Nissan & Honda to Partner on BEVs, American Lost Confidence On AVs, China Probes French Brandies for Dumping... - MOBILITY BRIEF_ ??????? - March 18th

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On the menu this week

?? This Week In The Mobility World

???Micromobility News

?? SURF Beyond Group acquires Superpedestrian 's Europe business for €5M

• European micromobility consolidation continues! Norwegian scooter startup Surf Beyond acquires bankrupt US competitor Superpedestrian's European business for €5M. Superpedestrian, with operations in 8 countries, filed for bankruptcy in December 2023.
• Deal brings 25k scooters and advanced tech to Surf Beyond. The company founded in 2021, grew from 1 city to 10 with 5,000 scooters.

?? pony launches a wheelchair-compatible e-scooter in free floating at Poitiers

• In a pilot program, self-service electric scooter company Pony has partnered with Grand Poitiers Communauté Urbaine and Omni, a specialist in adapted scooters, to provide scooters accessible to people with reduced mobility.
• This collaboration aims to expand access to micromobility options for a wider range of users in Grand Poitiers.

???Factories/Manufacturing Updates

?? Italy seeks to boost car production with talks to CHERY

• Italian government in talks with Chery Auto to attract a new automaker and increase national car production. Goal is to raise output to 1.3M vehicles annually, up from below 800k in 2023.
• Chery could be among the first Chinese automakers with a European factory if negotiations are successful.

?? Mercedes-Benz AG partners with Apptronik to deploy humanoid robots in Hungarian factories

• The robots, Apollo, are 1.8m tall and can lift up to 25kg. They will be used to deliver parts on assembly lines.
• Apollo will help it to increase automation and reduce the need for manual labor. Mercedes is also looking to identify other applications for the robots in its manufacturing operations.
• We see the haters coming, so we anticipate the response: J?rg Burzer, head of production at Mercedes, said that the robots are not meant to replace human workers, “For the cars we produce, you need workers, first-class workers to master the complexity, to build these wonderful cars”. Reassured?

???? Following a suspected arson attack, Elon Musk tours the Tesla Gigafactory in Germany

• Musk visited the German Gigafactory on Wednesday, following a production suspension caused by a suspected arson attack earlier this month.
• Local media reports indicate production resumed that same day after the factory reconnected to the power grid on Monday.
• Musk addressed employees and is also expected to meet with regional politicians. Good news anyway: employees received their full salaries during the production outage!

?? Volvo Trucks is slowing down production and letting go of 250 workers

• Volvo will slow down production at its Tuve plant in Gothenburg resulting in job cuts of 250 positions, primarily impacting consultants and temporary staff.
• The cuts are focused on the production of heavy-duty trucks.

???Tech Updates

??? 苹果 Vision Pro takes center stage at Porsche Taycan Turbo GT launch

• Porsche AG CEO uses Apple Vision Pro to view a record-breaking lap race with enhanced data and driver's perspective. This highlights Apple Vision Pro's potential to revolutionize how people experience events, according to Tim Cook.
• Porsche and Apple strengthen their partnership with a new Race Engineer Cockpit app will be available for Apple Vision Pro users, offering a more immersive track experience.

?? TractEasy selected by 约翰迪尔 for autonomous towing solution

• TractEasy, a joint venture between TLD (ground support equipment) and EasyMile (driverless tech), has been chosen by John Deere to provide autonomous towing solutions.
• The EZTow tractor, TractEasy's flagship product, can autonomously tow up to 20T and uses real-time sensor and camera data for navigation.

?? Hyundai Motor Company (?????) throws Motional a lifeline while it gets new funding sorted out

• Motional, facing a funding gap after Aptiv's departure, has secured a bridge loan to extend its financial runway. Despite aiming for a 2024 launch, sources say Motional's initial funding would only cover them until the end of Q1 2024.
• This temporary solution allows them to continue negotiations for a larger, long-term funding round.

?? US drivers confidence in AV is heavily dropping ( AAA study)

• AAA survey shows 90% of US drivers are afraid or unsure about riding in autonomous vehicles.
• Public perception is likely impacted by recent incidents highlighting limitations of AV technology. However, 60% of drivers are interested in advanced safety features like automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.
• Misconceptions persist, with 22% believing current technology allows for completely self-driving cars. AAA emphasizes the need for clearer naming of ADAS features and driver education.

?? EV Updates

??HIGHLIGHT: Honda & 日产 Put Their Rivalry Aside To Gear Up For Smart & Electric Cars Battle

• It’s not all sorted out yet but the two Japanese enemies are currently studying a strategic partnership about intelligent and electric mobility.
• One key decision criteria, according to Honda’s director Toshihiro Mibe, is “whether the synergy of the technologies and knowledge that our companies have cultivated will enable us to become industry leaders by creating new value for the automotive industry”. Well let’s hope so?
• Certainly a better cultural fit for Nissan after its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi has been progressively tuned down, and even an opportunity for Renault to slip its Ampere offering to the table of both Japanese carmakers.
• But an obvious need for both companies who urgently need to get their roadmap on track on both topics: Honda has been losing grounds for years in China while Nissan turned from BEV forerunner with its Leaf to BEV laggard.
• The common enemy for both brands have been identified as their Chinese competitors, as both are being outpaced by their local challengers in China, forcing them to announce they’ll reduce their manufacturing output on the territory by 30% (Nissan) and 20% (Honda).
• But in the end, as for any legacy, the true enemy here is certainly the inner-inertia they’ll have to fight off in order to get back on track. Pricing and local subsidies may be part of their competitiveness deficit in China, but the innovation pace explains most of it in the end.
• If Carlos Tavares warned of big mergers between “occidental” carmakers, it’s also an opportunity for big partnerships between them, with Nissan-Honda potentially joined by a Renault-Volkswagen collaboration in Europe.
• The kickstart of a teamplayer era for western carmakers?

