Oxbotica have announced a new strategic collaboration with Google Cloud that aims to help accelerate the deployment of its autonomous software platform to customers around the world.
The partnership aims to combine Google Cloud’s expertise in cloud infrastructure with Oxbotica’s leading autonomous vehicle software to create safe and scalable autonomous driving solutions for any business in its value chain. The release states that the businesses will include last-mile logistics, agriculture, light industry and public transport.
Oxbotica has said that it plans to use Google Cloud products like Vertex AI, to help develop, test, validate, and verify its self-driving technology. It also aims to leverage Google Cloud’s cyber security technologies to help ensure secure use of autonomous mobility technology.
Oxbotica will also use Google Cloud to generate digital twins in Oxbotica’s MetaDriver. This is an AI-powered metaverse that connects and controls virtual and physical fleets together which will send real-time analytics on performance.
Oxbotica’s MetaDriver automatically generates a vast bank of virtual scenarios to help ensure the safety of autonomous vehicles. Google Cloud will provide the data and machine learning tools to enable MetaDriver to apply Oxbotica’s proprietary generative AI tools to the extensive bank of virtual scenarios including unusual edge cases that are often economically, environmentally or physically impractical to discover in conventional testing.
“We are thrilled to partner with Google Cloud to accelerate bringing autonomous driving solutions to market globally. Google Cloud is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and using its cutting-edge technology and AI powered tools will strengthen our proposition for our customers,” said Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxbotica.
Through this partnership, Oxbotica will be able to easily scale prototype vehicles into full fleets. This hopes to aid the transition to autonomy.
“The combination of Oxbotica’s leading technology and our reliable infrastructure and AI and data-enabled cloud platform has the potential to accelerate autonomous mobility in a variety of industrial use cases,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “From last mile logistics to public transportation, we look forward to working together to positively impact the lives of end users.”
The release states that Oxbotica intends to use Google Cloud infrastructure to make available application programming interfaces (APIs) for autonomous driving, which will enable its customers to create new lines of business (such as applications and other products), as well as more easily manage their existing data and services.
Financing led by LG Technology Ventures, with participation from Safar Partners, UOB Venture Management
BOSTON & SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Venti Technologies, a world leader in autonomous logistics for global supply chain and industrial hubs, today announced that it has secured $28.8 million in a Series A financing.
The financing round was led by LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital arm of the LG Group, with participation from Safar Partners, UOB Venture Management, and existing investors Alpha JWC and LDV Partners. The funding will be used to accelerate Venti’s growth and meet increasing demand from customers worldwide.
Each year, trillions of dollars of goods pass through global supply chain and industrial hubs – ports, airports, factories, warehouses and depots. These hubs face key challenges such as driver shortages, supply disruptions and safety concerns. Venti’s full-scope autonomy solutions require no change to existing infrastructure and work with any vehicle in any logistics or industrial hub.
“Venti is solving real-world problems for large customers in huge markets with technology that has proven safe, mature and capable of near-term driverless deployment,” said Anshul Agarwal, Managing Director at LG Technology Ventures. “We are impressed not only by the technology, which is more complete and rapidly able to provide value to end customers, but also by the world-class team.”
After three years of development in one of the world’s largest container ports, the company’s fleets can navigate complex environments and heavy traffic, with unmatched precision and the ability to park 45-foot tractor-trailers accurately down to one inch.
“With this new round of funding, we are well-positioned to broadly deploy our autonomous logistics solutions to power safer and more efficient global supply chains and industrial yards,” said Heidi Wyle, Founder and CEO. “Our autonomous vehicles have industrial grade precision in everyday operating environments and are already successfully in use. We have the potential to revolutionize goods transportation and are excited to be working with partners around the world to make this vision a reality.”
Venti was founded in 2018 by a team with strong MIT roots, including Chief Executive Officer Dr. Heidi Wyle, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Xinxin Du, and MIT electrical engineering and computer science professors Daniela Rus, Director, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and MacArthur Fellow, and Saman Amarasinghe.
“Venti represents exactly the kind of opportunity that appeals to Safar: best-in-class technology developed by leading minds from the world’s top universities working to develop innovative, implementable solutions that address real world market needs,” said Arunas Chesonis, Managing Partner at Safar Partners. “We enthusiastically support Venti in scaling its operations and demonstrating its value to a wider cast of partners and customers worldwide.”
Velocity Truck Rental and Leasing has announced that it will be adding 200 battery-electric trucks including Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia’s and 75 Class 6&7 Freightline eM2’s from Daimler Truck North America to its commercial truck rental and full-service leasing business.
The new fleet will be supported by infrastructure to charge vehicles in 90 mins or under. Velocity will install 39 dual port 150 kW chargers at multiple Southern California locations along transit corridors.
Seventeen will be installed in Rancho Dominguez, 10 in Fontana, 10 in Industry and two in San Diego.
“Our customers are always at the forefront of what we do, and we know firsthand what it takes to put electric trucks and infrastructure in place,” said David Deon, president of Velocity Truck Rental and Leasing. “The acquisition of our new battery-powered fleet allows our customers the opportunity to go zero-emissions quickly, in addition to offering cost-saving measures through quick-charging infrastructure that is included in our leasing program.”
Both Freightliner models are battery-powered to be able to run up to 230 miles. The statement highlights that the larger eCascadia is an all-electric version of North America’s best-selling Class 8 truck suited for short-haul and last-mile delivery routes. The eM2 is a highly maneuverable, quiet and comfortable Class 6-7 EV truck engineered for regional pick-up and delivery routes.
