The 10 Most Innovative Automotive Tech Solution Providers 2019 July2019

EmissionRegulations RechargingEnviroment

Philipp Popov CloudCar CEO Brand of the Month

Automobiles!Forsomeit’sameremodeoftransport,andforsomewannabeenthusiastslikemeit’sanemotion.Since

theintroductionofFord’srevolutionaryModelTandVW’sBeetle,theautomotiveindustryhascomealongway. NowForddoesn’tmanufacturetheModelTwhichcouldhavebeenseverelyoutdatedbytoday’sstandardandVW’s Beetleisnotexactlyacommonman’scarnowadays.

Currentlytheautomotiveindustryiswitnessingamassiveshiftwithmanyimportantevolutionsthataretakingplace.Cars thatwereusedasameremodeoftransportationonly,havetransformedintoconnectedcarsthatcancommunicatewitheach other,thankstotheuseofIoT,cloudcomputing,bigdata,etc.Withtheuseofallthesetheautomotiveindustryisallsetto changeourlifeforever.Thus,let’shavealookattheupcomingtrendsthatcanchangeourlifeforever;

ElectricVehicles:Theconceptofelectricvehiclesisnotnew;backin1897thefirstelectrictaxisstarteditsjourneyonthe streetsofNewYorkCity ThePopeManufacturingCompanyofConnecticutbecamethefirstlargescaleAmericanelectric automobilemanufacturer.However,theconceptofelectriccarsslowlylostitstraction,thankstoitslimitations.However,the highfuelpricesandpollutionlevelshasbroughtbacktheconceptfromthecoldstorage.Currentlythepotentialofelectric carsisgreaterthaneverbefore.TheentryoforganizationslikeTeslahasledcompanieslikeGM,VW,DaimlerAG,BMW andotherstojointhebandwagon.Asaresult,we(notmealthough)canbuycarslikeBMWi8,TeslaModelS,NissanLeaf, BMWi3,etc.So,inthecomingyearswecanexpectmanymorecompanieswilljointheracetobuildthemostsophisticated anddesirableelectricvehicle,whichwilleventuallyhelpustoreducethepollutionlevelofourbelovedplanetearth.

AutonomousVehicles:Ah!I’mnotaverybigfanofthistrend,butit’sslowlygainingtractionallovertheworld.However, thefullyautonomousvehicleswillstilltakesomemoretimetoplyontotheroads,butthetrendisdefinitelyworthan attention.Theautonomousvehiclewilleventuallycomewithbenefitslikereducedaccidents,bettercomfortandtraffic management.

Althoughforpeoplelikeme,autonomousvehicleswilleventuallytakeawayallthepleasuresofdriving.Butthat’sme.

BlockchainTechnology:Loveitorhateitblockchainisthenewfadandasuper-hottrendacrossvariousindustries. Blockchaincancreateatrustedprotocolforautomotivepartssupplychain,whichcanhelpremovethecancerofthe automotiveindustry,counterfeitparts.Iftheblockchainbubbleperformsasexpected,thenthiswilleventuallyshapethe pricingstrategyofcarmakersacrosstheglobe.

DataSecurityandProtection:Believeitornot,intheconnectedworld,mostofushavealreadysharedourvaluabledata withsomeshadypersonunknowingly Automotiveindustryisoneofthemostdatadrivenindustriesaroundtheworld. Nowadaysintelligentvehiclescancollectdatawhichincludes,drivingbehavior,pattern,routes,etc.Asaconsumeryoulove allthesefeatures,don’tyou?Butincaseofdatabreach,don’tbesurprisedifyourdatagetssoldinthemarketofthedark web.RecentlyGMcameunderacyber-attackwherehackersforciblytookcontrolofseveralvehiclecontrols.Hence, currentlyorganizationsareinaconstantsearchofthemuchneededprotection.

