A Win-Win Situation

The Guangzhou WeRide Uber partnership is a win-win for the two companies. This is the first time that WeRide is collaborating with a global ride-hailing company, The Uber partnership will enable WeRide to expand its operations beyond the Chinese borders.

For Uber, the partnership presents an opportunity to incorporate more robotaxis into its platform. Uber has collaborated with several autonomous vehicle companies lately as it seeks to maintain its lead in the ride-hailing space.

Earlier this month, the ride-hailing company partnered with Waymo to onboard its robotaxis in Atlanta and Austin in the US. In August this year, Uber partnered with Cruise, the robotaxi unit at General Motors. Cruise robotaxis will operate through Uber’s autonomous vehicle platform from 2025.

Uber also announced a deal with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD. The Uber BYD deal will see Uber add 100,000 Chinese-manufactured electric cars to its fleet of cars globally. Uber is currently working with UK-based autonomous vehicle company, Wayve. Uber made a strategic investment into Wayve to facilitate further development of its AI-powered self-driving technology.

UAE Entry

The collaboration between Uber and WeRide is set to commence in Abu Dhabi later this year. This means that when passengers request rides on the Uber app, they may be given the option of picking an Uber Chinese robotaxi in the UAE.

WeRide secured a national license for autonomous vehicles in the UAE in July this year. The Middle East has become the go-to market for many Chinese autonomous vehicle companies due to its friendly regulatory environment and funding.

With its first and only national license for self-driving vehicles, the Chinese company can test and operate robotaxis on public roads across the UAE.

The Regulation Challenge

WeRide has made attempts to list its shares in the US with a $5 billion valuation. However, this is yet to happen as its initial public offering was delayed. The company said it was completing the necessary documentation to proceed with the listing.

Regulation continues to pose a challenge to the entry of Chinese autonomous vehicles technology into the US market. On September 23, the Biden administration proposed new requirements that prohibit Chinese auto manufacturers from testing their autonomous vehicles on US roads. This includes vehicle hardware and software produced by US foreign adversaries like Russia.

Outside the US, Uber is contending with data protection challenges. Last month, the ride-hailing platform was slapped with a $324 million fine in the Netherlands. Dutch regulators fined the company after it established that Uber had been sending sensitive personal data belonging to Dutch drivers to the US without their consent. This violates the EU data protection laws.

The post WeRide Partnership Takes Uber Robotaxis to the UAE appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Understanding the
rise of China's OEMs: Key players,
global ties, and future potential

In this new report, automotive industry analyst, Felipe Munoz, analyses the rapidly evolving landscape within China, alongside an overview of the main players emerging from China’s burgeoning automotive industry.

Learn about the key players, global ties, and future potential of Chinese car brands, and access the latest market data and intelligence.

The post Understanding the rise of China’s OEMs: Key players, global ties, and future potential appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Speed Automotive Software Development with arm64 & Microsoft SDV Toolchain

Theresa Nguyen

Equinix Business Development Director
Platform Alliances | Microsoft

Filipe Prezado

Microsoft Principal Program Manager
Microsoft SDV & Mobility

Joe Speed

Ampere Head of Edge
Vehicles, Robots, IoT, 5G, and Space

Hosted by – Tech Research Online

About Equinix

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company. We interconnect industry-leading organizations such as finance, manufacturing, retail, transportation, government, healthcare and education across a digital-first world. Business leaders harness our trusted global platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success—sustainably and securely. 

The post Speed Automotive Software Development with arm64 & Microsoft SDV Toolchain appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Speed Automotive Software Development with arm64 & Microsoft SDV Toolchain

Theresa Nguyen

Equinix Business Development Director
Platform Alliances | Microsoft

Filipe Prezado

Microsoft Principal Program Manager
Microsoft SDV & Mobility

Joe Speed

Ampere Head of Edge
Vehicles, Robots, IoT, 5G, and Space

Hosted by – Tech Research Online

About Equinix

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company. We interconnect industry-leading organizations such as finance, manufacturing, retail, transportation, government, healthcare and education across a digital-first world. Business leaders harness our trusted global platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success—sustainably and securely. 

