Simply Professional
I remember the roll-over protection system testing done some 20 years ago with real drivers in the vehicle – now these tests are made with dummies. Real progress.
Watch the Scania movie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmZIS4GjsTs
Full Scania story:
Leading Indian OEMs take the lead when it comes to invest in the future. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra R&D spends are now on par with corresponding European manufacturers.
CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 12:Indian automotive giants Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are matching their global counterparts in putting money in research and development activities.
A quick look at their R&D spend revealed that against an average spend of 1-2 per cent of revenues on R&D by most of the Indian companies (outside of the pharma sector), both Tata Motors and Mahindra are investing about 5 per cent in future development activities, busting the a perception that Indian companies spend less on R&D. Hero MotoCorp has also been ramping up its R& D spend over the past two years.
Germany’s top auto giants Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen spend 5-6 per cent of their revenues on R&D every year.
“R&D expenses of Indian companies have gone up and in some cases equal global peers in terms of percentage of turnover. Reasons for this are many. For one, Indian consumers are more demanding than in the past and their aspirations regarding latest technologies must be catered to.
“Clearly, competition is constantly pushing the envelope in a quest for increased market shares which forces local players to respond,” said Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.
During last days’ test drives in Södertälje, European motor journalists have been pretty enthusiastic about the new Scania Truck.
For, judging by the reactions of the journalists that feature in our accompanying film, the new trucks were a big hit. Jan Burgdorf, from Trucker magazine in Germany, was just one of those who were full of praise:
“Scania have done a good job with the new trucks. They have made everything better. It’s a really good truck.”
Andreas Werner Dick, from Stragü magazine in Austria, was another confirmed fan.
“It’s good to see the progress in the driver’s comfort. Driving is a lot of fun as it is very easy to do. I think that drivers in Austria would like to drive a truck like this. It should be a success on the market.”
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has officially kicked off Drive Me, the world’s most ambitious and advanced public autonomous driving experiment. This morning it produced the very first autonomous car that will be used in theDrive Me project in Gothenburg.
The autonomous Volvo XC90 SUV was finalized in Volvo Cars’ special manufacturing facility in Torslanda this morning and is the first in a series of autonomous cars that will eventually be handed to real families in Gothenburg to be driven on public roads.
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/196240/drive-me-the-worlds-most-ambitious-and-advanced-public-autonomous-driving-experiment-starts-today
This is really amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwhyoUyJNoY
Volvo’s fully autonomous truck is the first in the world to be tested in operations deep underground in the Kristineberg Mine. The self-driving truck is part of a development project aimed at improving the transport flow and safety in the mine. The truck will cover a distance of 7 kilometres, reaching 1,320 metres underground in the narrow mine tunnels.
“This is the world’s first fully self-driving truck to operate under such tough conditions. It is a true challenge to ensure that everything works meticulously more than 1300 metres underground,” says Torbjörn Holmström, member of the Volvo Group Executive Board and Volvo Group Chief Technology Officer.
Volvo Group is now releasing a film showing the opportunities that open up with autonomous trucks. The film was recorded in harsh operating conditions in the Kristineberg Mine 100 kilometres from Arvidsjaur in northern Sweden. Torbjörn Holmström, who takes part in the film, wants to show how safe the truck is. He didn’t hesitate to stand in the middle of the mine gallery as the truck approached him.
“No matter what type of vehicle we develop, safety is always our primary concern and this also applies to self-driving vehicles. I was convinced the truck would stop but naturally I felt a knot in my stomach until the truck applied its brakes!”
http://www.volvogroup.com/group/global/en-gb/newsmedia/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=152149&News.Language=en-gb
Brussels, 7 September 2016 – In the second quarter of 2016, alternative fuel vehicle registrations in the EU remained stable (+0.6%), totalling 147,784 units.
In the second quarter of 2016, alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) registrations in the EU remained stable (+0.6%), totalling 147,784 units. Results were diverse among different vehicle categories. On the one hand, demand for electrically chargeable vehicles (ECVs) showed moderate growth (+7.1%) during the second quarter of the year. This growth was supported by both battery (+5.1%) and plug-in electric vehicles (+9.6%). Registrations of new hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) also continued their positive momentum, posting a double-digit gain (+22.6%) and reaching 63,707 units. On the other hand, new registrations of cars powered by propane, ethanol or natural gas (NGV) showed a double-digit decline (-20.8%) during Q2 2016, totalling 50,211 vehicles.