“The Velocity team is making considerable investments to help its fleet customers successfully integrate medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles into their operations, as well as help DTNA make progress toward its global freight electrification goals,” said DTNA SVP, Sales and Marketing, David Carson. “As one of DTNA’s largest dealership partners, Velocity also adds value as a solution-orientated member on our EV taskforce identifying tactical methods to electrify more fleets in the commercial sector.”
The entire fleet of 200 battery-electric trucks is scheduled to be in service by 2025. The first five Freightliner eCascadia trucks are currently being deployed to Arrowlink Logistics to support pickups and deliveries at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“Our team is excited to integrate zero-emission Freightliner eCascadia trucks into our port drayage operations so that we can reduce our impact on the local community as we transport freight between Southern California’s busy ports and local warehouses,” said Kevin Kuo, president of Arrowlink USA, Inc. “Velocity Truck Rental & Leasing has made the entire process easy for our team – including helping us determine the right truck configurations for our routes, providing training to our drivers, and supporting us in developing a plan to charge our trucks.”
The Digital Twin Consortium has announced a new working group to address the application and adoption of digital twins in the telecommunications market.
Dan Isaacs, the GM and CTO of the Digital Twin Consortium, said, “Current networking infrastructures often face fragmentation issues that make it difficult to support new network rollouts, expand capacity, and introduce new features that can help address societal challenges. Digital twins provide a 360-degree view of network performance and usage patterns, enabling improved analysis, optimal coverage, accurate predictive analytics, and effective management approaches.”
The company will use a virtual model of an entire area or process which means that management will be able to visualise and test out different initiatives. This will lead to making data-driven decisiona based on billions of network performance data points.
The company stated that these initiatives can then be evaluated through more precise enterprise-level analytics and location intelligence, to help identify optimal implementation scenarios.
“EDX builds planet-scale 3D geospatial digital twins that are game-changers in key industries, such as wireless, utilities and smart cities,” said Anoop Kaur Bowdery, COO, EDX Wireless, Inc. “3D geospatial digital twins can significantly improve decision-making, collaboration, and planning for mobile network operators.”
The DTC Telecommunications Working Group plans to embark upon telecommunications market challenges using digital twins, including:
Platform development for emerging technologies
Enabling smart city’s economic and societal structure improvements
Sustainable energy reuse
Bridging the gap to non-IP-based networking
Creating a faster path to information/intent-based networking
Providing transparent 360 cyber security
Creating novel design paradigms, including AI and machine learning, to help address societal challenges and more.
The new working group will define and identify digital twin applications for the telecommunications industry. It will explore implementation scenarios utilizing extended reality (XR) capabilities and advanced simulation perspectives, ensuring a secure, scalable solution for enterprise-level XR data visualization for geospatial analytics and location intelligence.
The new telecom group will also investigate use cases and reference implementations for intelligent infrastructure, smart cities, and beyond. These include network design optimization, operations, and capacity planning.
Infineon Technologies and Delta Electronics have announced that they will be expanding their long-term partnership from industrial to automotive applications.
Both companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that will hope to deepen their joint innovation activities to provide more efficient and higher-density solutions for the fast-growing EV market.
The release states that the agreement covers a wide range of components such as high-voltage and low-voltage discretes and modules as well as microcontrollers to be used in EV drivetrain applications such as traction inverters, DC-DC converters and on-board chargers.
“Infineon is a trusted partner of Delta. Over the past 25 years we have successfully collaborated in the area of industrial products. We are now looking forward to extending this partnership to electromobility,” said James Tang, Corporate Vice President of Delta Electronics. “We see a growing demand in the automotive industry for innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions. Together with Infineon, we are committed to support the global transition to electromobility with our products and solutions and to bring electromobility to a whole new level.”
Additionally, both parties agreed to set up a joint innovation lab for automotive applications. The Delta-Infineon Automotive Innovation Center will be co-managed by both companies. It is scheduled to be set up in Pingzhen, Taiwan in the second half of 2023.
“Infineon and Delta share the common goal of developing increasingly energy-efficient and CO 2-saving solutions that support global decarbonization efforts,” said Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive division. “We want to further advance the energy efficiency of electromobility together by combining Infineon’s comprehensive automotive product portfolio and application know-how with Delta’s expertise in integration and system optimization. Ensuring the energy efficiency of automotive applications is of paramount importance in our time and we are committed to further improving it.”
Surrey County Council and Connected Kerb have entered a partnership to support the rollout of thousands of electric vehicle chargepoints across the country in the next few years.
The contract is said to be the largest in the UK to date and will release up to £60million of investment for Connected Kerb to install public EV chargepoints across the county.
The aim will be to install thousands over the next five years and Connected Kerb has been licensed to operate the chargepoints for 15 years from installation.
Increasing the number of public chargepoints in Surrey hopes to support residents in making the transition to an EV but do not have charging infrastructure at home.
Connected Kerb will install a mix of chargepoints ranging between slower 3kW and 7kW chargepoints, as well as fast 22kW chargepoints and rapid chargepoints. Their product range includes free-standing and wall-mounted chargepoints, which will cater to those with accessibility needs.
The partnership will see a rapid rollout of on-street charge points, with ambitious plans to install hundreds of charge points within the first year It aims to make one in five of the EV charging bays more accessible to drivers with disabilities, in recognition of the need to make EV adoption a practical reality for the 2.35 million blue badge holders on UK roads.
Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment, Surrey County Council, said: “We know that emissions from transport are a significant proportion of our carbon footprint in Surrey, so supporting residents to switch to an electric car is essential to helping us achieve our aim of being a net zero county by 2050. Many residents don’t have access to driveways to charge EVs at home, so a comprehensive network of high-quality, reliable and accessible EV chargepoints is essential to supporting the needs of our local communities. We’ve been working with Connected Kerb for almost a year, as part of our pilot phases that have seen us install over 100 chargepoints across Surrey over the last two years. We’re delighted this contract will enable us to speed up the roll-out of further chargepoints and expand our network in the coming years.”
The company highlighted that throughout the contract, Connected Kerb will be identifying suitable on-street locations, using residents’ suggestions made through the company’s online map and approaching public sector and community landowners across the county to identify other suitable locations for public EV chargepoints, including local car cars, NHS sites and educational establishments.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “If one local authority can deliver such a significant boost to the UK’s charging network, just imagine what we could achieve by 2030 if every city, county, and combined authority was empowered to do the same. The recent Net Zero Review was clear – local authorities can become the driving force behind the rollout of charging infrastructure across the country, and our partnership with Surrey County Council is case and point. If local authorities are the door to a clean transport future, then charging networks like Connected Kerb are the key, providing the tools and expertise needed to unlock the transition at the pace and scale required to reach net zero. Although the Government’s estimate of 300,000 chargers by 2030 may feel ambitious, it’s eminently possible – and necessary – to achieve; this deal proves it. In addition to the EV chargepoints, the contract will delivery significant value to Surrey residents through Connected Kerb’s social value projects. These will cover a range of initiatives including working with local educational centres to provide industry support to pupils interested in learning about EV chargepoints, providing employability support to vulnerable young people, as well as supporting a number of charities within the county.”
Hyundai Mobis has announced that they have succeeded in developing an in-wheel system, which lets the motor control each wheel directly. Some of the key feature technologies, including the drive motor and the controller, have been developed by Hyundai Mobis in-house.
The South Korean company has stated that the in-wheel system is the ‘latest technology with no record of being mass-produced anywhere in the world’. Hyundai Mobis is currently verifying its reliability for mass-production based on IONIQ 5 with Hyundai Motor Company.
Hyundai Mobis has been developing the in-wheel system since 2010, and this was in response to the emerging electric car market.
Some key features of the in-wheel system include enhanced drive and power efficiency, longer cruising range, improved driving performance, and unique steer modes.
Using the in-wheel system in the vehicle means the vehicle can maximise the drive efficiency without the need to install a separate power transmission component such as a drive shaft. This will aim to improve power efficiency.
Oh Heung-sub, executive vice president, Head of Electrification, Hyundai Mobis, said, “We plan to complete the development of this technology that is both durable and reliable so that we can begin mass-production of the in-wheel system by the end of this year. We will continue to idealize the technology to ready ourselves for the future of mobility.”
The in-wheel system also improves the driving range of electric vehicles with secured battery capacity. It is able to free up space inside and allows the vehicles to utilise the rooms for existing driving system.
The in-wheel motor is the key technology of the e-corner system. Hyundai Mobis unveild the e-Corner system based on IONIQ 5 at CES 2023.
Hyundai Mobis has stated that it is currently developing the e-Corner System by installing it in real cars with a goal of completing the development within the next five years.
Polestar has announced that it has created a second limited-edition version of Polestar 2 within its Polestar Engineered portfolio – the BST edition 230. Starting with the exceptional chassis modifications developed for ultimate thrills in the original BST edition, the new version puts more focus on performance design details, stated the release.
“Limited drops like the BST edition 230 allow us to explore colours, graphics and materials in faster and more creative ways,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
Exclusive green Nebula paintwork and MicroSuede textile for the seats and steering wheel inserts will be available for the 350 kW and 680 Nm Polestar 2 BST edition 230.
The unique design upgrades will be made from partly recycled Nubuck textile. The exterior can also be ordered in Space (black), with an optional full-length body stripe available for either body colour.
All the chassis upgrades that were first implemented on the original Polestar 2 BST edition 270 remain available, including the lowered ride height (-25 mm), specially developed and unique Öhlins 2-way adjustable dampers, front strut bar, 20% stiffer springs and unique black 21-inch alloy wheels that are inspired by those of Polestar 1, fitted with 245/35R21 Pirelli P Zero tyres developed specifically for BST edition cars.
A total of 230 units will be produced for European and North American Polestar markets, with cars available to order immediately online from 21 March 2023 at Polestar.com. Deliveries are expected from the third quarter of 2023.
Volocopter and SITA have entered a partnership with SITA selected as Volocopter’s preferred digital and IT systems partner for vertiports.
SITA has become the latest investor to join Volocopter’s Series E funding round, under the agreement, cementing the strategic vision created by this partnership.
UAM will offer a new form of sustainable aviation, replete with multiple mobility options to cities worldwide. The company’s launch product, the VoloCity electric air taxi, will operate routes in congested megacities to offer future passengers stable, quiet, and safe flights. Flights can be hailed via designated boarding points (or “vertiports”), stated the release.
This partnership therefore has the potential to shape aviation industry standards.
Christian Bauer, Volocopter’s Chief Commercial Officer, said“Volocopter consistently takes a holistic ecosystem approach. Working in concert with our partners, we are setting up for commercial operations. This involves establishing the requisite infrastructure, maintenance, flight operations, IT, and customer services. SITA is a leading IT provider for airports and airlines, and we believe there is no better partner to make our seamless travel experience possible.”