Consideringthisvitalfactors,withgreatenthusiasmInsightsSuccesshasshortlisted,“The10MostInnovativeAutomotive TechSolutionProviders2019”,whicharechangingtheworldofautomotivetechnology

Inthisissuewehave3dbAccess,anETHspin-offcompany.Itaimstoprovidesecuresolutionsforproximity-basedaccess control;AcertaAnalyticsSolutionsInc,whichisaplatformthatleveragesthedatafromacrossthevehiclelifecycleand appliesmachinelearningandAItodetectmalfunctionsandpredictfailuresinreal-timeforvehiclesandtheirsystems; Blickfeld,whichisdesignedtomeetautomotive-gradeproductionandscalabilityrequirements.FieldofView3DLiDARs andenvironmentperceptionsoftwareenablemultipleapplications;BlueSageSoftware,whodeliversvaluetoourcustomers bystreamliningtheirworkflowandautomatingtheircorebusinessprocesses;CloudCar,whichisdrivinginnovationwitha platformfortheautomotiveindustrythatintegratesmachine-learningcapabilitieswithvoice-enabledinfotainmentservicesto deliveraseamlessandpersonalizedexperience;DesignSystems,Inc.,whoofferscomplete“ConcepttoCommission” servicesfortheautomotive,foodandbeverage,pharmaceutical,packagehandling,healthcare,steelmanufacturing,and manyotherindustries;Toposens,whodevelopedthefirst3Dultrasoundsensorworldwide.Thesensorsystemperceivesits environmentviatheprincipleofecholocation.

So,let’sgetstarted!

In-vehicleentertainmentsystemsareevolving

constantlyascarsbecomemoreandmore connected.Automakershaverespondedto consumers’techobsessionofhavinganincreased numberofservicesandexpandingsetoffeatures. Everybodyseemstowantmoreintheirinfotainment systems.However,whenitcomestoin-carfeatures,they donotalwaysliveuptoexpectations.

CloudCar’sdistinct“voice-first”approachtoin-vehicle contentnotonlyenablesapersonalized,driver-centric experience,butalsoprovidestheutmostflexibilityand scalabilityforcarmanufacturers.Bynormalizingcloudbasedcontentintocommonusecasesthatarenot specificallytiedtoappsandintelligentlyprocessing driverintent,theplatformallowsdriverstokeeptheir eyesontheroadandhandsonthewheel.Thisapproach eliminatesthedriver'sneedtohuntthroughan abundanceofinfotainmentapplicationsandmenuitems toaccessthedesiredcontent.ItalsoprovidesOEMcontrolforbuildingandretainingbrandloyaltyand owningthevehicledataforfuturemonetization opportunities.

AnAdventurousJourney

CloudCar’sjourneystartedin2011inSiliconValley,a hotspotfortechnologycompanies.Fouryearslater,the companyintroduceditsfirstproduct justDrive,avoice activatedconnectedcarapplication,whichwasexclusive toJaguarLandRovervehicles. justDrive broughta uniqueexperienceforthedriverasitcombinedthethree majorelementsofthemobilephone,thecar,and relevantcontent.

In2017,CloudCarsecuredaninvestmentfromJaguar LandRoverandachievedanearlywinbycompleting theirproductdevelopmentoftheOnlineMedia Application,whichisoutontheroadtoday Thisproduct

bringscloud-basedmediastreamingservicesintothe vehicle.Thefirmalsohasfiledforty-fivepatentsin whichsixteenareawarded.

CloudCarhasestablishedkeypartnershipswithleading contentproviderstostrengthenitspartnershipportfolio andisworkingwithnewglobalautomotivecustomersin the Thecompanyhas European,USandAsiamarkets recentlyexpandeditslocationsglobally,buildinga diverseworkforcetoaddresstheglobalautomotive economy. CloudCar BesidesintheUnitedStates, currentlyhaspresenceinChina,theUK,Germanyand France.Theirrecentgrowthalsoleditsheadquartersto movetoalargerofficespacenowlocatedinSantaClara, California,USA.

Likeeverybusiness,CloudCarhasfacedchallenges,but has learnedthroughexperiences.Forone,the also automotiveindustryhasshiftedvastlyoverthepastfew yearsandcontinuestochange.Thischangehasshaped thecompany’sproductportfoliointowhatitistoday whichanchorsoncloud-contentintegrationandanalytics services.CloudCarhasalsodefineditsrequirements aroundplatformflexibility,thedesireforpersonalized contentanddataprivacymechanisms.Withautomotive DNAatitscore,CloudCar’ssuccessfulproductsarein themarketanditsexperiencedteamscontinuetowork collaborativelywiththeirtrustedglobalpartnersto developnewofferingsandsolutions.