The post Speed Automotive Software Development with arm64 & Microsoft SDV Toolchain appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Tesla’s Europe plan is currently awaiting regulator approval. In July this year, Elon Musk said regulators were likely to approve Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software by the end of this year.

Cybercab Launch

Tesla’s share spike comes just a month to the launch of the company’s robotaxis- cybercab. The robotaxis will be powered by Tesla’s driver assistance software that enables drivers to brake, steer, and accelerate on highways and across cities with human supervision.

On Thursday, Musk said Tesla’s FSD technology could be unveiled in right-hand drive countries next year towards the end of quarter one or early quarter two. This implies right-hand markets in China and Europe, which could mean Hong Kong, the UK, and Macau.

The automaker also announced that its FSD technology and Autopark capability will be available for Cyber Trucks this month. In October, Tesla said it would be adding the reverse, park, and unpark functions to FSD.

To access the FSD software, Tesla owners have to pay to unlock semi-autonomous driver assistance capabilities. US buyers can purchase the software for $8000 or pay a monthly subscription fee of $99 to access the supervised version.

FSD Tests

In April, Chinese authorities tentatively approved the launch of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology in the country. In June, the company tested its FSD technology in Shanghai, China with 10 vehicles. These tests paved the way for the EV maker to roll out the technology in China where it faces stiff competition from local EV manufacturers. Tesla has a mega factory in Shanghai.

It’s still not clear where the EV maker currently stands with regulators in the European Union.

Even so, the EU reduced tariffs on Tesla EVs imported from China by more than 50% last month. This move gives Tesla a competitive advantage over rival EV makers and boosts future sales in the region.

Investor Caution

As Tesla works to take self-driving to Europe, Wall Street is acting with caution regarding self-driving technologies due to the tough regulatory environment. However, investors expect that potentially, a Trump administration may fast track the regulatory process within the US.

“This may be easier in China, given that it’s joined forces with the Chinese search giant Baidu to use its navigation system. It looks set to be a longer process for approval in Europe,” Susannah Streeter, an Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown said.

Previously, Musk’s aggressive deadlines have caused apprehension among analysts and investors, particularly after Tesla missed various targets for FSD and the Cyber Truck.

The post Tesla’s Full Self Driving Plans Boost Share Value appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Bloomberg reported that the $324 million fine is the highest that the Dutch DPA has issued. It’s also the largest fine that Uber has received globally.

Serious Violation

Uber is said to have transferred cab drivers’ data to the US without proper safeguards over a two year period. The Dutch DPA said its investigations showed that Uber driver data sent to the US included taxi licenses, photos, location data, IDs, and in some instances, medical and criminal records.

“This constitutes a serious violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In Europe, the GDPR protects people’s fundamental rights by requiring companies and governments to handle personal data with care. But outside Europe, this is unfortunately not the case. This is why companies are usually obliged to take extra measures if they store personal data of Europeans outside the European Union,” Dutch DPA Chair Aleid Wolfsen said.

However, the DPA said that Uber stopped doing so late last year and implemented proper safeguards.

Uber to Appeal

The Dutch DPA commenced investigations on the Uber Netherlands driver data case after a human rights organization from France raised complaints with authorities in the country. The rights organization was acting on behalf of 170 cab drivers.

The complaint was forwarded to the Netherlands where Uber’s European headquarters are located. Uber was quick to deny any wrongdoing, saying the fine was not justified. In a separate statement, the French data protection regulator said it cooperated with the DPA in the case.

“This flawed decision and extraordinary fine are completely unjustified. Uber’s cross-border data transfer process was compliant with GDPR during a 3-year period of immense uncertainty between the EU and US,” Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon said in an email.