SITA will deploy its expertise in air transport for the emerging UAM industry. The company will be developing new operating standards and digital-first passenger experience.
Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe, said “Volocopter is in pole position to make electric air taxis a reality, benefiting from its first-mover advantage. At SITA, we will play a key role in delivering this new digital UAM world and defining a seamless, smarter approach to air travel in a city environment. Together we will turn the theory into practice as early as 2024 when we expect the first commercial eVTOLs to take flight.”
Volocopter is known for its integrated UAM ecosystem approach. Its digital operating system, the VoloIQ, connects all partners, which enables a holistic service.
The VoloIQ therefore enables a digital-first approach that will translate to end-to-end passenger air transportation experiences. This cloud-based system is in the process of being certified by the relevant aviation authorities, stated the release.
Zedify- the UK’s largest electric cargo bike delivery network- has just announced that it has secured £5m investment to expand its exceptionally low carbon service, making it available to around 20% of the UK population.
The round was led by Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, with additional funds from original investors, Green Angel Syndicate, and new investors, Prova.
Rob King, co-founder and CEO, said: “Zedify’s model delivers tangible benefits- significant carbon reduction in the last mile; a fairer system for workers which counteracts the gig economy; cleaner, safer deliveries that contribute to healthier, more liveable cities; and more choice for consumers about how and when they receive their parcels. It’s exciting to have the backing of new and existing investors to enable us to realise our mission to transform urban logistics and create cities that are truly better for everyone.”
Zedify provides sustainable ‘first and last mile’ deliveries using cargo bikes in city centres, where vans can’t operate efficiently and create congestion and air pollution. Their clients include major retail brands, leading national parcel carriers and hundreds of local independent businesses across 10 UK city locations.
Kiran Mehta, Investment Manager at Mercia, said: “Cargo bike delivery is a fast-growing market as councils seek to reduce congestion and pollution and consumers demand more environmentally-friendly solutions. Zedify sets itself apart from other bike delivery companies due to its unique business model and its rapid growth which has given it a ‘first mover’ advantage. The funding will enable it to make a step change in the business in the coming years.”
Research by Zedify shows that its service is over 90% lower in carbon emissions per parcel than urban deliveries by electric vans, which highlights the importance of scaling cargo bike logistics to help the UK hit its net zero targets.
Following investments totalling £1.5m by Green Angel Syndicate in 2020 and 2021 -this new round of funding will enable Zedify to open in new locations including Manchester and Birmingham, as well as scaling its tech platform, for maximum consumer and business benefits.
Our rapid and sustained shift towards online shopping has severe impacts on sustainability and service quality. Zedify is disrupting urban parcel delivery to address these pressures head on. They use ‘microhubs’ at the edge of city centres to consolidate parcels, alongside software which builds efficiency and makes for considerably better outcomes for the climate and cities, as well as exceptional experiences for consumers.
Mark Wilcockson, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “The MEIF supports innovative business in the Midlands, with this latest investment being a great example of the funds support to promote sustainability as part of the region’s aim to reach net zero targets. This latest investment in Zedify shows how the MEIF continues to support businesses in relocating and investing into the region with new headquarters, creating wider growth for the Midlands.”
Zedify was founded in 2018 by Rob King, who had previously run a delivery business in Cambridge, and Sam Keam, who had a similar operation in Brighton. They set out to make it the ‘go-to green solution for last-mile delivery in the Uk’. The company uses only directly employed staff who are paid a real living wage and, to encourage local ownership, its network includes both depots run by Zedify and franchises.
Gavin Chapman, Co-Head of Principal Investments at Barclays said: “We understand that the delivery and logistics industry will require significant investment over the coming years to align with the UK’s net zero targets. Barclays are proud to support Zedify in their goal to normalise the use of hyperlocal microhubs and zero emission delivery vehicles within UK cities.”
The Midlands Engine Investment Fund is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
Via has announced today that it has acquired Citymapper. This new acquisition will accelerate Via’s vision to build the end-to-end digital infrastructure for transit systems.
While Via’s software enables cities and transit agencies to efficiently plan and operate their public transit networks, Citymapper empowers transit riders with the ability to navigate the urban transport network through intuitive and beautifully designed apps, states the release.
Through the integration of Citymapper, Via will be able to connect all elements of a transit system, offering a unified solution for cities, transit agencies, and riders.
“The team at Citymapper has spent a decade building some of the greatest technology in urban mobility, with the mission to make cities easier to navigate and urban transportation more efficient, sustainable, and accessible,” said Citymapper founder and CEO Azmat Yusuf. “We share this vision with Via, and through this acquisition, can expand Citymapper to a larger audience, make our technology available to cities and transit agencies, and extend the positive impact on the communities we serve.”
The release highlights that cities and transit agencies will have access to Via’s software platform which enables them to plan transit networks that are responsive and resilient to rapidly changing needs, to operate smart multi-modal transportation systems, and to use data to continually enhance performance — now unified with an optimized experience for riders from Citymapper.
Following the acquisition, the Citymapper app will continue to be available to its worldwide user base, and Via anticipates it will further expand Citymapper’s global reach.
“We have the utmost respect for the world-class product and user experience that Azmat and his team have built,” said Via co-founder and CEO Daniel Ramot. “By bringing our teams together, we see an exciting opportunity to deliver Citymapper’s capabilities to cities and transit agencies all over the world, so that they can create the most user-friendly and relevant transit experience for their communities.”
