Carzaam Automotive News

Carzaam Automotive News #18: Plant shutdowns due to COVID-19

Hello everyone, it’s Chilli here with another episode of Carzaam news where we talk about the future of the automotive industry including the latest from autonomous, connected and electric vehicles.

Today we have a great episode, I am going to roll through each of the manufacturers and give their latest updates relating to the Coronavirus impacts … Enjoy!

COVID-19 and the auto industry: All the plant shutdowns due to coronavirus

Automakers across the US and Europe have declared temporary shutdowns, including Detroit's Big 3, and many have extended shutdowns beyond their original dates.

Carzaam Automotive News #17 | Flying cars - Mercedes online - March VFacts 

Hello everyone, it’s Chilli here with another episode of Carzaam news where we talk about the latest in Autonomous Connected and Electric vehicles. 

Today we have a great episode including the imminent launch of a flying car Formula 1, another Manufacturer going direct to consumer and all the fallout from the March Vfacts figures in Australia … Enjoy! 

Australian New Vehicles Sales March 2020 

Australian new vehicle sales took a hit in March as expected, but it wasn’t the disaster many may had feared. At least not in the numbers. VFACTS data showed that new car sales fell by 18% compared to March last year, at 81,690 sales. 

Airspeeder Flying Electric Car Grand Prix 

In something like a mashup of the Red Bull Air Race, Formula E and Podracing at Mos Espa, a new electric flying car race series is about to be launched. The series is a step closer as Alauda, the Australian manufacturer of the Airspeeded electric flying car announced the successful completion of a seed investment round. 

The Airspeeder electric flying racer will compete against others in a bid to help advance eVTOL technology for future sustainable transport. The idea is akin to Enzo Ferrari’s belief that racing motor cars, the white heat of competition, accelerates the technical development of the road car. 

Mercedes-Benz launches direct-to-consumer sales model for the EQC Electric Vehicle 

Mercedes-Benz is going to sell the EQC electric car direct to consumer in Australia reducing the role of dealerships in a bid to address buyer concerns. For those of you who follow me, you know I am always tuned into any news about manufacturers selling direct to consumer online, I think this will be the sales model of the future including Subscription, especially as we see fewer models released into the future. 

The model is to be exclusive to the EQC and the six other ‘EQ’ electric Mercedes models due in Australia by the end of 2023 and for now only nine Mercedes-Benz dealers are signed up. 

Carzaam Automotive News Episode 16: Pony AI - Nissan Switch - Uber

Driverless car startup Pony.ai raises $462 million at a $3 billion valuation

In a sign that investors’ still have enthusiasm for driverless cars, Pony AI has secured $462m in fresh funding, including $400m from Toyota.

The capital infusion brings the startup’s total raised amount to about $800m at a valuation north of $3bn.

After this round, Pony.ai is the second-most valuable independent autonomous driving company in the world now positioning themselves as a global autonomous driving company, now located in both the U.S. and China.

Pony.ai and Toyota last year announced a partnership to explore driverless mobility services across a range of segments and industries, and this new financing cements and expands that existing relationship.

Switching it up: Nissan launches subscription service in the U.S.

A future where roads are dominated by vehicle fleets is one step closer after the launch of Switch, an entry-level subscription car service by Nissan.

Subscription plans, which start at $699 per month plus a $495 one-time fee, provide subscribers with a vehicle rented for a maximum of 180 days, or 3,200 km–whichever is first.

Four vehicles are offered under the basic plan including the Altima, Frontier, Pathfinder and Rogue.

A $900-per-month premium membership also gives subscribers access to more vehicle models including the 370Z, Armada, Leaf Plus, Maxima, Murano and Titan.

For an additional $100-per-day, premium members may also rent a GT-R but this is capped at a maximum period of one week.

Uber Inks Deal With Adomni to Put Ad Displays Atop Vehicles

Uber has signed a deal with ad-tech company Adomni to introduce ad displays on top of a thousand vehicles in three cities by April 1.

While individual Uber drivers could previously install ad displays on top of their vehicles from third-party operators like Firefly, this agreement marks the first time Uber has rolled out a company-sponsored ad platform of its own.