???????????Incoming EU tariffs for Chinese cars: China prepares to retaliate

• Well who’s surprised here?
• As Europe is soon to announce an increase in the tariffs for Chinese cars following anti-subsidies probe, China announces it is probing French brandies companies on anti-dumping grounds.
• A way for China to target more precisely the likely initiator of the measure (????), whose carmakers are less exposed to China, without hindering its flourishing automotive supply business with China-friendly manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz AG , who’s CEO recently publicly stood out against the tariffs.
• Let’s be reminded here that SAIC and Geely are Mercedes-Benz shareholders, that Mercedes-Benz is a bit less exposed to dumping from China in Europe than mainstream carmakers, and that EU carmakers are currently paying a 15% tariff to export to China compared to 10% the other way around.

???????NIO updates its battery strategy, reveals its new sub-brand and shuts down its Denmark activities

• The battery-swap focused carmakers is making adjustments to its battery offering, in a context of pricing war on its own soil. First about its BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) product, with price decreases on both its monthly fee and the buyout option. About its 75 kWh battery pack, Nio will now leverage LFP cells to lower its costs. And for its future offering, Nio announced it’s partnering with industry-leader CATL to develop long-life swappable batteries.
• The long-awaited sub-brand from Nio, often called by its project code “Alps”, has finally found its final name : Onvo. Release expected in May for its first model, the L60 (see photo above), who will compete with the Model Y. They’ll be, of course, battery swap enabled, and filled with Nio’s tech as the brand will differentiate from Nio with a mass market focused compared to the more premium approach from its parent brand.
• Last but not least: is Nio’s European adventures turning sour? It is rumored that Nio is currently exiting the Danish market. So far, no official information denying or confirming it.

?? And also…

• XPENG Motors 小鹏汽车 will follow Nio in its sub-brand quest, as it is planning to reveal its own brand by the end of the month.
• -30% charging time without changing any part? That’s the promise from Breathe that has (understandably!) enticed 沃尔沃汽车 to invest into the British start-up. And a new term to learn here: software-defined batteries.
• Milence , heavy-duty charging network JV between Daimler, Traton and Volvo Trucks, has announced its first charging hub in France near Rouen, expected to be operational by April.

???New Car Reveals

??? 大众 announcEVs-packed week: GTI Is Not Dead, new Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and a teaser of the 2025(?) next Skoda Epiq

• After revealing an ID.GTI concept last year, Volkswagen continues to convert its dream into reality with two new sporty variants of its BEV: the ID.3 and ID.7 GTX.? Both follows the ID.4 and ID.5 GTX variants already available : already 1/5 of their sales are GTX variants!? Expects VW’s most powerful EV engine, a special trim for a more sporty atmosphere and dual motors under the hood to set a benchmark for their segments into the German carmaker range.

• Porsche AG unveils all-time most powerful production model: the Taycan Turbo GT? Starting on a high with record lap times on both Laguna Seca and the Nurburgring.? 1100hp, Attack-Mode push-to-pass button based on Formula E feature, new electronic everywhere to keep on the track the right way, and a whole bunch of performance equipments of course (ceramic brakes, carbon, active suspensions, rear flap, etc…)

• On the other end of its EV pricing range: Skoda is gearing up for the European affordable EVs battle? The Skoda Epiq will embody the Czech offering around €25k as a compact SUV to be fully revealed on 2025.? It will obviously be based on the same platform than the incoming Volkswagen ID.2.? A pleasant concept design, but won’t it be a bit late? The devil lies in the details here, as ?koda Auto insists on the vehicle being “unveiled in 2025”, not being available in 2025. And indeed: the ID.2 itself is not set to hit the market until 2026, so we wouldn’t bet on the Epiq being available earlier.? Because meanwhile, the Renault 4 compact SUV would be on the market one year earlier than the Epiq, and 雪铁龙 would have already delivered its incoming sub-€20k variant of the ?-C3. How would Skoda position itself in this market then?

?? And also…

• It’s confirmed: Xiaomi will launch its SU7 on March 28th.
• Alfa Romeo will introduce to the world its brand new Milano compact car on April 10th.
• Rivian R1T/R1S refresh spotted: the true first step from Rivian towards better production?

• Already a price cut for the Polestar 3 before it hits the market: a $10k discount to make it start just below $75k.

???Investment/Financial/Legal Updates

???? Remote vehicle startup Phantom Auto shuts down after funding dries up

• The a 7-year-old remote driving technology company ceases operations. The company failed to secure new funding in a challenging investment climate.
• Despite customer traction, the company couldn't overcome funding hurdles and delays in widespread self-driving adoption.

?? And also…

• The shared mobility platform Joyride scored $5.2M in its Series A funding round. Japanese giant Yamaha Motors spearheaded the investment!
• German electric car maker Next.e.GO Mobile SE files for insolvency again, blaming a tough market. The future of its 320 employees is uncertain.
• According to The Wall Street Journal , EV startup Fisker is reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy after hiring restructuring advisors.

?? Bookmark Of The Week

“Lidar sensors vulnerable to spoofing attacks, researchers say” **- Automotive News

Link

“A key sensor technology for autonomous vehicles and driver-assist functions is vulnerable to interference, according to a paper published by researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

The research revolves around spoofing attacks on?lidar?sensors, which help automated-driving systems perceive their surroundings and detect obstacles. Bad actors can trick the sensors into seeing things that are not present or prevent them from seeing real objects.”

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