Back in 2021, Via successfully acquired Remix and in 2023 Fleetonomy. This has paved the way for a new generation of smart and flexible transportation solutions.
Volvo Trucks is now starting the sales of heavy battery electric trucks in South Korea and is the first global manufacturer to do so.
Three different electric models are now available for South Korean transport companies to order – helping them, and the government, to reach ambitious climate targets, states the release.
South Korea has a national plan to decrease CO2 emissions and aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. Electrifying road transport is one important measure to cut CO2.
“We think the timing is just right to start selling heavy electric trucks in South Korea,” says Per-Erik Lindström, SVP Volvo Trucks International, and continues: “With 22% market share for heavy-duty trucks in South Korea, we have an important role to play in order to lower the transport sector’s CO2 emissions.”
Volvo hopes for 50% of the new trucks it sells worldwide to be electric by 2030. The company has sold more than 4,300 electric trucks in over 38 countries around the world since its started production of the trucks in 2019.
“The situation is similar in most countries,” explains Per-Erik Lindström. “Large flows of goods are transported short distances where electric trucks work very well. So, when an expanded public network of charging stations is developed, even more transports can be electrified.”
Volvo Trucks has said that it sees that many types of transport needs can be electrified in South Korea, ranging from urban distribution and refuse disposal to regional transportation and construction traffic.There are many different factors that affect how quickly the transition to electric goes.
“It’s obvious that the speed of the electric transition in any country is very dependent on the decisions the authorities make. We see that in the countries that are leading the transition to electric trucks, the progressive governments have combined economic incentives with targeted taxes and environmental zones in cities to greatly speed up the adoption of electric trucks,” states Per-Erik Lindström.
Five leading operators of shared e-scooters and e-bikes today published ten recommendations for cities to better integrate shared micromobility vehicles onto their streets.
Dott, Lime, Superpedestrian, TIER Mobility, and Voi have collaborated to create a framework, in a rare move in the competitive industry.
The recommendations reflect the expertise gained from operators’ combined knowledge. Together, the five companies operate over three quarters of a million vehicles across 37 countries.
10 recommendations to improve both the organisation and operations of the service.
In order to help cities succeed with lowering air pollution and providing a strong alternative to individual cars and a complement to public transport, the 5 operators put forward ten recommendations across two main themes: defining the best environment the service should function in and highlighting the best way to regulate programmes to be financially sustainable over the long term.
Henri Moissinac, CEO, Dott; Wayne Ting, CEO, Lime; Assaf Biderman, CEO, Superpedestrian; Lawrence Leuschner, CEO, TIER Mobility; and Fredrik Hjelm, CEO, Voi, said: “In a pretty short time, the micromobility industry experienced huge growth, providing the strongest challenge yet to personal car use in cities. To ensure ongoing sustainability and global consistency, we combined our expertise to develop recommendations to cities that we believe are best-practices for regulating micromobility programmes. We have created a strong framework that has the potential to greatly improve the micromobility experience for riders and non-riders alike, allowing cities to experience the best of what our services provide. We came together to issue these recommendations. Now that we’ve demonstrated what conditions lead to sustainable services, we’re looking forward to working with city authorities to put these recommendations into action.”
The companies will make recommendations on fleet sizes and vendor contract length, tying these factors to greater reliability for frequent riders, such as those who use the services for commutes to work or university.
The recommendations suggest that the addition of new vehicles to city streets should be directly tied to the operators’ performance keeping city streets tidy and well-maintained.
The framework also makes technical recommendations on data sharing protocols,vendor fees, and vendor selection protocols, encouraging cities to consider reliability, safety, sustainability, and fleet management as the top selection criteria.
Once vendors are selected to serve the city, the recommendations suggest operating areas contiguous with city boundaries where possible, speeds between 20-25km/hand ample parking, stated the release.
Finally, the operators advice to continuously improve rider experience to ensure people shift to sustainable, shared and zero-carbon emission transportation for good. Among the recommendations focused on rider experience, it includes contract terms long enough for riders to become familiar with a brand’s service and rely on it, contiguous coverage areas so riders are not stopped mid-journey, and practical parking schemes which allow riders to park at their destination.
What will matter, according to the industry group, is that cities read, consider, and ultimately implement the recommendations set forth by the companies.
Ericsson and Lyft have announced a partnership to enhance the connected micromobility ecosystem across key U.S. hubs.
The partnership will utilise theEricsson IoT Accelerator platform so that Lyft can manage the connectivity for tens of thousands of connected e-bikes and scooters, regardless of location. This delivers on Lyft’s promise to provide a micromobility service with scalability and reliability and on its mission to build cities around people and not cars.
Deutsche Telekom, one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies and an Ericsson IoT partner, provides reliable and secure global connectivity and connectivity management, both key to enabling real-time data transmission.
By mid-2023, Lyft will aim tohave over 20,000 connected micromobility vehicles through this collaboration. With a large serviceable market, Lyft’s micromobility efforts will continue to benefit from the Ericsson IoT Accelerator global ecosystem with tier-one carriers like Deutsche Telekom.
Fast and reliable cellular activity allows e-bikes to communicate between the app, Lyft’s servers and bikeshare stations so riders can be on their way in a matter of seconds. It also improves fleet management capabilities for Lyft’s operations team and can help reduce theft and loss.
“In partnership with Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom, we have been able to implement industry-leading connectivity and global IoT management, improving our ability to manage large fleets of vehicles but also—more importantly—improving the rider experience,” said David Foster, EVP and Head of Transit, Bikes and Scooters, Lyft. “With over 2 million new riders last year alone, it is more important now than ever that our micromobility vehicles are always online and ready to go.”
