Category

Automotive

Feb 06
Count von Count

How Many Autonomous Cars Will be on the Road in 2025?

By Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles No Comments

Like Sesame Street’s Count von Count, industry analysts have a compulsive love of counting things.

One favorite item to count has been Internet of Things devices or “things.” This metric has proven elusive, and, as I opined numerous times before, mostly irrelevant, because the mere number of IoT devices deployed globally does not signify the business value they provide. In other words, more devices do not mean greater business value.

Conversely, connected and automated cars (CAVs) is a good example of more-is-better. More connected, safer, and, eventually, autonomous cars will improve the efficiency of urban transportation systems and reduce private vehicle ownership, thereby preventing crashes, easing traffic congestion and reducing carbon footprint.

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Jan 03
Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden (Xie Huan Ca. 1437)

Made in China 2025 and Intellectual Property Protection

By Automotive, Mergers & Acquisitions No Comments

China IP Protection Practices Snapshot and Predictions

Product companies and research organizations have long complained about theft of intellectual property (IP) and lax enforcement of intellectual property rights in China. Forced technology transfers have been another major grievance of foreign companies setting up local operations in China.

Despite the potential risks of IP leaks and bureaucratic limitations, the lure of the enormous Chinese consumers market is impossible to resist and for some companies it may very well represent an essential component of their long-term growth strategy.

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Dec 28
The Tortoise and the Hare (J.J. Grandville, 1855)

The Race to Automate Driving: Is Japan’s Silent Strategy the Tortoise to America’s Hare?

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles No Comments

In a recent tweet, Lex Fridman, a research scientist working on human-centered artificial intelligence at MIT, said: “all of us working in autonomous vehicle research want nothing more than to save lives.”

While AI scientists and engineers share this noble goal, they often differ dramatically in the path they take to reaching it. 

Companies such as Uber’s Advanced Technology Group, Tesla and General Motors’s Cruise take an approach many will consider maverick, perhaps even cavalier: they deploy vehicles equipped with newly-developed autonomous operation capabilities on public roads and test them under real-world conditions, driving millions of actual miles and many more virtual miles using advanced simulation software. Design engineers monitor the performance of the robotic software and update the algorithms inside the vehicle, sometimes remotely and in near real time.

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Dec 24
Airplane Over Train (Natalia Goncharova, 1913)

The Automotive Industry: On the Road to Autonomy — Automotive Industry Snapshot and Predictions

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles No Comments

Value Chain Disintermediation: Electronics and Software are the New Automotive Supply Chain Kings

The auto industry’s century-old drive to gain efficiencies, accelerate production output, reduce waste and recoup working capital through lean techniques has also led to a strong cultural bias towards inside innovation and complex love-hate relationships with a network of select suppliers of mostly mechanical and electrical subsystems.

But today, electronics and software are the key to brand differentiation, customer affinity and market competitiveness. Electronics manufacturers are quickly becoming the new kings of the automotive value chain as the center of gravity is shifting from complex mechanical systems and passive safety features to sophisticated electronics and software. New entrants and outside innovators are redefining the traditional roles in a value chain structure that has changed very little in decades and are changing the familiar landscape.

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Sep 25
Edison Baker Electric Car c. 1895

The Car of the Future: Electrified, Connected and Autonomous

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles No Comments

The Impact of Vehicle Electrification and Connectivity on Electrical System Design

Industry in Flux

Just over 100 years ago, Henry Ford disrupted the auto industry of the time with the introduction of the mass-production moving assembly line. To say that the auto industry is again in flux is almost cliché.

The confluence of technology and business trends in play is having a profound effect on the future of the mobility industry.

Electrification

Electric propulsion is still in its infancy. Today, less than 5% of vehicles sold in the US use electric propulsion. But consumers recognize the impact of EVs on the environmental. With the introduction of EVs with greater travel range and more affordable purchase price, adoption will accelerate. A survey from AAA shows that 20% of drivers want an electric vehicle and will likely choose an EV for their next vehicle, up from 15% percent in 2017.

Autonomous Driving

The race to achieve fully automated driving is heating up rapidly. Despite many uncertainties concerning technology maturity, regulatory requirements, and market adoption, practically all automakers and major suppliers, as well as scores of small upstart companies, want to take part in this race.

The hope to capitalize on the early waves of commercialization and consumer adoption, and the accompanying boost to the brand lead to an increase of 33% over 5 years in R&D in the automotive sector.

Connectivity

Today’s consumers demand connectivity, sophisticated mobile apps and rich online content. An Autotrader study shows that connectivity has become a major factor in car buying decision, and that 48% of car buyers prioritize in-vehicle technology over brand or body style.

OEMs are now shifting in this direction, adding connectivity and in-vehicle features across their portfolio, including non-premium brands in an effort to better align their offering with the changing market demand, especially of millennial consumers. Read More