Uber and Uber Eats drivers in Atlanta, Dallas, Texas, and Phoenix will be compensated to participate in the pilot program, which will launch with commercial advertisements on April 1.

 Carzaam Automotive News Episode 15

Nissan Turns Over a New Leaf

The biggest car debut – of a real car – at CES was the Nissan Ariya. It’s a crossover / SUV that’s intended to replace the 10-year-old Leaf, Nissan’s flagship EV model.

The Ariya is bigger than the Leaf, offers two motors where the Leaf has one, and gets up to 300 miles on a charge versus 225 for the Leaf.

Nissan will use the second generation of its ProPilot Assist self-driving technology, which provides Level 3 hands-off driving and should be priced to start around $40,000.

The ProPilot Level 3 autonomy means self-driving on some roads (typically freeways), but you will have to keep your eyes on the road (and they’ll be tracked by an optical monitor).

Most importantly drivers will need to take over control when exiting a highway but also if the car cannot cope with a complex driving situation.

Where the Leaf drives the front wheels only, the Ariya will offer all-wheel drive, with motors both front and rear and the modulated use of regenerative braking to minimize pitch and dive.

Other than Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Nissan Leaf is the best-selling non-Tesla EV in the US, even despite sales being 60% off their 2014 peak. From Nissan’s perspective The Ariya can’t come soon enough.

Amazon knocks it out of the park at CES2020

Amazon celebrated the start of the new year with a focus on the comprehensive integration of Alexa into the automotive sector and revealed its extensive partnerships with multiple auto manufacturers. 

Amazon announced that Alexa would soon be the digital voice assistant for Lamborghini and EV startup Rivian. Lamborghini plans to introduce the built-in Alexa feature in its Huracán Evo model and EV startup Rivian plans to integrate the voice-enabled services in its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV.

Alexa will allow the driver to make phone calls, get navigation help, play music and also connect to the drivers home Echo device, allowing the user to switch on lights or regulate the temperature.

Because Lamborghini caters to the premium segment and not the mass consumer market, Amazon also launched its pocket-friendly car assistant Echo Auto which is soon to be sold globally.

Cars as pods only as OEMs lose control

A major trend that emerged from CES in Las Vegas this year was the depth of the identity crisis that has hit the auto industry. Toyota openly admitted that it had no idea where its long-term future lay.

“Mobility”, the word carmakers use these days to describe the point of their industry in a future where autonomous robotaxis hold sway, suggests that personal transport will become an undifferentiated utility.

Toyota presented a vision in which cars were reduced to bland pods shuttling people around a smart city. If this is only one element in a bigger urban system, then Toyota has followed the thought to its logical conclusion: it says it will start construction next year on a test city to help shape its future strategy.

The prototype city named Woven City will start with a 175-acre site not far from Mount Fuji in Japan where the automaker used to build cars.

Toyota is planning to build an all-encompassing city of the future where the automaker can conduct research right where people live their everyday lives. Toyota wants to have 2,000 people living in the city full-time once it opens. The idea is to bring together autonomous driving technology, hydrogen fuel cell power production and real-world learning.

Carzaam Automotive News Episode 14

Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR

Mercedes-Benz was the talk of CES2020 where it revealed its take on the vehicle as a "living creature" with a futuristic new model called the Vision Avatar which was developed in close collaboration with James Cameron and the team behind the sci-fi fantasy film of the same name.

Unveiled at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Vision AVTR concept car is a more imaginative version of Mercedes' Vision EQS luxury saloon which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019 and is set for production in 2021.

Both models feature a structure that Mercedes-Benz calls a "one bow" proportion, which features a stretched profile with a long cabin, short bonnet and expansive doors.

The front and rear axles of the car can be driven in the same or opposite direction, enabling the car to move sideways by around 30 degrees "like a crab” giving the vehicle a reptile-like appearance even in its movement.

In the keynote speech at CES 2020, Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gordon Wagener said "We didn't want to create a car, we wanted to create something like a living organism.

We created a futuristic vehicle that had to authentically look like it came out of the amazing Avatar world of Pandora”.