The Ericsson IoT Accelerator platform offers seamless operation by ensuring a smooth connection and user experience so that Lyft can achieve its goal of connecting people through transit. Through the Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom collaboration, Lyft can better achieve its goal to provide the mobility solutions that riders love and cities need.
Lyft’s e-bikes are designed to last 10,000 shared rides, and this plays a key role in their low carbon footprint. Micromobility is helping move communities toward becoming the smart cities of the future, while also improving the quality of life for those who reside in them.
“In order to serve users, e-bikes need to be able to quickly, efficiently and reliably communicate with the rider’s mobile application, the operator’s back-end system, and the docking station in order to provide a seamless experience,” said Kyle Okamoto, General Manager of IoT at Ericsson. “Our continued collaboration with Deutsche Telekom will support Lyft’s rider experience with constant, affordable connectivity, while growing the reach of Lyft’s connected micromobility ecosystem.”
CAKE has announced that it has partnered with Automotive Solutions. This marks the third distribution partner for CAKE since the company opened for distribution last year, with Goodwin Inc in Japan and Kolon Automotive in South Korea.
Automotive Solutions is a supplier of full-service solutions that adjust fleet electrification by providing access to an entire ecosystem of services to enable companies to achieve their clean shipping goals.
This new partnership includes an order of 1,500 motorcycles, which will be distributed throughout Greece and Cyprus commencing in Q2 of 2023.
“We are excited that our distribution model is accelerating and that we can continue to support corporations on their transition towards a zero-emission society and convince others to start their journey,” says Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE. “The early adopters are already considering or riding electric. Now the real challenge begins with getting the rest of the global population on electric solutions to accelerate global development.”
“A year ago I would have said that our commercial customers were sustainability oriented last mile delivery companies. Today I would say that unless any company in that sector has a fossil free solution within the next 24 months they will be out of business. What used to be visions and values has become lawmaking and regulations. Our partnership in Greece is another tangible evidence to a transition at ultra speed” continues Ytterborn.
CAKE is currently expanding its distribution network with premium partners in several regions, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, South America, and Africa states the release.
With a handful of distributors now announced, additional distribution updates will be released throughout the year, spreading the CAKE brand and products worldwide and most importantly replacing ICE vehicles with electric on the streets.
“We are thrilled to partner with CAKE to bring their high-quality electric motorcycles to our unique customers,” says Stavros Kafounis, CEO of Automotive Solutions. “We believe that CAKE is leading the way in sustainable transportation and provides a solution to inspire our country to start their electric life.”
Munich 8 March 2023 – (NYSE: FSR) (“Fisker”), driven by a mission to create the world’s most emotional and sustainable electric vehicles, named Deftpower, a leading provider of EV charging software solutions, as Fisker’s European mobility service provider.
The partnership provides Fisker Ocean owners access to one of Europe’s largest aggregated electric vehicle public charging networks. Deftpower aggregates over 425,000 public charging stations across 900 different charging operators into one convenient, comprehensive charging network that has grown 32% in the past year. Using the FISKER FLEXSM Charge app, Fisker Ocean owners can seamlessly locate, access, and pay for public EV charging with transparent pricing.
“With Deftpower, we are providing a comprehensive European public charging solution for Fisker owners at delivery. The minute they get their new Fisker Ocean, our owners want convenient and easy-to-locate public charge stations, a seamless experience when using a public charger, and super-simple payment options,” Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said. “Partnering with Deftpower gives our owners excellent charging convenience and choice.”
The Deftpower network will be available to Fisker Ocean owners starting with vehicle deliveries in European launch market countries. Fisker Ocean owners can locate Deftpower-affiliated charging stations through the FISKER FLEXSM Charge app and within the Fisker Ocean’s navigation system. At launch, owners can search for and navigate to charging stations, filter search for DC fast charge locations, do basic EV route planning, and calculate arrival times at charging stops.
“At Deftpower, we believe that simplifying the charging experience is essential to EV adoption and customer satisfaction”, said Jacob van Zonneveld, CEO Deftpower. “Our solutions are designed to make charging as easy and convenient as possible, while also providing a great customer experience. We are thrilled to work with partners like Fisker to make premium EV charging services more accessible across Europe, and we’re proud to be a part of the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
By tapping a Fisker-provided RFID Card or using the FISKER FLEXSM Charge app, owners can initiate and pay for charging sessions seamlessly, and see all charge tariffs. The Fisker Ocean, Fisker’s ground-breaking all-electric SUV, is available in a sold-out limited edition Fisker Ocean One and three additional trim levels: Extreme, Ultra, and Sport. The Fisker Ocean One and Extreme trim travels up to 630 km2 on a single charge, with dual-motor, all-wheel-drive, three driving modes, Revolve 17.1″ rotating screen, SolarSky roof, California Mode, Smart Traction, and many first-to-market safety features, including the world’s first digital radar. Learn more and reserve your Fisker Ocean now at fiskerinc.com.
Deftpower aligns charging station operators, car manufacturers, and utilities through their Automotive Charging Platform, resulting in cost-savings for all participants. With years of experience and technical expertise, Deftpower offers modular and flexible EV charging software solutions that are tailored to their customers’ specific needs. Deftpower’s commitment to realistic and ambitious goals, innovative technology, and reliable and hassle-free charging experiences make them a leading provider in the industry.
Wednesday 8 March 2023: The UK’s fastest growing coach network FlixBus is launching a service between major cities in the North West and North East of England with new partner, Belle Vue.
