Renault-Nissan will allow Microsoft to plug cars into the cloud

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Created on Saturday, 12 November 2016 06:12

Microsoft Corp. agreed to provide cloud-computing services for cars made by the Renault-Nissan Alliance as the two automakers push ahead with developing connected vehicles.

Microsoft will build cloud infrastructure for Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. that can host navigation data and allows drivers to predict gas usage and check on their cars remotely, the software producer said in a statement today. The U.S. company will also help Renault and Nissan, which are both run by CEO Carlos Ghosn, develop user interfaces for their brands. Vehicles with the new features could reach the market as early as 2018, with more than 10 models with autonomous driving technology to be available two years later.

The tie-up will be “a long-term commitment,” Jean-Philippe Courtois, head of Microsoft’s global sales, marketing and operations, said by phone.

Partnerships with technology companies are flourishing as carmakers shift their focus to self-driving technologies and digitization. Last week, the Renault-Nissan Alliance said it’s acquiring French software developer Sylpheo. In March, General Motors agreed to buy self-driving software maker Cruise Automation. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has teamed up with Google Inc. to develop self-driving minivans, while BMW AG, Audi AG and Daimler AG bought Nokia’s maps business to improve their location services, a key feature of automated-driving technology.

“In order to be leading in the space, we need to partner with the best tech companies,” Ogi Redzic, Renault-Nissan’s head of connectivity services, said in a phone interview.

Privacy concerns 

Connected vehicles have raised concerns that data gathered by the car could be used to track passengers’ whereabouts and get information about whom they call and what they search for on Google on the way -- bits of information that are valuable for carmakers including French producer Renault and Japanese partner Nissan, which can then offer tailored services to passengers.

The arrival of technology companies in the auto industry should be considered a threat, as new entrants may glean data from carmakers that will help them produce their own vehicles in the future, Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said in January.

Since “Microsoft is a platform provider, we are not competing with the brands,” and the software maker isn’t seeking to retain car manufacturers’ data, Courtois said.

While Microsoft is already working with car manufacturers -- including a deal to bring augmented-reality goggles to Volvo Car Group showrooms -- this is the first long-term partnership of its kind, according to Courtois.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20160926/OEM06/160929878/renault-nissan-will-allow-microsoft-to-plug-cars-into-the-cloud

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS WORLD CONGRESS

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Created on Saturday, 12 November 2016 06:10

Make plans to attend the Automotive News World Congress, an incredible 2-day event featuring more than 20 of the most accomplished, most influential executives in the automotive industry.

The Congress brings these executives together to discuss the state of the industry, in the days leading up to the North American International Auto Show. Attend the Congress and network with nearly 1,000 business leaders representing manufacturers, suppliers, major dealer groups, consultancies, Wall Street, the media and others aligned with the automotive industry.

Register today for the 41st annual Automotive News World Congress on January 10-11, 2017 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. We'll see you in Detroit.

Ref: http://www.autonews.com/section/world-congress01

BMW designers work inside out

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Created on Saturday, 12 November 2016 06:08

Driverless cars, mobility have potential to make interior the place to differentiate

September 26, 2016 @ 12:01 am

To celebrate its 100th anniversary in style, BMW in March unveiled its most daring concept since the 2009 super sports car that eventually became the i8 plug-in hybrid.

When the creative minds behind BMW's Vision Next 100 sat down to conceive an autonomous car of the future, their approach was something of a revolution for the century-old company.

Instead of sketching the overhangs, greenhouse or wheel arches in pursuit of the perfect proportions or the sportiest silhouette, they used an entirely different starting point to convey emotion -- and best preserve the fraying bond between driver and car. They began by designing the interior. 

Inside, there is no instrument cluster, analog or digital. Instead the entire windshield acts as a head-up display. No tachometer is needed since the concept drives electronically. BMW designers even can imagine one day replacing the speedometer with a simple color warning, like red for driving too fast.

Dials, buttons and switches have disappeared while air vents were ditched in favor of climate-regulating fabrics. The vehicle can intuitively communicate with the driver through flowing movements on the dashboard surface consisting of around 800 individual triangles -- similar to a flock of birds changing directions. BMW calls it Alive Geometry. 

"In a car, it can be dangerous to distract the driver for too long, so we look at products for inspiration, where the precise communication of information is important for safety," said Holger Hampf, head of user experience within BMW's design department. "If you look at the health care industry, for example, in order to save lives, content has to be presented in a way such that it is immediately understandable."

Whereas the interior was once the realm of the banal, key mega-trends such as autonomous driving mean designers are radically reshaping the customer experience in the cabin. Indeed, it may offer far more potential for brands to differentiate themselves in a competitively relevant manner than exterior design. For example, last year's Mercedes-Benz F 015 study also previewed life as a passenger inside a driverless car, yet the interior concept was entirely different from the Vision Next 100. 

"Before, customers' expectations focused on the essentials; functionality was key," said Karim Giordimaina, Opel's head of interior design. "Now, they want to sit in an environment that they feel great about. The interior is definitely becoming a reason to purchase the vehicle, a motivator."

Giving customers a unique emotional experience even when they are not driving is becoming much more important now that mobility can be booked by the minute instead of purchased outright. 