Sony VISION-S

Nobody saw this coming. Sony, the company that used to define Consumer Electronics Shows of the past, rolled out an electric concept car, the Vision-S.

The Vision-S was created, quietly and with zero publicity, as a testbed for the various sensors and infotainment systems that can be used in passenger cars. Sony is looking for more sales, and more respect, for the automotive technology it has developed and is chasing the Samsung-Harman juggernaut that sells multiple suites of safety, entertainment and advanced driver-assistance systems to manufacturers.

The Vision-S looks like a Tesla from many angles and uses the now-common skateboard concept with heavy batteries as a slice at the bottom of the vehicle, improving stability. 

The car has 33 sensors embedded in the car which can detect and recognize passengers in the cabin and their location relative to the nearest Sony screen. Other sensors track vehicles and pedestrians outside the car.

Biometrics

Automotive applications are the next logical step for biometrics after their successful implementation in smartphones and laptops to reduce password use.

Automakers are exploring the potential of fingerprint sensors, eye scans, voice and facial recognition to provide access to the car and start its engine and these were all born out in the prevalence of automotive biometrics at CES 2020.

EyeLock partners with SiriusXM

EyeLock announced a collaboration with SiriusXM to apply its iris biometric authentication technology to create a highly secure, touchless e-wallet gateway.

SiriusXM plans to offer the e-Wallet to automakers to allow drivers and passengers to conduct in-car commerce including to find and pay or for coffee, gas, movie tickets or parking while on the go

Byton SUV uses voice and facial biometrics

Also at CES 2020, electric carmaker Byton is showing off its new M-Byte SUV with personalized dashboards provided for different users through biometric facial recognition. The vehicle also features voice control with biometric voice recognition to enable drivers and passengers to call up playlists, contacts, and preferred apps.

Carzaam Automotive News Episode 13: AutoFi - Amaze - Influencers

BMW i Ventures announced today an investment in AutoFi.

We start with AutoFi, which is a company I have had my eye on for a number of years now, it is a platform that basically allows car buyers to purchase and finance a car online and the team have announced a new funding round to be led by BMW iVentures.

Now thanks to AutoFi’s deep integrations with financial institutions, customers can submit simple credit applications and get instant decisions, which increases engagement, conversion and F&I penetration for dealers.

Baris Guzel of BMW i Ventures said he was “convinced that AutoFi has the potential to be the industry standard checkout for all automotive transactions.” Which would be massive if they can pull it off.

BMW I Ventures will lead a Series B financing round that AutoFi will use to expand sales and customer support and continue its rapid pace of product innovation. Cant wait to see how they end up.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to the business district of Zuidas.

A consortium of four developers (Over Morgen, Amber, Radiuz and Transdev) have created the Amaze app to give commuters a smarter alternative to driving a car to and from their workplace.

Amaze will combine public transport with shared mobility, including car sharing, ride hailing and bikes, in a bid to cut congestion and pollution which is expected to increase in the coming years due to a major construction project in the area.

Rather than get caught up in traffic jams, the MaaS platform will allow customers to “plan, buy and pay for trips ahead of time” said Diederik Basta, Project Manager for Smart Mobility, City of Amsterdam.

Amaze is scheduled to last for two years and the aim is for the app to create personalised daily recommendations for the best way to travel, based on the individual commuting habits of employees.

The launch of the app follows a successful MaaS pilot project in Zuidas, which challenged Amsterdammers to give up their cars for two months in return for a monthly transport budget of €250.

The pilot found that the MaaS triallists did not spend all of their travel budget within a month, typically using free modes of transport like cycling and walking, and one-third of them gave up their cars forever at the end of the experiment.

GlobalData Reveals Top Ten Mobility as a Service Influencers in 2019

An analysis of GlobalData’s Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Influencer Platform, which tracks over 200 leading global mobility experts on Twitter, has revealed Cities Today, a news platform on urban mobility and innovation, as the top influencer during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019.

Smart Mobility, a Twitter account representing industry events was ranked second and AUTONOMY, the Twitter account for the Autonomy & Urban Mobility Summit, was ranked third.

