Phillip K Dick may well have been thinking far further into the future than the current popularisation of electric cars when he wrote his famous novella “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, however the rise of big data alongside electric and autonomous vehicles means the most advanced cars of today have an increasing amount in common with the artificial intelligence in the source material for the film Blade Runner.
Standard Motor Products Europe (SMPE), one of the UK’s largest independently owned automotive parts manufacturers and suppliers, has announced that a combined seven million additional vehicles are now covered by two of its existing ranges, for its Air Mass Meters and Oxygen (O2) sensors.
Technological tipping points are not always easy to identify, and the pace of change in the automotive industry can make it a challenge for garages not affiliated with new car dealerships to stay on top of new carfeatures as they begin to require repair. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are emblematic of this, and considering their centrality to the safe operation of many new cars, the stakes have also risen. Tyres & Accessories visited Hella Gutmann Solutions’ facilities in and around Ihringen, Germany to see how the supplier of diagnostic and camera and sensor recalibration solutions is responding to garages’ increasing need for new equipment, technician training, and data, to address the rise of ADAS.
Bridgestone has launched FleetPulse a three-in-one solution composed of a mobile app, a centralised website and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) hardware. FleetPulse reportedly improves transparency related to vehicle health in order to significantly reduce the likelihood of costly and potentially dangerous breakdowns, thus increasing time on the roads while ensuring high safety standards. FleetPulse, which automates roadworthiness checks, will also help fleets to simplify their operations and reduce maintenance costs – two other key challenges for fleets.
Osram Opto Semiconductors and Joyson Safety Systems are equipping the new Cadillac CT6 with an innovative system for semi-autonomous driving. According to the two companies, ‘Super Cruise’ is the industry’s first true hands-free driving technology. Osram’s infrared and LED components, which are embedded in Joyson Safety Systems’ steering wheel for the Cadillac CT6, allow the system to monitor driver attentiveness by tracking his or her head position to ensure drivers are watching the road ahead while ‘Super Cruise’ is engaged.
WAIglobal UK has launched a new range of MAF sensors under its growing engine management programme.
The European Parliament overwhelmingly supported the adoption of the Own Initiative Report by Istvan Ujhelyi on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems.
Tyre association ETRMA has added its voice to that of the 633 MEPs that supported the request for the European Commission to publish a legislative initiative to guarantee fair, unrestricted and in real time access to in-vehicle data, before the end of the year.
Bentley has been unveiling what it calls the first hybrid electric super-luxury car at the Geneva Motor Show. Other manufacturers (like Porsche) may disagree with this assertion, but the launch marks something of a landmark for the industry with more and more emphasis being paid to the new generation of electric and hybrid vehicles. Indeed, during the company’s latest financial results, Pirelli’s Marco Tronchettic Provera even spoke about the digitisation of the company’s business as if it is normal – something that was followed by the launch of Pirelli’s Cyber Car in Geneva at the start of March. In short, the Cyber Car system offers an OEM solution to send data from the tyres to the car and from the car to the cloud for the benefit of that particular driver as well as road-users in general.
Last year Pirelli presented the Pirelli Connesso system in Geneva, this year the tyre make is taking the technology behind that aftermarket tyre sensor integration solution to the next level with an OE-orientated version that the company calls Cyber Car.
Dealer Tire, a US replacement tyres and parts distributor for automotive dealerships, has announced it is the leading investor in financing Duke University startup Tyrata, a tyre sensor and data management company.
As many as 275 jobs at Sensata Technologies (formerly known as Schrader International before the TPMS sensor business was bought by Sensata) are at risk after it was announced that 125 are being axed at the factory in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.
With the weather getting colder, some motorists are now changing over to Winter tyres, meaning a considerable amount of TPMS sensor valves will require servicing. This creates the opportunity to bring in more business for garages and servicing centres – and as more and more new cars on the road are fitted with TPMS, this number is increasing every year.
Hella and ZF are entering into a strategic partnership. Both automotive suppliers will benefit from this cooperation on sensor technology, particularly for front camera systems, imaging and radar systems. ZF will further strengthen its portfolio as a systems supplier, which offers both modern assistance systems and autonomous driving functions and Hella will drive technological development and benefits from a broader market access with its leading technologies. The first joint development project in camera technology will start immediately, with the objective of a market launch in 2020.
Continental Commercial Specialty Tyres (CST) and the Belgian specialist for port tow tractors and trailer solutions MOL have announced their cooperation at the TOC fair in Amsterdam. The fair for port, shipping and terminal technology took place from 27 June through to 29 June in Amsterdam.
ZF and Hella are entering into a strategic partnership. The automotive suppliers say they will benefit from cooperation on “sensor technology, particularly for front camera systems, imaging and radar systems”. ZF will further strengthen its portfolio as a systems supplier which offers both modern assistance systems and autonomous driving functions, whereas Hella will drive technological development and benefits from a broader market access. The first joint development project in camera technology will start immediately, with the objective of a market launch in 2020.
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