Uber’s spokesperson said the company will appeal the decision and is confident that common sense will prevail. Uber can file an appeal with the DPA. If unsuccessful, the company can move the case to Dutch courts.

Second Fine in a Year

This is the second time that the Dutch DPA has fined Uber. Earlier this year, the privacy regulator fined the ride-hailing company $11 million for infringing on data privacy regulations, including handling and retention of personal data belonging to cab drivers.

The authority found that Uber had not laid out the terms and conditions for retaining drivers’ personal data, including how long the company would hold such data. The DPA also said the process of facilitating drivers to request access to their personal data was unnecessarily complicated.

A Data Privacy Framework developed last year brought to an end three years of legal headaches for tech giants. CCIA’s Head of Policy Alexandre Roure, says the decision by the Dutch DPA ignores reality.

“The busiest internet route in the world could not simply be put on hold for three entire years while governments worked to establish a new legal framework for these data flows,” he said.

CCIA is a tech industry association of which Uber is a member. Companies that violate the EU’s GDPR law can be fined up to 4% of their annual global revenue.

The post Dutch Regulator Fines Uber for Violating Data Privacy appeared first on Tech Research Online.

According to Reuters, the European Commission revised proposed tariffs on imported Chinese-manufactured EVs. Tesla’s Chinese made EVs low tariff rate has provoked retaliation from Beijing.

The EU’s Tesla EV tax cut decision comes barely two months after the region imposed high tariffs on EV imports from China. The EU cited unfair subsidies that benefit Chinese EV makers and disadvantage EU manufacturers.

Level Subsidies

Tesla operates a factory close to Berlin. However, it exports most of the cars it manufactures in China to the European market. The company had asked the EU to recalculate its tariff rates which were initially set at 20.8%.

Early this week, the European Commission headed to this request and reduced the rates downwards to 9%. In addition to this rate, Tesla must pay the current 10% duty on all EV imports. But the total tariff is well below the 36.3% maximum that’s levied on other Chinese manufacturers.

According to the Commission, the tariff reflects the subsidy level that Tesla received in China.

“The Commission verified the information during a visit to China and conducted the same checks as of the other sampled Chinese exporting producers,” the Commission said in a statement.

Surprising Move

Rhodium Group’s senior analyst, Gregor Sebastian expressed surprise at Tesla’s 9% additional tariff rate. He cited local loans that the EV maker received from the government in Shanghai and the subsidized batteries from CATL, the Chinese battery maker.

“It’s tricky to make a strong argument here without seeing all the inputs and methodology the Commission used,” he added.

Speaking to CNN, Sebastian said the duty will be negative for Tesla. But unlike SAIC, it will give the EV maker some breathing space. SAIC owns the iconic MG vehicle brand. It’s China’s state-owned EV maker and Tesla’s main competitor in Europe.

High Tariffs

SAIC has been slapped with a 36.3% non-cooperating tariff and EV company, Geely, was hit with a 19.3% additional tariff. Chinese EV company BYD must pay 17% in additional tariffs to export EVs to the EU. BYD and Tesla are fighting for the largest EV battery seller title. Last year, BYD beat Tesla in EV battery production.

The Commission said these duties are slightly lower compared to those that had been proposed in June. This change was a result of inputs from EV makers and thorough investigations. Chinese car makers that have entered into joint ventures with EU manufacturers could benefit from the EU’s lower tax on Chinese EVs that have now been set at 21.3%.

On Tuesday, the Commerce Ministry in China strongly opposed the EU’s ruling on Tesla Chinese-made EVs and expressed deep concerns. In a statement released by the Ministry, China termed EU investigation findings as distorted.

The ministry said it would “resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

BYD Competition

The price of Tesla’s Model 3 rose by 4% when initial EU tariffs took effect last month. Even with the price hike, Model 3 was still cheaper than BYD’s Seal in the European market. The latest EU tax cut on Chinese-made EVs will make Model 3 cheaper.