Over the quarter under review, ‘Micro Mobility’ emerged as the most prominent trend among the mobility experts, followed by ‘Urban Mobility’ and ‘Smart Mobility’.

Carzaam AutomotiveNews Episode 12: Holden - Maven - Kantar

GM Is Pulling out of Australia, New Zealand and Thailand

First we start with General Motors says it’s pulling out of Australia, New Zealand and Thailand as part of a strategy to exit markets that don’t produce adequate return on investment, affecting more than 800 employees in Australia and New Zealand and another 1,500 in Thailand.

The company will wind down sales, engineering and design operations for its historic Holden brand in 2021 and plans to sell its Rayong factory in Thailand to China’s Great Wall Motors, also withdrawing the Chevrolet brand from Thailand by the end of this year.

Sales will be scaled back niche specialty vehicles only and an operations team will support outstanding warranties, parts and servicing. GM will make the same move in other international markets including Japan, Russia and Europe.

GM said Holden’s market share, which was nearly 22% in 2002, fell to just over 4% last year and adds to GM’s struggles in it’s International Operations, including China, which lost $200 million last year.

The Detroit automaker expects to take a $1 billion cash and noncash charge this year due to the cuts in each market.

Holden’s Mobility-as-a-Service disrupter 'Maven' parked under brand closure

In addition to the wind down in Australia and New Zealand, Holden has confirmed that its prototype mobility-as-a-service play Maven, which offered drivers the ability to rent a vehicle straight off the dealership lot using a mobile app, will be shuttered alongside the main brand in 2021.

The business was much watched in the industry as it did away with car keys, instead using a mobile app to unlock the cars, a feature that is still largely yet to make it to market.

Maven’s business model also sought to transform auto-financing for part time or full time ride-share drivers by allowing them to only pay for the vehicle when they used it.

Over the past two years the Maven service had built up more than 6,000 members using 2,300 Holden cars, completing more than 9 million ride-sharing or food delivery journeys.

Personal car use to decline 10% by 2030: study

Private car travel will decline by 10% in the world's largest cities over the next decade, according to a new study from research consultancy firm Kantar.

The firm surveyed 20,000 city dwellers across 31 cities to understand how their preferred mobility modes may change over the next 10 years.

Kantar's study took a unique look at the current and desired behaviors of city dwellers to understand how receptive they are to new mobility. Through this lens, Kantar recognized four main themes: people are ready for change, travel choices are emotional, all cities are different and sharing is transformative.

Based on the survey, Kantar predicts greener means of transport will represent nearly half (50%) of all trips taken in cities in 2030, with cycling to increase globally by 18%, walking to increase by 15% and public transit use to increase by 6%.

In this I assume cycling means push bikes as well as electric bikes and scooters which have been booming of late.

The study identified 10 cities that will see the biggest transformation in green transport which include: Manchester; Moscow; Sao Paulo; Paris; Johannesburg; Guangzhou; Milan; Montreal; Amsterdam and Shanghai.

Carzaam Automotive News Episode 11: Raise Report - GoMechanic – Next Gear Ventures - Rivian

Indian vehicle service startup, GoMechanic raises $14.5m from investors including Sequoia Capital

Vehicle service and repair startup GoMechanic has raised ₹105 crore in a Series-B funding led by Chiratae Ventures and Sequoia Capital with Orios Venture Partners also participating in the fundraise.

GoMechanic, which is present through 215 workshops in nine cities, plans to use the funds to scale up its operations and expand to about 30 cities in 2020. 

The three-year-old startup is working to equip independent garages with the necessary technology, spare parts, and skill sets to remain profitable as the automotive enters a new phase of disruption.

Next Gear Ventures Raises $30 Million in new funding round

Tel Aviv-based Next Gear Venture Partners has raised $30 million in commitments for investments in smart mobility and smart city technologies. The fund has a focus on early stage Israeli startups and boasts Volvo Group among the fund’s backers.

Founded in 2018, Next Gear portfolio companies currently include fleet management startup Fleetonomy, medical AI startup MDGo, and autonomous vehicle safety startup Foretellix.