The CEO Au Courant CloudCarwasco-foundedin2011bytwoSiliconValley entrepreneurswhobothhadanappetitefortechnology innovationandtakingrisks.In2016, was PhilippPopov announcedasCloudCar’snewCEO,succeedingoneof thefounderswhois acontinuingmemberof currently theboard.

‘‘

We use cloud-based technology and machine learning to create an intuitive connected-onboard infotainment solution in the vehicle, enabling a truly personalized experience for the driver.

HavingPhilipponboardwithhisseasonedautomotive andentrepreneurialexpertise,wherehedelivered infotainmentsystemstoautomotivecustomerslikeAudi, Bentley,PorscheandTesla,itbecameacompletely differentballgameforCloudCar.Hisprovenabilities, perseveranceandknowledgeableaudioandinfotainment backgroundiswhatthecompanyneeded.

PhilippreshapedCloudCarbybuildingastrong diversifiedteamandaddingtheproductdisciplineand robustnessrequiredbyautomakers.Withexcitement, ambitionandthefocusofitsleadershipteam,thefirmis earningthetrustandloyaltyofexistingandfuture customers.Observingtheindustrytalent,Philippasserts, “It’s a very exciting time to be in the automotive industry. CloudCar is rapidly growing and we’re continuously looking for top talent to join our dedicated team.” Headds, “Our combination of automotive and Silicon Valley experts work with OEMs to redefine the customer experience and enhance the journey in the car.”

CustomerOrientedApproach

CloudCar’splatformletsautomotiveOEMschoosefrom abreadthofcloud-basedservices.Thewiderangeof integratedserviceprovidersanddepthofunderstanding fordriverintentprovidesOEMstheflexibilitywhen designingtheirin-vehicleinfotainmentsolutions.The companyworkswithgloballeadingserviceprovidersto categorizedataintocommondriverusecasesthatfall intospecificgroupslikeMedia,Places,People, Knowledge,SmartHomeandProductivity Their solutionbringsalltherelevantcloud-basedcontentinto thevehicleandmakesitavailablethroughanon-board SoftwareDevelopmentKit(SDK).Noclunky connectiontothedriver’smobilephoneisneededto obtainthedesiredcontentanddeliverthedesired services.

‘‘

Our team is focusing on "what's next" for the driver experience and collaboratively working with automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and content providers for attractive solutions.

AidingandRevolutionizingtheIndustry

CloudCarisdevelopingthefutureofconnectedcar technologyforcarmanufacturersbysolvingtheneedsof thedriverwithvoice-firstinfotainment.Itscloud-based cuttingedgetechnology,includingmachinelearning capabilities,providestheconnected-onboard infotainmentfeaturesthatautomakersareseekingto fulfilltheirbusinessneeds.Thecompanyisworkingwith premiummanufacturersonexcitingopportunitiesand challengesinthemachinelearningandinfotainment fields.CloudCar’sinnovativesolutionsareatthe intersectionofSiliconValley'stechnology entrepreneurshipandtherapidlychangingglobal automotiveexperiences.Ithasexpertsinkeyareaslike cloudtechnology,datasciences,anduserexperiences justtonameafew

withthecontextualvehicledatafromtheHumanMachineInterface(HMI),thefirmcanbuildarichdriver profilebasedoninfotainmentusageandpreferences,and offeruniqueAIservicestopersonalizethedriving experience.

OneofthepainpointsthatCloudCaraddressesfor automakersistheneedtomaintaincontroloftheirbrand identityandretaindataownership.Thecompany providesautomotiveOEMswithawhitelabelplatform thatoffersflexibility,customization,andcomplete ownershipofthedatawhiledeliveringthedesired experiencefortheirconsumers.

InfotainmentfortheFuture

Asitpertainstoimprovingthedrivingexperience, CloudCarhassomeprettyloftygoals.Theirengineers

‘‘We've built a comprehensive content-services platform that allows for analytics, personalization and monetization.

AStepAheadoftheCompetition

Asacloud-basedplatform,CloudCarintegratesmachine learningcapabilitieswithvoice-firstinfotainmentto deliveraseamless,user-friendlyandpersonalized experience.Theserviceprovidescarmanufacturerswith ahardwareagnostic,portableSDKthatisembeddedin thevehicle’sheadunit.Consequently,automotiveOEMs haveaccesstoallofthecloud-basedservicesand providersintegratedintoitsplatform.