"Car companies, BMW included, are thinking much more about what people do in a car and how they use it," said Hampf. "I think this comes very much from the question of how to ensure individual mobility remains relevant, most of all for cars that are still owned."

Renault-Nissan's Carlos Ghosn says mini-hybrids could compete in Europe

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Created on Saturday, 12 November 2016 08:36

PARIS: Renault-Nissan's new gasoline-electric hybrid technology would be competitive in Europe, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Thursday, as carmakers turn away from diesel for smaller vehicles
The "e-Power" transmission, announced a day earlier by Renault's alliance partner Nissan for the Note subcompact car in Japan, amounts to an electric vehicle powered by a small gasoline generator instead of a large battery.  Carmakers are racing into electrification as Volkswagen's emissions test-cheating scandal hastens diesel's decline and stiffens regulatory resolve. Renault and Toyota are among those signaling a faster retreat from diesel in small cars. Although not emissions-free, e-Power's smaller battery makes it significantly cheaper than electric-only cars and never needs recharging. Fuel economy figures suggest that the carbon dioxide output compares well with traditional hybrid minis such as the Toyota Yaris. "It's definitely cost-competitive with diesel," Ghosn said on Thursday, adding that the new technology "absolutely" would be viable for the European mass-market. Ghosn, who heads both carmakers, was speaking to Reuters at the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference in Paris.

A Nissan spokeswoman said: "There are no current plans for e-Power in Europe. But the technology can be adapted to other markets and (vehicle categories), so we wouldn't rule it out." 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Renault India teases Kwid AMT; launch likely this month

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Created on Saturday, 12 November 2016 05:04

Renault India has just teased the Kwid AMT. The teaser image shows the rotary gear selector that we saw in the Kwid AMT that was showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year. As stated in a previous report, the automated manual transmission (AMT) will be available with both engine options of the Kwid i.e. the 1.0 SCe and 0.8 SCe, though the latter may get the option at a later stage if not at launch.

The gear selector dial will be placed next to the front power window controls, near the driver’s left knee, opening up more storage space in the front row. By what we can see, the AMT will come with the basic drive (D), neutral (N) and reverse (R) options, but no manual/sport mode. Like the manual, the Kwid’s autobox will be a 5-speed unit.

The 2-pedal Kwid is also expected to get the creep/crawl function. As the name suggests, the creep function lets the driver move ahead at low speeds (2-5kmph) by simply releasing the brake pedal, enabling smooth progress in slow moving traffic or while parking. Like the Duster AMT, the automatic Kwid will also wear the ‘Easy-R’ badge.

Currently the Kwid 1.0-litre (68PS/91Nm) is priced at Rs 3.83-3.96 lakh, while the 799cc Kwid (54PS/72Nm) costs between Rs 2.65-3.74 lakh (both prices ex-showroom Delhi).

Renault will most likely offer the AMT only with the range-topping RxT variant, with the transmission option costing around Rs 40,000-45,000 more than the equivalent manual. The Kwid AMT will rival the Alto K10 AGS and the launch can be expected in November this year.

Source: CarDekho.com

For the first time

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Created on Saturday, 25 July 2015 09:32

For the first time in the Iranian Automotive industry, a tripartite agreement has been made through a meeting with attendance of Iran Khodaro (IKCO) President,    Mr. Yekeh Zare, between Iranian Company of Tisser and BDI an accredited Italian Company, to establish a joint design-company.

Based on this agreement from now on it will be possible to design an entire Vehicle in Iran, except engine and gearbox elements which have separate procedures.  This key step is the result of the IKCO President’s continuous pursuance, with the goal of completing the Iranian Automotive Industry puzzle.  This event not only makes this chance for our experts to learn the essential lessons through a close cooperation with talents in designing, but also playing important roles in designing modern cars in the world. The recently founded companies of BDI-Tisser activities in Iran are following as:

• Design of a car and related elements
• All the Engineering activities, BIW
• Design integration, CAE
• Prototyping
• Supports for the Design and Manufacture Engineering, parts production
• Tests Management, complete endorse of a car and technical/engineering consulting

To the present, majority of the mentioned activities have been done via oversea companies and domestic firms were playing a negligible role in these categories. By making this agreement, private sector will significantly take part in this important field.

This unique movement, which is going to be accomplished in the country in association with an international well-known designing company, not only can cover the lack of the design in the national automotive industry, but also actuate the design and engineering units working in the automotive industry and further fields.

A short introduction of BDI

BDI is a service provider company in automobile design, engineering and Industrial Design, founded by a couple of the Italdesign, Giugiaro former managers, after purchasing this company by Volkswagen.

The mentioned headmasters, who had the experience of 20 years in Italdesign, founded a complex with the aim the service providing in the field of the engineering and design, while they have liberty in cooperation with international customers.

BDI offer professional services (such as Concept, Advanced Engineering and Style) compatible with their customer’s requirements, relying on its trained experts operating in the various departments of the company.

Chevrolet NIVA is one of the recent projects of this company. All design steps, Engineering procedure and prototyping have been done by BDI entirely.

This car is the joint- product of GM and AVTOVAZ, introduced in the latest automobile fair of Moscow, and prized as the best concept of the event by automotive industry press.