Ford to offer EV services to customers with Centrica

Ford to offer EV services to customers with Centrica Energy tariff and charge point bundles will be available from Ford Ford will work with Centrica to offer services to new customers buying electric vehicles. Centrica will provide energy tariffs and charge point installations for those buying plug-in hybrid and pure-electric models from Ford. EV tariffs from British Gas and Bord Gáis will be available, to encourage EV drivers to charge overnight, when prices are cheaper as demand is low. Centrica will also be offering a home EV charge point installation service. The firm will carry out charge point installations at Ford dealerships across the UK and Ireland, in preparation for new PHEVs and EVs due in the next few years. These include the forthcoming Kuga PHEV, a new Mustang-inspired performance SUV in late 2020, a Transit PHEV in 2021, and mass-market EV in 2023 – the latter based on VW’s MEB platform. Andy Barratt, managing director, Ford of Britain, said: “Ford is committed to delivering one of the most comprehensive line-ups of electrified vehicles for our customers, powered through the Ford home charger Wall Boxes. “With their scale, experience and access to the electric grid, our partnership with Centrica will enable us to offer a one-stop shop for our customers as they transition to an electrified vehicle, including exciting new vehicle options, wall box, installation service and electricity tariff.”
Origin: Ford to offer EV services to customers with Centrica

Ionity to expand EV fast charger network at Extra services

EV charging network Ionity, backed by BMW, Daimler, Ford and the VW Group, has partnered with Extra MSA Group to expand its network of fast chargers at motorway service stations across the UK. Up to six 350kW fast chargers will be installed at eight Extra’s motorway service areas, starting this year with the company’s £60m Skelton Lake, Leeds facility on the M1 motorway. The scheme will later take in Extra’s services at Cobham, Cambridge, Beaconsfield, Cullompton, Blackburn, Baldock and Peterborough. Ionity says its 350kW fast chargers, first deployed in the UK last month in Kent, are capable of charging vehicles in less than 20 minutes, although no mass production EV is yet capable of charging at this speed. Audi’s new E-tron electric SUV is currently the fastest charging EV on the market, at 150kW. The new Porsche Taycan, launching next year, will be the first production electric car capable of a 350kW charge rate. The company said: “Due to their 350kW capacity and the strategic positioning of its stations, Ionity’s network will make EV travel across the UK and Europe a truly hassle-free experience.” The network aims to have opened 40 fast charging stations across the UK and 2400 charging points across Europe by the end of 2020. Recently, Tesla unveiled a new generation of its Supercharger EV charging point, promising charge rates of 1000 miles or range per hour, and 75 miles in five minutes. The highest-speed superchargers will only be compatible with certain versions of the Tesla Model 3. BP Chargemaster, the UK’s biggest provider of EV infrastructure, is planning to install 400 points capable of ultra-fast 150kW charging (the current maximum speed) across the UK by
Origin: Ionity to expand EV fast charger network at Extra services

Waymo to study driverless services with Renault-Nissan alliance

Autonomous Nissan Leaf Waymo agreed to explore driverless services with Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, pairing a leader in self-driving technology with the worlds largest automotive alliance.The three carmakers and Alphabet Inc.s autonomous-vehicle unit will study market opportunities and research legal and safety issues related to driverless transportation services in France and Japan, the companies said in a statement Thursday.The deal doesnt extend to cooperation producing robo-vehicles.Were convinced that with this added expertise, well be able to position ourselves for autonomous services that are viable for customers, Hadi Zablit, senior vice-president for business development at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, told reporters in Paris.When it comes to implementation, the three automakers wont necessarily offer services in common with Waymo, he said.The French-Japanese alliance produced more than 10 million vehicles last yearon a par with the biggest carmakers: Volkswagen and Toyota.Unlike Waymos previously announced deals with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Tata Motors Jaguar Land Rover, the partnership with Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi doesnt include supplying any cars.Waymos parent company, Alphabet, struck a separate deal with the three-way partnership last September, giving its Google Android operating system access to their vehicle dashboards starting in 2021.The new agreement marks a first step toward developing long-term, profitable driverless-vehicle services for passengers and deliveries, the companies said. While the analysis will take place first in France and Japan, they said it may expand to other markets excluding China in the
Origin: Waymo to study driverless services with Renault-Nissan alliance

FCA chooses Samsung Harman tech for connected services

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced that it will be building a new global connected vehicle “Ecosystem”, essentially making it into a smart car that can be connected to your phone. The system will use Samsung’s Harman Ignite cloud-based platform and Google technologies, and be powered by an Android operating system. The system will be connected in-vehicle to a 4G network with 5G support. “By selecting industry leaders such as Samsung and Google, we are making an efficient and responsible utilization of capital to provide advanced technological solutions to our customers worldwide,” stated Harald Wester, FCA Chief Technical Officer, “In collaboration with HARMAN – Samsung and Google, we have developed a flexible, easy-to-use and connected ‘ecosystem’ that not only deploys today’s technology but is also ready to integrate upcoming innovations.” The ecosystem is essentially a suite of connected services that can be accessed through an app on a smartphone, these services include over-the-air software updates, maintenance predictions, media streaming, SOS safety calls, and stolen vehicle locator. You can also use it to find restaurants, charging/fuel stations, and much more with the help of a live agent. In the future, the system will also be able to connect with smart cities’ infrastructure and household devices using Samsung’s Smart Things platform. FCA’s Mobility Services will also be connected in the future, which includes various car-sharing services. FCA Connected Services will roll out around the world in the second half of 2019, with brand new vehicles to include the technology starting in
Origin: FCA chooses Samsung Harman tech for connected services