Thefirm’ssolutionisdifferentfrommanyother solutionsinthemarketasitisnotapp-basedthus,there ismuchmoreflexibilityindesigningtheuserexperience. Thisallowscarmanufacturerstomeettheneedsand preferencesoftheircustomersinthevehicle.CloudCar integratestherelevantcontentfromanampleselection ofcloud-basedcontentprovidersandtransfersthe informationthroughtheSDKintothecar.Thisisideal foreasilymappingcontenttoavoice-firstexperience.In additiontocontentaccessibility,theCloudCarplatform supportsanextensivelistofusecases.Whencoupled

continuetoadvancethemachinelearningandAI technologieswiththeutmostambitionofanticipatingthe driver’sneedsandunique,tailoreddrivingexperience.

Theteamonthefrontlineoftheirorganizationalso spendslotsoftimeengagingwithcustomers,keepingup withtheirobjectivesandexpectationstosustaina valuableclientrelationship.

Lookingattoday’sin-vehicleexperience,thecompany seestheopportunities.CloudCar’sintegratedplatform bringsservicestodriverswithouthavingtoconnecttheir phonewhilemovingbetweenvehiclesandstillbeing abletobringtheirpreferenceswiththem.

Technologytrendstowardstheautonomousdrivingand theshifttowardssharedmobilityisredefiningtheroleof infotainmentservicesinthevehicle.CloudCarwill continuetoleadthiseffortandevolvewiththefastchangingautomotiveindustry.

Electrovaya

Lithium-ion batteries:

Powering Electro-Mobility Since 1996

Electrovayawasestablishedin1996asaresearch anddevelopmentcompanyfocusedonLithiumion technologiesandmanufacturingprocesses.In2000, itwaslistedontheTorontoStockExchange(TSX:EFL) andhascontinuouslydeliveredcuttingedgetechnology projectsforaerospace(NASA),automotiveandpersonal electronics.Overtime,ithasdevelopedkeytechnologiesfor fundamentalcellandbatterytechnologywithmorethan 150patentsinthesefields.

Recently,Electrovayahasconcentratedonbatterysolutions forheavy-dutyapplicationsrequiringsuperiorlifecycleand performance.Ithassuccessfullydevelopeduniqueultralonglifecyclebatterysystems,whichareparticularly designedforMaterialsHandlingElectricVehicles(MHEV).

Currently,itsuppliesmajorOEMswithspecializedbattery moduleandsystems.Ontheaverage,MHEVsand passengerEVsrundailyforaround10hoursand2hours, respectively.Electrovaya sultra-longlifecycletechnology ’ isextremelysuitableforthesekindsofapplication.

Comparedtovehiclespoweredwithfuel,Electrovaya poweredvehiclescanfunctionwellwithin24hoursevery dayunderextremetemperatureconditionswithannual mileageof20,000km.

CustomersandEmergingMarkets

SixFortune500companiesinthelogistics,e-commerce andmanufacturingsectorshavestartedusingElectrovaya batteriesfortheirforklifttrucks,MaterialHandlingElectric Vehicles(MHEV)andAutomatedguidedvehicles(AGV). Thisemergingmarketgeneratedaround$3.3millionof revenuefrombattery-operateddeliveriesmainlyfrom WalmartfromtheJanuarytoMarch2018.Also,additional purchaseordersof$2.3millionwereplacedlastJune2018.

Thecurrenttargetmarketsare1.5millionoperational MHEVsandapproximately160,000newMHEVsplacedin NorthAmericalast2017(IndustrialTruckAssociation, 2017,WashingtonDC,USA).

Also,on25thofJuly2018,Electrovayahassuccessfully deliveredbatteriestoWalmartCanada’sdistributioncenter ThisisamajormilestoneforElectrovayaandtheMaterials HandlingIndustry,foritisoneofthelargestlithium-ion installationsinNorthAmerica.Currently,Electrovaya’s Lithium-ionbatteriesprovidepowertoallMHEVsatthis distributioncenter

IndustryOutlook

ForklifttrucksalesinNorthAmerica’smarketcontinued theirunprecedentedincrease.Theyear2017markedthe thirdconsecutiveyearofgrowthwithmorethan250,000 unitssold,representinga9.5%and12.2%increase comparedto2016and2015,respectively.

