recognized testing protocols. [Read more…] about FLIR and VSI use sensors and AI to improve pedestrian safety systems

IHSE KVM system for the mobility of the future at major German car manufacturer

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IHSE announces that a major German automotive manufacturer has equipped its design center with a comprehensive KVM solution for signal extension, switching and resource sharing.

The centrally managed and highly-secure IHSE system enables an enhanced, highly-agile workflow that delivers a completely new dimension in vehicle development whilst protecting sensitive development data from external access.

Traditional design processes in the automotive industry based on clay modelling are no longer cost-effective and adversely affect development time. This leading German car manufacturer took a forward-looking approach. [Read more…] about IHSE KVM system for the mobility of the future at major German car manufacturer