The operator, based in Stockport, will begin serving FlixBus passengers between Manchester, Leeds, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Newcastle at the end of April, with a regular, daily service.
The route will open up a new cross-country corridor in the North of England for the global green travel brand, supporting customers with more affordable, sustainable and reliable transport options than ever before.
Managing Director of FlixBus UK, Andreas Schorling said: “Delivering new routes with high quality, award-winning operators like Belle Vue is truly exciting, as we continue on our mission to become the largest network in the country.
“Belle Vue has a clear vision for the transport industry to be clean, green and safe, with a reputation for high levels of passenger satisfaction and appetite for growth. We believe they will be a brilliant addition to our network of trusted partners, particularly ahead of the busy summer season.”
Belle Vue’s Managing Director Philip Hitchen has led the coach company for over 30 years, and says the new partnership offers new opportunities for growth, diversification and commercial success.
“We have been following the rise of FlixBus in the UK over the past two years, and have been impressed by their ambition, rapid success and focus on sustainability.
“The FlixBus model allows us to diversify and add express services to our existing revenue streams. We felt it was a great time to join their network, which is showing great promise for growth and profitability in 2023, as well as being on track to become the largest in the UK,” Hitchen stated.
Belle Vue has been trading since 1993, and offers a range of services in education, corporate, private hire and coach tours. The company has won several gold, silver and bronze UK Coach Awards, and is known for its innovative approach to training and communication, building teams that peak perform using iMA principles.
As part of the new partnership, Belle Vue will add a brand new FlixBus branded MAN Neoplan Tourliner to the network, which it says will provide drivers and passengers with the high quality of safety, comfort and reliability expected from the brand.
“FlixBus is passionate about providing green transport for everyone everywhere, and our partnership with Belle Vue strengthens our ambition to connect all towns and cities in the UK. The new route will also support the government’s ambitions to ‘level up’ all parts of the country, encouraging travellers to use sustainable, eco-friendly transport methods.
“The recent expansion of our network with existing partners, alongside this new relationship, is a testament to the success of our business model and our desire to win the market, opening new connections across the country,” added Andreas.
Orange Business has announced today that it has been selected by Lucid Motors to be the preferred European partner for its next-generation in-vehicle connectivity and digital expertise. Lucid plans to sell its all-electric Lucid vehicles direct to consumers as it expands its operations in Europe, offering infotainment and telematics connectivity from Orange Business.
In addition to Orange Business providing seamless pan-European IoT and Internet connectivity for Lucid’s software-defined vehicles, Orange has helped Lucid orchestrate the customer journey in Europe, simplifying and navigating complex regulatory requirements.
Furthermore, Orange is now directly integrated into Lucid’s manufacturing supply chain and helped them adapt connectivity test procedures for vehicles delivered into Europe.
In terms of end-user benefits, services by Orange enable infotainment and Internet-enabled content, including navigation, security and communication tools, diagnostics, and streaming audio. Additionally, over-the-air updates are pushed to vehicles to ensure the most up-to-date software to deliver a premium Lucid customer experience.
“Lucid is not only building sleek and luxurious EVs for sustainable mobility, but they are keenly focused on delivering a premium user experience. Providing a personalized customer experience that creates value is exactly how Orange Business wants to support its customers. We are proud to have the application development, data analytics, network and integration experience, and assets to help American automotive companies like Lucid expand operations in Europe,” said Scott Williams, Senior Vice President of the Americas, Orange Business.
Orange is a licensed and experienced Electronic Communication Services (ECS) provider for both IoT and Internet Access services. This provides significant support for OEMs looking to navigate the complexity of the European regulatory environment with both EU requirements and individual country provisions.
When it comes to expertise in the IoT market, Orange Business is once again positioned as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide – the sixth consecutive time that the company’s Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute have been recognized.
itselectric, a Brooklyn-based electric vehicle curbside charging company, today announced the successful close of a $2.2M pre-seed round to provide curbside EV charging specifically built for cities. The raise was led by Brooklyn Bridge Ventures with participation from The Helm, XFactor, Graham & Walker, Clean Energy Venture Group, and Pericles among others, and will allow itselectric to focus on the deployment of pilot programs in major cities across the U.S in 2023.
Currently there are roughly 130,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the U.S. However, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, over 600,000 Level 2 charging stations are needed to support the estimated 15 million EVs projected to be on the road by 2030. In June 2022, the Biden Administration proposed new standards for the national electric vehicle charging network. The plan, supported by a $7.5 billion investment for EV charging infrastructure, is indicative of the growing need for accessible charging in cities in order for the transition to clean transportation.
“itselectric’s mission is to make cities more livable and sustainable,” said Nathan King, CEO and co-founder. “At least 40 million U.S. drivers park their cars on the public streets, and municipalities are looking for solutions that will help these drivers go electric. This funding will position itselectric as the first truly scalable, equitable, and affordable solution for urban EV charging.”
“Cities are not ready for a future of EVs. While efforts are underway, there is limited interest from other charging providers to create publicly-accessible, curbside charging that considers the neighborhoods they are installing within,” added Tiya Gordon, COO and co-founder. “itselectric embraces the challenge of curbside charging with our design and community-centered approach that disrupts the status quo. Our solution is a sleek, low-profile curbside charger that provides revenue sharing for property owners, plentiful access to EV drivers, and has zero impact on municipal budgets.”
itselectric aims to provide urban networks of Level 2 curbside charging posts at no cost to cities or to property owners and is the first EV charger designed and manufactured in North America to feature a detachable cord provided to every driver. itselectric partners with neighborhood property owners to unlock access to untapped electricity supply. Once a property is deemed eligible, itselectric installs and maintains a low-profile charger and property owners earn passive income. With this business model, itselectric helps cities meet their carbon reduction targets and reduce capital expenditure by completely avoiding the infrastructure upgrades normally needed to support on-street charging. itselectric will use these funds to move the current prototype from a fully-functioning minimum valuable product (MVP) to a certified market ready product (MRP) for on-street deployments across the U.S.