Inaddition,thousandstomillionsofelectricpowered trucksaresoldannuallyintheU.S.andworldwide.The continuousincreaseinthenumberofbattery-operated trucksfromthepreviousyears’showsthepotentialuseand leadofElectrovaya’slithium-ionbatteriesinthetrucking industry

Tofurtherintroducethetechnologyandexcellenceofits productsandservicestotheworld,Electrovayajoinedthe ModexExpo2018,whichhappenedatAtlanta,GA.Inthis occasion,thecompanyshowcasedthelithiumionbatteries thatarewidelyusedinthematerialshandlingsector.

GiventhetremendoussuccessofElectrovayainthe previousyears,whatreallysetsitapartfromtheother batteryproviders?

Raj Das Gupta Vice President of Business Development Electrovaya

About the Author

batterieswithmaintenancecostofonly45USDforcable replacementsandremotemonitoring.

Ÿ Safetyisourpriority Electrovayabatteriesarebuiltusingthesafesttechnology, whichhasbeencontinuouslyimprovedovertime.Once installed,thisbatterycanberechargedsimilaracellular phone.Hence,itremovesthedangerinvolvedinremoving andhandlingofbatteries,whicharenecessaryinleadacid batterycharging.

Lastyear,noaccidentswererecordedontheusageon forklifttruckswithElectrovayabatteries.

Ÿ Capitalexpenditure

Lithiumbatteryisalwayscriticizedaboutitshighinitial cost,whereinElectrovayabatterysystemistwicethecost oftheleadacidbatteries.However,Electrovayabatteries lasttwicelongerthanleadacidbatteriesdueits9000life cycle.Thisistheresultofthecollectiveeffortsofthe company’sengineerswhofiledmorethan150patentsunder theLithiumcelltechnology Therefore,after6years,the totalinvestmentsofbothtypesofbatteriesarethesame. Also,ifbothbatterieswillbeonalease,themonthlylease expenseswillalsobesimilarduetolongerleaseperiodon Electrovayabatteries.

FuturePerspective

Toelaborateonwhatmakesitoneoftheleadingbrandsfor poweringelectro-mobility,enumeratedbelowarethe benefitsfromutilizingElectrovaya’stechnology

• Reducedcostsandincreasedproductivityofcharging

Basedonobservation,therewasanincreaseinthe productivityoftheforklifttruckdriversduetoopportunistic andfastcharging.Leadacidbatterycanfunctionfor8 hoursbutalsoneedstobechargedfor8hours.Meanwhile, Electrovayabatterycanbechargedopportunisticallyduring breaktimes,whichincreasesitsruntime.Theuseof advanceconnectorsystemremovedarchingoranyfire hazards.

Ÿ Reducedmaintenancecosts

Electrovayabatteriesdonotrequireadditionaldistilled water,switching,cleaningandmaintenance.These advantages,madethemaintenancecostsofElectrovaya batteries59%cheaperthanLeadacidbatteries.

Forinstance,WateringSystemMaintenanceandAcid ContainmentSpillKitcost135USDannuallyforeach truckwithleadacidbatteriescomparedtoElectrovaya

Electrovaya’svisionistobetheleaderincriticalandhighly intensiveapplications.Itsextensivelineofproductsand worldwidepartnershipshelpsittoleadtheindustry Aside fromthesixFortune500companies,MNCshavealso purchasedfromElectrovayaandmanyarestillexploring thebenefitsofusingthistechnologyinkeepingtheir companiestransformandgrow

ReliabilityofElectrovaya

AtestimonyfromthewarehousemanagerofaleadingecommercecompanystatedthatElectrovayawasvery efficientinswitchingthebatteries,particularlyininstalling theLithium-ionbatteries.Sincethen,thecompanyhas reportedreducedenergyandmaintenancecosts,whilethere wasanincreaseinthelaborproductivity

ThisshowsthatElectrovayacontinuestobeoneofthe leadingcompaniesinthisindustry.Electrovayahasbeen continuouslyprovidingunwaveringhighquality technologiesandservicestothepeoplesince1996.

Raj Das Gupta has worked with Electrovaya previously as Director of Research and later as Vice President of Energy Storage. Raj is responsible for managing and increasing Electrovaya’s sales for both its stationary and automotive energy storage systems, as well as developing Electrovaya's strategy for technology licensing and business partnerships. Raj attended Imperial College, London; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the University of Cambridge, where he received his Doctorate in Materials Science.