Rivian provides $1.3 billion in funding for its electric utility

Finally today, we have the Grand daddy of December raises with Rivian completing a $1.3bn raise from partners including T. Rowe Price, Amazon and Ford.

The latest investment is Rivian's fourth round for 2019 and brings its fundraising for the year to nearly $3 billion.

Aside from developing its own vehicles, the funding will also assist with the new plug-in battery vehicle it is developing with Ford and the 100,000 electric delivery vans it is making for Amazon.

Carzaam Automotive News Episode 10: VW - OK Honda - Opal

Volkswagen accused of breaching responsible lending laws

ASIC has commenced civil penalty proceedings against Volkswagen Financial Services Australia for allegedly breaching responsible lending laws just days after VW was hit with the largest penalty ever made for contraventions of Australian Consumer Law.

The financial services regulator has alleged that the company failed to undertake “reasonable steps” to inquire about or verify a borrowers’ living expenses. 

The Volkswagen case continues ASIC’s clampdown on how lenders interrogate a borrower’s living expenses when writing loans and further tightens lending standards in an already tough automotive market.

Honda to Launch Personal Assistant, “OK Honda,” at CES 2020 Backed by SoundHound

Honda revealed a preview of the advanced voice technology it plans to show off at CES this year.

It will feature “OK HONDA” its voice enabled Personal Assistant created in a collaboration with SoundHound, along with new ways to control smartphones from the car.

The partnership grew out of SoundHound’s involvement in the Honda Xcelerator program and uses the term “OK Honda” as a wake word to allow the driver to carry out requests including running the car’s entertainment system and environmental controls. 

SoundHound has been accruing new automotive partners at a steady rate. Most recently, Kia announced that the Seltos line of cars will include a Houndify-based voice assistant and 

Hyundai has also integrated its technology on the Venue SUV.

Ride hailing added to Opal app and Transport NSW Trip Planner

Transport for NSW has announced that some taxi and rideshare providers are now included as an option for how people can travel to their destination in the latest iteration of Trip Planner.

In addition to existing options -- public transport, walking, and cycling -- people can now view the cost and journey duration of their trips if they choose to travel with Cars on Demand, Ola, or Ingogo.

The decision to offer ride-sharing and taxis comes off the back of the state government's Future Transport 2056 strategy where transport service providers were invited to share their data sets and APIs to link with Trip Planner.

This represents a great step forward for mobility as a service in Australia with the NSW government showing its leadership and commitment in bringing together various parts of the ecosystem to deliver better transport outcomes.

 Carzaam News Episode 9: Alexa - Carsome - YourNow

Battle of the AI voice assistants enters the car

As demand for connectivity in vehicles grows, automakers are clamoring to put Amazon Alexa behind the wheel with demand for voice-activated technology “through the roof” in 2020 according to Ned Curic, vice president of Alexa Auto.

Automakers and Amazon started collaborating in 2016, launching remote vehicle start with Alexa before putting Alexa directly into cars to control some functions. Amazon has also since rolled out in-car Echo Auto, an Alexa-enabled aftermarket device.

Ten carmakers have already signed on with Amazon and more are expected in 2020 and beyond as the functionality improves and General Motors is currently at the forefront with Alexa being onboarded to newer Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles in the first six months of 2020.

Carsome Indonesia to offer used car auctions

Auto marketplace Carsome Indonesia has joined forces with BidWin Auctions to offer used car auctions that allow customers to sell their vehicles online through Carsome’s expansive network of dealers.

The agreement adds 4,800 companies to Carsome’s existing network of 1,600 used car dealers in Greater Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya.

Founded in 2015, Kuala Lumpur-based Carsome already operates in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and now adds Indonesia with the deal.

Earlier this month, the company raised $50 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total investment to $77 million and pushing it’s valuation close to $110 million.

BMW/Daimler cut back joint carsharing offering

Last week I told you that preliminary results were starting to leak out from the first full year of operations from the Your now portfolio of merged mobility assets from Daimler and BMW.

I actually though the numbers were pretty impressive, 90 million customers, record ridehailing revenues of EUR2 billion and 300 million trips taken.