“When I saw itselectric’s solution, crafted by its seasoned and highly-experienced founding team, I saw an innovative approach to a major problem in the United States,” said Charlie O’Donnell, founder and general partner of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. “The curbside charging space has largely been ignored, despite the impact it can have on nationwide EV adoption. I saw a massive opportunity and am excited to support itselectric.”
“We knew immediately that itselectric could change the future of sustainable mobility,” says Lindsey Taylor Wood, founder and general partner of The Helm. “Their meticulously designed curbside charging posts ensure all drivers across the U.S. have access to reliable and convenient electric charging stations — while giving cities a tangible path to reaching their decarbonization targets.”
“itselectric has taken a complicated problem and created a simple, deliberately designed solution that truly changes the EV charging game and one that will make charging more accessible to a broader population of drivers,” said Natalya Bailey, Investment Partner at XFactor Ventures. “We believe in their vision and we’re proud to invest in a company that will lead the U.S. to an electric future.”
To learn more about itselectric and join its waitlist as a property owner, EV driver, or aspiring EV driver, please visit itselectric.us.
About itselectric
Millions of drivers park their cars on the street and cannot transition to electric vehicles without convenient and affordable on-street charging infrastructure. itselectric is accelerating the rate of adoption of EVs by providing communities with scalable and simple curbside EV charging that seamlessly integrates into their neighborhoods. itselectric’s solution ensures that every community – no matter the median income or prevalence of driveways and garages – has access to clean transportation.
itselectric’s “behind the meter” approach results in zero impact on municipal budgets. They partner with cities across the U.S. to install, operate and maintain chargers at no cost to the city or to the host property owner – all while allowing property owners to earn passive income every month. To learn more, please visit itselectric.us.
● Starting today, Cabify users can rent Cooltra’s electric mopeds by the minute on the app in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia
● This agreement increases the number of mopeds available to users of the Cabify app in Madrid, doubles the number of mopeds in Barcelona and means the opening of this service in Valencia, where Cooltra has more than 700 mopeds
● Both platforms aim to reinforce their micro-mobility offer in cities and bring users closer to shared, sustainable and accessible means of transport
Cooltra and Cabify have reached an agreement to enable Cooltra’s moped rental service per minute on Cabify’s app, as a joint commitment to continue promoting zero-emission urban mobility alternatives. This option will be available from today on the Cabify app, in the ‘Moped’ category, where both Cabify and Cooltra motorbikes will appear, differentiated by colors.
Thanks to this collaboration, Cabify users will have more mopeds available in both Madrid and Barcelona, cities where Cooltra and Cabify are reference companies in terms of zero-emission urban mobility. In Madrid, Cooltra has nearly 2,000 vehicles available, which will add to Cabify’s 1,200 mopeds in the city. In Barcelona, the volume of mopeds has doubled in the app, as each scooter-sharing company has 632 authorizations. In addition, this agreement also entails making motorbikes available on the Cabify app in a new city, as Cooltra’s more than 700 mopeds in Valencia will also be available to users of the Cabify multi-mobility platform.
In order to access this service, new users will have to upload the necessary driving documents to the Cabify app, choose the ‘Moped’ category and select the one they want on the map to start traveling.
A firm commitment to improving the mobility offer in cities
Lucía Chávarri, vice president of New Business at Cabify, highlighted that “We are happy to announce the integration of Cooltra’s electric mopeds into Cabify’s multi-mobility ecosystem. Two Spanish companies are joining forces to provide sustainable zero-emission mobility to millions of users. Moreover, this journey together allows us to go even further, increasing significantly the number of mopeds available to our users in Barcelona and Madrid. All of that, while opening a new city like Valencia. All this brings us closer to a common goal: to make cities better places to live”.
“We are very pleased with this alliance, as it will allow us to raise awareness of our electric moped sharing service by the minute among Cabify users, if they have not already done so. With this collaboration, we want to have more presence in multi-mobility applications with the aim of continuing to grow Cooltra’s 2 million users. In addition, we offer a different experience through our vehicles, lighter and with a larger wheel diameter. This way, app users will be able to have more than one model of moped to suit their tastes and needs, as well as making more vehicles available for them to get around the city without polluting”, said Timo Buetefisch, CEO and co-founder at Cooltra.
Boosting sustainable mobility, a commitment shared by both companies
Both platforms aim to bring users closer to a respectful, safer and accessible mobility with their offer of electric mopeds. This way, people and companies committed to the environment and the reduction of emissions have a sustainable urban mobility alternative at their disposal. Throughout 2022 Cabify has avoided the emission of around 300 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere thanks to its electric mopeds. For its part, Cooltra has contributed to saving more than 8,000 tonnes of CO2 since it launched its service for the first time in Spain seven years ago.
Beyond this agreement, both Cooltra and Cabify will continue to work independently on developing their services with the common goal of offering zero-emission mobility solutions to citizens, to move around sustainably.
Press release and content written and provided by: Cabify