Cutulenco CEO

Greta

3.Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessons learntthathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany. Someofourbiggestlearningshavebeenaroundthe datasetsthataregeneratedduringtestingofvariousvehicle systems.Althougheachmanufactureristestingforsimilar functionality,theequipmentused,thestepsoftesting,the dataformats,anddataqualityseemedtovaryhugely betweenmanufacturers.Forawhileweweretryingto accommodateeachdatasetinaspecialway,buildseparate schemas,APIsandUIs,butovertimewestartedtonotice quiteafewsimilarunderlyingpatternsinthisdata.Asa result,we’vebuiltaveryrobustgovernancesystemwecall Cortexthatcanaggregate,cleanandnormalizedatainthe samewayacrossmultiplemanufacturers,systems,and tests.WehavesincerealizedthatCortexcanprovidealot ofvaluetomanymanufacturerswhoarejuststartingwith theirdigitalizationjourneys,andthusstartedtoofferitto customersdirectly

4.Howdoesthecompanycontributetowardsmaking theindustrybetter?

Intherecentdecadetheautomotiveindustryhasbeen facingamajortransformation.Asaresultofelectrification, autonomy,andnewmobilityparadigms,vehiclesand automotivemanufacturingprocesseshavebeengrowingin complexityatanoverwhelmingspeed.Thishasledto billionsbeingspentonrecallsinthelastfewyears (ex.GMignitionorToyotaacceleration),andhigh-profile accidentsinautonomousvehicles.Tosucceedinthenew era,manufacturersneedtoadoptnewtechnologiesthathelp ensuresafetyandreliabilityoftheircarsinfaceofthe growingcomplexities.

Acertaprovidessuchaplatformandwillcontinuetohave animpactonensuringreliabilityandsafetyofvehiclesand theirpartsthroughouttheirlife.

5.Giveadetailedexplanationregardingthe Founder/CEO/Management’sinfluencetowardsthe industryandAcertaAnalyticsSolutions?

Acertahasaverystrongleadershipteamwithyearsof experiencespanningmultipledisciplinesincludingdata collection,analysis,machinelearningandAI,and automotivesystems(development,testing,and manufacturing).

Thereareafewinfluencersonourteamworthnoting. SebastianFischmeister,Acerta’sco-founderandcurrent ChiefScienceandR&DOfficer,hasworkedinacademia overthelast15yearsintheareaofreal-timeembeddedand safetysystems.AstheExecutiveDirectorofWatCar, Waterloo’sautomotiveresearchfacility,heheadedmany projectsthatfocusedonautonomousvehiclereliabilityand safety ThegrouphadmajorcontributionstotheRenesas autonomousdemonstrationsatCESoverthelastfewyears.

Acerta’sCEOGretaCutulencocomesfromtheautomotive industry,whereshefocusedonfunctionalsafetyofvehicle ADASsystems,primarilywithMagna.Sheusedalotofher experiencefromtheindustry,automotiveandaerospace,to drivethevisionatAcertaandthefocusofcurrentactivities.

Acerta’sCTOJean-ChristophePetkovichhasacombination ofacademicexperience,throughhisPhDattheUniversity ofWaterloo,andindustryexperience,throughQNXand Bombardier.Hisearlierworkhasfocusedonthe applicationsofmachinelearningandAIforperformance monitoringandanomalydetection.Bymerginghis understandoftheindustryandnewestAItechnologies,he nowdrivestheproductbehindAcertatodeliverrealvalue toAcerta’spartnersandcustomers.

6.WheredoesAcertaAnalyticsSolutionsseeitselfinthe longrunand/orwhatareitsfuturegoals? Acerta’sgoalistofacilitatethefutureofautonomous, connected,electric,andsharedmobilitybyprovidingan. AI-drivenplatformthatcanensurereliabilityandsafetyof thesevehiclesthroughouttheirlifecycles.Wehavestarted makinganimpactformanufacturerstodaybyapplyingour platformandanalysisduringassembly.Inourmostrecent deploymentwewereabletoreducewarrantiesby30%by identifyingcomplexpatternsintestingdatathatwere indicativeofdefects.Butourvisionistoprovidesimilar valuethroughoutthevehiclelifecycle,andhavealready startedmakingheadwaysbyapplyingourplatformand analysistoautonomouson-roadconnectedvehicles.

7.ConsideringtherisingnumberofAutomotiveTech SolutionProviders,howdoesAcertaAnalyticsSolutions standoutfromitscompetitors?