However the latest news is that the carsharing arm of Your Now will discontinue services in North America altogether and will be also pulling out of Brussels, Florence and London, citing increasing infrastructure complexities in America and low adoption rates in Europe. 

It adds to the list of mobility experiments from manufacturers with GM ending its Maven carsharing business in eight North American cities and Chariot, a micro-transit service owned by Ford, also going out of business.

Carzaam News Episode 8: Commodore - Holden - Bosch

Holden to axe popular Commodore model in Australia

We start with huge news for the Australian automotive industry as Holden axes its iconic Commodore range to focus on SUVs and utes.

General Motors to form new Electric Battery processing JV

In other news from General Motors, the company announced they have entered a $2.3B JV with Korea’s LG Chem to mass-produce battery cells and Further the Production Of Electric Vehicles.

Bosch and Daimler team up in self driving car pilot

Finally today we have news that Bosch and Daimler will launch a self-driving car pilot in San Jose with a fleet of around 30 autonomous Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles.

Carzaam News Episode 7: Ebay - Cadillac - BMW - Mercedes

Ebay's Gumtree agrees to acquire Carsguide and Autotrader

We start with the biggest automotive news story of the day with Ebay subsidiary Gumtree confirming it had agreed terms to acquire Carsguide and Autotrader in an effort to boost its local automotive presence and take on market leader Carsales.

Cadillac announces car with a 38-inch curved OLED display screen 

In other news, Cadillac is set to unleash the largest screen seen in a car from a major manufacturer in its new 2021 Escalade SUV.

Results in from BMW and Mercedes’ 1b bet on the urban mobility market

Finally today we have some news from BMW and Mercedes’ 1b EUR bet on the urban mobility market.

CarZaam News Episode 6: Indian Startups - Raleigh - VW 

Online car firms woo VCs in a dull market 

Indian Online used car retailing startups are continuing to attract investors despite the domestic automobile industry experiencing its worst sales slump in nearly two decades. 

UK Bike maker Raleigh reports £2.5m loss for year but sees huge growth in eBikes 

The UK arm of bicycle manufacturer Raleigh has reported a surge in electric bike sales in the last year, but confirmed a pre-tax loss of more than £2.5 million for the year. 

Volkswagen becomes the first car manufacturer to have a board member in charge of software 

In an interview today, we heard from Volkswagen software boss Christian Senger who spoke about the brands commitment to development of vehicle software. 

Carzaam News Episode 5: Neuron - Waymo - DriveAi 

Orange scooters a next-generation arrival on Brisbane streets   

Bright orange electric scooters are soon to arrive on Brisbane streets with news that Brisbane City Council awarded a 600-scooter contract to Singapore-based company Neuron Mobility.  

Waymo strikes a deal with Nissan-Renault to bring driverless cars to Japan and France   

Waymo inked a deal with Nissan and Renault to bring its driverless cars and trucks to France and Japan, the companies announced Thursday.   

Tencent-backed ride hailing start-up OnTime to launch in Guangzhou before expansion into Greater Bay Area   

OnTime, a ride-hailing platform backed by Tencent Holdings and Guangzhou Automobile Group, will become the latest player to enter China’s mobility market, the world’s biggest, when it rolls out services later this month.   

Carzaam News Episode 4: Drive Motors - DiDi - Tencent

In today's Carzaam news we have: 

- 3 year old auto commerce startup Drive Motors 

- Implications of China’s slowing vehicle demand which is expected to decline for the second straight year 

Carzaam News Episode 3: Raise Report September 2019

In today's Carzaam news we review the three biggest funding rounds from global startups and I throw in my two favourites in the bonus round  

Carzaam News Episode 2: Nio - Weller - Lyft - Waymo - DriveAI

In today's Carzaam news we have: 

- NIO recalls nearly 5,000 vehicles 

- Willer to launch MAAS subscription in Japan 

- LYFT launches robotaxis in Phoenix 

- Apple acquires Drive.AI 

Carzaam News Episode 1: Deepscale - Bird - Mercedes

In today's Carzaam news we have:

- Tesla acquires computer vision startup Deepscale

- Scooter company Bird raises $275m

- Mercedes Benz releases connected car apps and digital ecosystem