In news today:
- Foxconn and Gogoro enter into a strategic technology and manufacturing partnership
- Toyota Miriai now part of KINTO Share fleet in Sweden
- Nikola is investing $50 million in WVR
- Toyota Mobility Foundation with May Mobility launch a free autonomous shuttle service in Central Indiana
- Hyundai Motor Group and Grab expand partnership
- Velodyne Lidar partners with MADD
Foxconn and Gogoro enter into a strategic technology and manufacturing partnership
Foxconn and Gogoro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a strategic technology and manufacturing partnership. Foxconn is one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, and Gogoro is a technology company working on accelerating the shift to sustainable urban mobility.
Gogoro will be utilizing Foxconn’s manufacturing capabilities for its expansion and to introduce new levels of manufacturing capabilities. The companies will be collaborating on multiple projects including smart batteries, vehicle engineering and manufacturing. There is a growing interest for its battery swapping ecosystem around the world so the companies will work to scale Gogoro battery swapping technologies and Smartscooters.
Toyota Miriai now part of KINTO Share fleet in Sweden
KINTO plans to introduce Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle into its share fleet in Sweden. The vehicle joins the fleet of 1000 cars having models ranging from Yaris Hybrid to RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and Lexus UX 250h. With the introduction of the all new Mirai, KINTO Share aims to democratize the fuel cell technology and give all their customers the chance to experience the future of hydrogen mobility.
KINTO is part of Toyota’s global vision to provide all kinds of services related to the mobility of people, all around the world. In Europe, KINTO is already active in 10 countries: Germany, Italy, France, Spain, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Portugal and is expanding quickly.
Second generation of Toyota Miriai is a zero emission hydrogen fuel cell electric sedan which has completely redesigned fuel cell system with new platform and repackaged powertrain. These changes allow for a third hydrogen fuel tank to be added, contributing to a 30% increase in the car’s driving range to around 650 km and easy refuelling in five minutes or less, as claimed by the company.
Nikola is investing $50 million in WVR
In 2016 Wabash Valley Resources acquired a world-scale gasification plant with plans to convert it to a hydrogen production plant and carbon capture and sequestration project. Now it has announced that Nikola is investing $50 million in cash and stock in exchange for a 20% equity interest in the clean hydrogen project being developed in West Terre Haute, Ind.
Nikola is a manufacturer of zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems, and hydrogen station infrastructure.
The project plans to use solid waste byproducts such as petroleum coke combined with biomass to produce clean, sustainable hydrogen for transportation fuel and base-load electricity generation while capturing CO2 emissions for permanent underground sequestration. Once completed, the project is expected to be one of the largest carbon capture and clean hydrogen production projects in the United States.
Toyota Mobility Foundation with May Mobility launch a free autonomous shuttle service in Central Indiana
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), Energy Systems Network (ESN) and May Mobility with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) have launched a free autonomous shuttle service in Central Indiana. TMF is working for the development of a more mobile societ, ESN is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit initiative focused on the development of the advanced energy technology and transportation sector, and May Mobility is a leader in autonomous vehicle technology development and deployment.
The free service, a part of TMF’s Together in Motion Indiana, began June 1, The AV shuttle service aims to foster innovation through industry partnerships and propel research and development in advanced mobility technologies in Indiana. The initiative supports the deployments of various mobility solutions to better serve the transportation needs of the local communities, to understand the changing ecosystems surrounding these needs.
Hyundai Motor Group and Grab expand partnership
Hyundai Motor Group and Grab have expanded their partnership to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Southeast Asia.
Under the partnership the companies will broadly take these steps:
- Explore launching new EV business models including battery-as-a-service and EV financing to drive EV adoption.
- Work on lowering total cost of ownership and reducing range anxiety key to greater EV adoption
- Explore collaboration in new business opportunities and technologies such as smart city solutions
The Group, including Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation which are the Group’s affiliates, and Grab will further develop new pilots and initiatives that lower the barriers of entry for Grab driver and delivery-partners to adopt EVs. The pilot programs will start in 2021, beginning in Singapore, and expand to Indonesia and Vietnam. The two parties will also conduct an EV feasibility study to gain a deeper understanding into the gaps and barriers to wider EV ownership and adoption, then translating the findings from the study into practical ways to further develop the EV ecosystem.
Velodyne Lidar partners with MADD
Velodyne Lidar is partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on a public education initiative to build public acceptance of autonomous vehicle technology with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating impaired driving collisions. The partnership includes educational programs, awareness campaigns and co-sponsored events to continue to build public acceptance of autonomous technology with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating impaired driving collisions. Since its founding, MADD claims to have helped reduce the number of drunk driving deaths by half while serving nearly one million victims of this violent, preventable crime.
(Based on Press Release by the companies)
