Category Archives: car sharing

December U.S. Auto Sales Start Strong

Posted on 13 December 2024 by Ken Zino

The Q4 2024 Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index (CADSI) released today shows growing optimism among U.S. auto dealers. Despite current weak market conditions, the post-election survey indicates increasing dealer confidence. The final Auto Market Report video of the year, noted that after a very strong November, December appears to be off to a strong start.

“We saw a surge in the outlook, technically the largest surge we have had quarterly in the history of the data,” said  Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke. “It is the best fourth quarter since 2021, which was the most profitable quarter in dealer history.” Continue reading →

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GM About Face on Robo Taxi Development

Posted on 11 December 2024 by Ken Zino

General Motors (NYSE: GM) plans to realign its autonomous driving strategy and prioritize development of advanced driver assistance systems on a path to fully autonomous personal vehicles. GM will build on its Super Cruise program, the company’s hands-off, eyes-on driving feature, now offered on more than 20 GM vehicle models and currently logging over 10 million miles per month. GM made the announcement on a conference call for analysts late yesterday. The move could mean significant savings next year on research and development costs at the embattled company.

“GM is committed to delivering the best driving experiences to our customers in a disciplined and capital efficient manner,” said Mary Barra, chair and CEO of GM. “Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GM’s strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation.” Continue reading →

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Fleet or Fire Sale? SIXT to Buy 250,000 Stellantis Vehicles

Posted on 16 January 2024 by Ken Zino

SIXT rental customers will have choices of vehicles of Stellantis including Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep®, Lancia, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall and Maserati. The deliveries to SIXT will include a variety of classes from city cars to SUVs to vans and trucks, including 7- and 9-seaters, as well as a full range of propulsion types, including battery electric vehicles, with the latest software and infotainment tech features. Continue reading →

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Lyft and Motional to Deploy Fully Self-Driving Vehicles in 2023

Posted on 16 December 2020 by Ken Zino

Lyft with abundant self-interest and General Motors backing claims a rideshare network is “vastly important to making AVs become a reality.” This thesis in search of proof will balance AVs operating on Lyft’s network with human drivers and other options including bikes, scooters, and transit.  Lyft claims it can ensure riders always have reliable transportation options regardless of where they need to travel. Lyft also claims that riders want a ride to arrive within minutes of requesting one and it’ll take years for AVs to reach the scale and technological sophistication needed to meet this service level for all ride scenarios. Rideshare networks might be where riders experience self-driving technology for the first time. Continue reading →

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Toyota and Amazon Web Services Working on Connected Cars, Ridesharing, Driving Behavior-Based Insurance…

Posted on 18 August 2020 by Ken Zino

It’s the latest example of  an emerging trend among automakers to offer owners and lessees thus far unclear advantages of processing and analyzing data from vehicle use from Toyota’s growing worldwide fleet of connected vehicles. Nowhere in the announcement was an acknowledgement that the use of such customer data raises vast unaddressed privacy, security and law enforcement concerns. Continue reading →

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Limit Vehicle Disease with Bacteria, Virus Resisting Materials

Posted on 15 May 2020 by Ken Zino

Shashank Modi a Research Engineer at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan notes that drivers of Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing services are concerned about their own health and that of their passengers. Company guidelines recommend ride-hailing drivers to wear masks and disinfect their cars regularly. “But are these safety measures sustainable in the long run? Is there a better way to instill confidence in shared mobility?” asks Modi. Continue reading →

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Renault, Klépierre Join on Shopping Center Mobility Services

Posted on 13 May 2019 by Ken Zino

Groupe Renault and Klépierre are also developing multi-use charging hubs for electric vehicles, dubbed “Charging Houses or Maisons de charge.” These stations will be installed by Groupe Renault in the car parks of shopping centers located in high population areas and will be used primarily by visitors during the day and residents at night and on weekends. Continue reading →

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Ride and Cost Sharing: Toyota, DENSO and SoftBank Vision Fund Invest $1 Billion in Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group

Posted on 19 April 2019 by Ken Zino

The investment, in a newly formed ATG corporate entity, aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of automated ridesharing services. Under the terms, Toyota and DENSO will together invest $667 million and SVF will invest $333 million, valuing the new Uber ATG entity at $7.25 billion on a post-money basis. Continue reading →

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The GM Grinch that Stole Christmas, or Did It?

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

There will be a 15% reduction in GM’s salaried workforce, the closing of the Lordstown and Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plants in the US and the Oshawa complex in Canada in 2019. Baltimore Operations and Warren Transmission plants will also be shut down in 2019. The arrival of year-end auto sales data makes things clearer in the view of consultancy LMC. Continue reading →

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Moovel Shows Digital Marketplace for Mobility as a Service

Posted on 13 November 2018 by Ken Zino

The Smart City Expo World Congress says it wants to strengthen cities with a unique platform focusing on sustainable and future-oriented urban development. As a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, moovel offers cities and transit authorities the opportunity to boost access to mobility and thus make it more attractive with a tailored mobility app. Continue reading →

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Toyota to Start New Car Subscription Service in Japan

Posted on 1 November 2018 by Ken Zino

Toyota wants to change from an automobile manufacturing company into – what else – a mobility company that offers a range of services to society of the future. Until now, Toyota has strengthened alliances between Toyota Group companies and other automobile manufacturers and new companies offering mobility services to create partnerships. The next steps are murky. Continue reading →

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Alliance Ventures Invests in Coord, a US Mobility Data Platform

Posted on 14 October 2018 by Ken Zino

Application programming interface – API – is a set of tools for MAKING software from defined methods of communication between various components. A strong API makes it easier to develop computer instructions by providing separated pieces, which are then put together by the programmer. Continue reading →

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Bosch Enters the Car-Sharing Business with Electric Vans

Posted on 9 October 2018 by Ken Zino

Bosch already has a nascent sharing services business, as demonstrated by Coup, its rental service for electric scooters. Since its launch in 2016, Coup has constantly expanded, and now has a fleet of 3,500 scooters in Berlin, Paris, and Madrid. Continue reading →

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Toyota Launches Car Sharing in Honolulu

Posted on 12 July 2018 by Ken Zino

Seventy Toyota and Lexus vehicles are available for reservation through the Hui mobile app (for iOS and Android devices) by the hour or day at 25 “easily accessible” locations. Continue reading →

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Autonomous Car Appetizer: Ford and Postmates Link

Posted on 2 July 2018 by Ken Zino

The Postmates pilot now underway in Miami and Miami Beach has more than 70 businesses participating, including local fast-food pusher Coyo Taco. For residents in the area, when they order tacos , or something else from Postmates, they may be given the option to have it delivered by a self-driving like research vehicle. Continue reading →

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