“Now, with Tesla’s additional tariff being reduced, Model 3 will remain competitive with other Chinese-made EVs in Europe,” Automotive Research Analyst George Whitcombe told CNN.

Even with the high additional tariffs, BYD has not hiked the prices of its EVs in Europe.

“BYD has a much better ability to absorb these additional duties because production costs are much lower compared to their prices in Europe,” Sebastian said.

BYD could also grow exports of plug-in hybrid EVs that Tesla does not manufacture, This will allow it to circumvent the tariffs that currently apply only to battery EVs. Last month, BYD signed a deal to set up an EV plant in Turkey. This move could see it avoid EU tariffs altogether.

The post EU Reduces Tariffs On Chinese-Made Tesla EVs appeared first on Tech Research Online.

According to CNBC, the new technology has already been integrated into Waymo’s Geely Zeekr electric vehicles.

Market Entry

Waymo introduced its commercial robotaxi service to the US market back in 2018. Previously, the EV maker has integrated its driverless technology into the electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Minivans.

The company says that its generation 6 technology will hit the EV market sooner than its prior technologies due to its advanced semiconductor performance and machine learning technology.

“We are confident we can bring this generation to market much faster than the prior generation,” Waymo’s VP for Engineering, Satish Jeyachandran said.

Scaling Waymo One

As its executives share details about the forthcoming generation 6 technology, the company continues to scale its current Waymo One technology across cities like Austin, Los Angeles, Texas, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

Since its inception, Alphabet owned Waymo robotaxis have successfully completed over 2 million trips. Currently, Waymo offers about 50,000 paid autonomous trips each week in Phoenix and San Francisco. Two months ago, the EV maker announced that it was making driverless rides available to any user in San Francisco.

Alphabet announced last month that it would invest an additional $5 billion in Waymo.

According to Jeyachandran, the new investment will enable the EV maker to scale its operations. This includes increasing its fleet once it completes the testing and validation of Generation 6 robotaxi Waymo technology.

New Features

The EV maker anticipates that Geely Zeekr and the Waymo Jaguar I-PACE will coexist. It is expected that the new Waymo Zeekr will have similar footprints as the current Waymo I-Pace SUVs.

The only difference is that the Zeekr comes with a more accessible interior that features more legroom, a high ceiling, and a low step. Waymo has been developing custom software and sensors including radar and lidar that give the Zeekr a 360 view of the obstacles it needs to identify and avoid. The improved sensors come with wipers for clearing precipitation and dirt.

The Zeekr is set to become Waymo’s less expensive tech robotaxi. In an effort to reduce the cost of running each robotaxi, Waymo has reduced the number of cameras in the car from 29 to 13. The Zeekr comes with four lidar sensors.

Little Competition

Waymo is already testing the Generation 6 robotaxi on public roads with drivers on board. Testing and validation work is currently underway in New York, Detroit, and Buffalo. These diverse environments will help Waymo understand how the robotaxis will perform in varying weather and traffic settings.

Although Waymo has been grappling with driverless taxi crashes, it currently faces little competition in the US. Locally, GM’s Cruise faced challenges that forced it to temporarily pull its driverless cars off the road while Tesla recently pushed plans to launch its dedicated autonomous vehicles to October.

The post Waymo Unveils New Driverless Technology for Robotaxis appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Lime’s global fleet of ebikes and scooters currently stands at about 200,000 units. According to Yahoo Finance, the company unveiled its ride service in densely populated areas in Tokyo. These include Shinjuku, Shibuya, Setagaya, and Meguro wards.

Starting Small

Lime enters Japan’s market barely a month after unveiling ebikes for women. The company is getting into the Asian country with about 200 electric scooters and over 40 recharging ports. Tokyo-based ebike startup, Luup controls over 90% of the local market in terms of ride mileage. Luup already runs 9,100 recharging ports in the company.