Among the EU’s major markets, Spain saw the largest increase in AFV registrations over the last quarter (+84.4%), followed by the UK (+18.4%). Growth in these countries was fully driven by the electric and hybrid electric segments. Italy performed less well compared to Q2 2015 (-14.7%), mainly due to a decline in registrations of propane and gas-fuelled cars. However, at the same time Italian registrations in the hybrid segment posted a significant increase (+46.1%). France showed a mild decline (-9.4%) in total AFV registrations, mainly due to a drop in the HEV and NGV segments. Germany remained stable (-0.3%) in the second quarter, balancing the decline in propane and gas-fuelled car sales with an increase in hybrid registrations.
http://www.acea.be/press-releases/article/alternative-fuel-vehicle-registrations-0.6-in-second-quarter-of-2016
Under a SuperTruck II award announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Volvo Group North America is scheduled to receive $20 million in federal funding that it will use to improve the freight-moving efficiency of heavy-duty trucks. The Volvo Group and its partners will match the development funds dollar-for-dollar.
The Volvo Group’s team of researchers and engineers will use alternative engine designs and an integrated system approach to build a lightweight tractor-trailer concept that exceeds the freight efficiency goal of 100 percent improvement on a ton-mile-per-gallon basis compared with a 2009 baseline. The team also will demonstrate a powertrain capable of 55 percent brake thermal efficiency.
The Group will leverage its industry-leading expertise in vehicle development, along with established partnerships with advanced technology and trailer equipment vendors. It will also draw from the company’s legacy of innovation in the areas of energy efficiency, safety and environmental solutions.
The Volvo Group’s partners include Michelin Americas Research Company (tires), Wabash National (trailer), Metalsa (lightweight frame), Johnson-Matthey Inc. (exhaust aftertreatment system catalysts), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (exhaust aftertreatment system testing / analysis), Peloton Technology (connected vehicle / platooning), Pennsylvania State University (connected vehicle testing), Knight Transportation (long-haul fleet) and Wegmans Food Markets (regional-haul fleet).
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, is launching one of the largest engineering recruitment drives in its 89-year history as it boosts the development of next generation safety, autonomous driving and electrification technologies.
The company plans to recruit around 400 engineers in the next twelve months, primarily in the area of software development. The majority of these new recruits will be based at the company’s R&D headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Furthermore, the company is opening a research & development centre in the university town of Lund in southern Sweden, where the first 35 employees will already start as of September. Lund is the site of a renowned international university and located close to Sweden’s third-largest city Malmö and the Danish capital Copenhagen.
With the recruitment drive, Volvo further strengthens the automotive cluster in Western Sweden and establishes it as an emerging hub for automotive software engineering. Volvo is investing heavily in new technologies in the areas of autonomous driving, active safety and electrification, underlining the need for the constant recruitment of top-notch software engineering talent.
In Paris yesterday Scania presented their Next Generation Scania’s. Some facts and figures:
- Ten years of development work, SEK 20 billion in investments
- More than 10 million kilometres of test driving
- Global launches in five phases
- 40,000 customers to be invited to experience Scania’s range first-hand on site in Södertälje
- A strong focus on customer profitability, through precisely customised transportation solutions in the form of sustainable products and services
- The new truck delivers 5% lower fuel consumption on average
- Scania’s entire range is re-defining the market’s view of the term ‘premium
Scania is introducing a new truck range, the result of ten years of development work and investments in the region of SEK 20 billion. With the new range, Scania is extending its offering and can now, thanks to its unique modular system, supply more performance stages, connectivity and a comprehensive palette of productivity-enhancing services as well as sustainable transportation solutions that are precisely customised for each type of customer in the highly competitive transportation industry. The promise is that Scania’s customers will always be able to carry out their work in the most sustainable and profitable way, regardless of industry and area of application.
More details:
Scania will host a Sustainable Transport Forum in Paris on August 23, in conjunction with the launch of the new generation Scania. Keynote speakers at the event include the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.
The Sustainable Transport Forum in Paris underlines Scania’s intention of leading the shift towards a sustainable transport system, a prerequisite for fulfilling the objectives of the Paris agreement and for achieving Sustainable Development.
“When we launch the new generation Scania we want to take the opportunity to gather some of the most influential leaders to strengthen the global commitment to achieving sustainable societies,” says Mr. Henrik Henriksson, CEO at Scania.
Scania wants to use the Transport Forum to highlight the broader context within which we act, and show how the world can go from global agreements to global actions. We are getting closer to the point when it may actually be too late to act.
“We need to bend the curve of global CO2 emissions within 4 years and then steeply reduce emissions to reach a fossil free world economy until 2050. For me, it’s no longer a question if humanity will move in a sustainable direction, but if we will manage to do it fast enough. The transportation sector plays a vital role in the transformation that has to happen,” says Professor Johan Rockström, Director Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Scania also wants to inspire the rest of the industry by focusing on opportunities arising from partnerships and by addressing the world’s next paradigm shift – moving from the industrial to the digital age – along with looking at what challenges need to be faced to achieve true sustainability.
“When we look back in some twenty years time, I’m certain we will be able to say that the shift towards sustainable transports started here and that we were a part of the solution. I’m proud that Scania, together with our trusted partners, is leading the way towards a more sustainable future,” says Mr. Henrik Henriksson.