Lime now has around 200 electric scooters and more than 40 recharging ports. Tokyo-based Luup, which controls more than 90% of the domestic market in terms of ride mileage, operates 9,100 ports.

“We’re starting small. We want to grow slowly with the city and really earn the trust of local regulators and city officials,” Wayne Ting, Lime’s Chief Executive Officer said.

The entry of the Uber backed escooter startup into the Japanese market is a strong indication that Japan is accepting the ride sharing economy. The country softened its stand following lengthy discussions between regulators, Luup, the police, and local governments.

Tough Restrictions

Contrary to other jurisdictions, Japan’s ebike market is experiencing growth. Cities in other countries are experiencing slowdowns due to outright bans and tough restrictions. For years, the Japanese government went slow on allowing shared e-scooter rides and stonewalled sharing economy startups like Airbnb and Uber.

This stand has since changed. Instead, the Japanese government has developed regulations that require riders to abide by local traffic rules like speed restrictions. The regulations also require e-bike riders to park in designated charging ports.

After setting up the restrictions, the country passed traffic laws last year. The new laws eliminated license and helmet requirements for e-scooter users. The regulatory and legal changes paved the way for ebike growth.

Compliance

Lime’s entry into Japan was largely incentivized by the country’s emobility framework. In 2022, the ebike startup pulled out of the South Korean market due to a lack of regulatory clarity which led to intense competition.

“The last thing we want to do is grow too fast and make you feel like it’s a nuisance. Our intention over time is to grow throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area, and potentially even look at broader Japanese opportunities,” Ting added.

Lime negotiated with officials from the Japanese government and partners to comply with local regulations and set up recharging ports. The entire process took about a year. The company also modified its scooters to include turn signals. It also installed slower riding modes, repositioned the bells, and adjusted the handlebar to make it shorter.

The post eBike Startup Lime Expands to Japanese Market appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Shares of the California-based EV company dropped by 4% following the Rivian vans production halt announcement. The drop reflects investor concerns due to the current supply chain disruption.

Missed Production

Rivian paused production of Amazon delivery vans early this month. The company manufactures the vans from its plant in Normal, Illinois.

The company expects to recover production losses despite the Rivian EV parts shortage. However, it did not provide specific timelines within which this will be achieved.

“A part shortage has temporarily impacted our Electric Delivery Van (EDV) production. We expect to recover all missed production,” a Rivian spokesperson said in a statement.

Only production of Amazon delivery vans has been affected by the part shortage. Rivian continues to produce other EV vehicles, including the R1T pickup and R1S SUV.

Amazon had placed an order for 100,000 electric vans. The order is to be delivered by the year 2030. 15,000 Amazon EV delivery vans are already in service. Amazon is aware of Rivian’s production halt and does not expect it to affect its order.

Supply Challenges

The recent production halt isn’t the only supply chain challenge that Rivian is facing. Like other electric vehicle manufacturers, the company has been grappling with a range of issues for the last two years as a result of supplier shortages. In April this year, the EV maker closed temporarily for retooling.

Rivian hasn’t disclosed information on the specific parts it’s missing and the supplier in question. However, the current production halt highlights the wider challenges facing the EV industry. These challenges cause manufacturers to grapple with semiconductor shortages and other supply chain problems.

Large Investor

Amazon is Rivian’s largest investor. The e-commerce giant holds a 16% stake in the EV company. Amazon-related sales constituted 19% of Rivian’s total revenue in 2023. Early this year, Rivian sustained its production targets. It however said its current quarter deliveries would be lower due to the temporary shutdown it had in April.

The post EV Parts Shortage Forces Manufacturer to Suspend Production appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Battery charging speeds are among the major hurdles that commercial manufacturers must overcome to facilitate mass adoption of EVs.

“In many applications, we are observing that efforts to rapidly electrify are delayed or blocked due to the cost of raising the ceiling of battery performance,” Gaussion CEO and Cofounder, Tom Heenan said.

Magnetic Fields

Gaussion has developed a new solution that radically boosts battery performance. The solution by the University College London spinoff leverages external magnetic fields during charging and discharge cycles to reduce cell degradation and prolong battery life.

“Whereas magnetic enhancement could provide step-change improvements across all chemistries, formats, and applications, affordably unlocking electrification without compromising on cost or performance,” Heenan added.

Conventional electrochemistry makes rapid battery charging highly unpredictable. This frequently causes cell damage. Next-generation technologies like solid-state electrolytes are not any better. They have repeatedly failed to achieve deployment targets.

Viable Solution

Gaussion is offering a viable solution that can be scaled to meet the rising demand for powerful, highly efficient energy storage systems. The mobility startup already has a global portfolio of patents and patent applications.

Its innovation promises to solve battery charging problems for a broad range of applications, including construction equipment, transport electrification, residential energy storage, mining operations, and utility-scale energy storage.

Huge Opportunity

The Gaussion Series A funding round was led by Autotech Ventures. It was managed by UCL Business and AlbionVC. UCL Technology Fund and BGF supported the funding round. Autotech Ventures sees huge opportunities for Gaussion’s innovative battery charging solution in different markets.

“Gaussion’s approach aims to expand the solution space by introducing a new variable, rather than displacing or replacing existing technologies. They leverage the advancements of current battery cell giants and apply an external magnetic field to enhance the performance of established battery technologies without changing their core components,” Autotech Ventures Managing Director and Cofounder, Alexei Andreev said.

Commenting on the Gaussion battery charging tech funding, Dennis Atkinson, an investor at BGF said,

“Gaussion is an innovative business that has developed a unique solution to one of the most pressing issues in the EV battery space. The strong progress so far, led by an exceptional team, highlights the potential of their technology.”

Gaussion will use the new rapid battery charging tech funding to finance its market entry strategies. These include licensing the technology for other applications, production, and marketing its products.

The post Gaussion Set to Debut Battery Charging Tech with $12M Funding appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Yahoo Finance reported that the US government plans to introduce a rule that will disallow Chinese software in vehicles that have level 3 automation and above in the American market.

This autonomous cars software ban effectively makes testing of Chinese manufactured driverless vehicles on US roads illegal.

Limiting Chinese EVs

The US government has already taken steps to limit the entry of Chinese manufactured EVs into the American market. The government introduced tariffs of more than 100% on such EVs. In June this year, a U.S. representative introduced the ‘Connected Vehicle National Security Review Act’.

The purpose of this bill is to set up formal security reviews on Chinese made EVs. If it takes effect, this law will result in a complete ban on importation of Chinese EVs to the US if they pose a security threat.

Additionally, the clean energy bill introduced by the Biden administration will make it more challenging for EV makers to use batteries imported from China. As tensions between Beijing and Washington increase, concerns have extended to the Chinese software for autonomous vehicles.

Sensitive Data

The move by the U.S. government to initiate the Chinese software ban is due to rising concerns that EV vehicles collect sensitive data from American infrastructure and transmit it to the Chinese government.

The Biden administration plans to escalate the Chinese autonomous car software ban by disallowing Chinese manufactured vehicles that have advanced wireless communication systems.

With this proposal, EV makers and suppliers will be required to verify that no advanced driverless or connected vehicle software was designed in a foreign entity of concern such as China.

China’s Stand

But Beijing is opposed to generationalization of national security and discriminatory practices against Chinese manufactured EVs and connected cars by the U.S.

“China urges the US to respect market principles and provide an open, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. “China will resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

A spokesperson in the U.S. Commerce Department said that connected technologies in autonomous vehicles have raised national security risks in government.

The post US Outlaws Chinese EV Software Over Security Concerns appeared first on Tech Research Online.