Wearetheonlyplatformsolelyfocusedonproductdata fromautomotivesystemsacrossthelifecycleofthevehicle, sofrominitialdevelopmentandtesting,through production,andafterwardswhilethevehicleisdrivenon theroad.Thisabilitytomanageandanalyzetheproduct datathroughoutthesupplychainandacrossmultiple vehiclesubsystemsdifferentiatesusfrommostothertech providers.

Oursolutionisbeingimplementedbyagrowingnumberof automotivemanufacturersastheytrustthepredictionsand thevaluethatouranalysisbrings.

Emission Regulations

A Sustainable Shift

Industriesintheirtrueessencearethesystemsdriven bytechnicalexcellenceandcustomersatisfaction. Thesetwovariablesarethevitalingredientsforany organisationtothriveinthiscompetitivedomain. Unfortunately,notallthetimethesedimensionsproveto beabsolutelyfruitful.Contingenciesdostrike!The Automotivesectorisnoexceptiontothat.

Onesuchhistory-definingchallengeintheformemission normshadenteredintothemarketbackin90sandits latestversionhascausedautomotiveindustrytodisrupt. Constantlyrisingairpollutionmadelawmakersto establishfewamendmentsforrestoringthenature's balance.Theseamendmentsorregulationsimpose constraintsinfrontofthefirmsmakingthemtoupgrade andupdatetheirtools.

Tosurviveandsucceed,automakersneedtorevise policiesandstrategiesondifferentfrontsincluding technology,infrastructure,recapitalizationand marketing.Thisdifficultbalancingactwheretheyhave

toenhancetheirexpertiseontheaccountofbillionsof dollarstobeinvested,andminimisingthepass-oneffect tocustomers,hassparkedvigorousdiscussionsinrecent times.

Anindustrywhichhasevolvedastonishinglywith passingtimewillevidentlyrespondtothisuniversalcall towardsSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).Euro Standards,thefirstandforemostemissionregulation everformulatedinthewakeofastronomicallygrowing pollutionacrosstheglobe,wereinitiatedin1991.Onits basis,CaliforniaAirResourceBoard(CARB),aprimary institutewhichgovernsallemissionrelatedrulesinUS wasmade.CARBwhichworksintandemwith EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPAs)isknownfor itsstringentregulationswhichareadoptedbymoststates inthecountry

Ultimately,theissuewhichremainsishowarethe currentautomotivecompaniesgoingtoamend

themselvestomatchthesenormsandappealcustomers withouttighteningtheirbudgetatthesametime?Thus, theyareanalysingkeywaystoadoptingthesestrict emissionnormsandnotlosingtheirbelovedcustomers aswell.

1.TechnologicalInnovations

Inthehistoryofautomobile,manyrevolutionary changeshavebeenmade.BeitthediscoveryofSpark IgnitionorCompressionIgnitionengines,orthe developmentofElectronicTractionControlsystem whichemployedasmoothintegrationofmachine intelligenceintomechanicalpower. Inthisneedofthehour,technicalperfectionhastostand uponceagainifautomotiveindustrieshavetoretain theirtitleofchange-makers.Thankstomanybright engineeringminds,suchideasarekeptsurfacingwhich willhelptoreduceemissionsfromautomobilesand simultaneouslyenhancefuelefficiencytoo.Higher mileageeventuallyhelpstoachievelesservehicular emissions.

MechanismslikeExhaustGasRecirculation(EGR), ThreeWayCatalyticconverter(TWC),Selective CatalyticReduction(SCR),GasolineDirectInjection (GDI),VariableValveTrain(VVT),ContinuousVariable Transmission(CVT),Turbochargers,DieselParticulate Filter(DPF),On-BoardDiagnosticswithoxygensensors andtransmission-systems-provided-with-manygearscan helptotrapandreduceNitrousoxides(NOx), Hydrocarbons(HC),carbonmonoxide(CO)and particulatematter(PM).Additionallytheyhaveproved theirprowessinenhancingmileage,realizingthedream ofhighlyfuelefficientfuturisticvehicleswithzeroor leastemissions.

Onemoreimportantaspectoftheseadd-onsystemsis thattheyoperatewithaprerequisiteconditionofhigh gradedfuel.Fuelqualityofpresentdayscanhinderthe flawlessworkingofabovementionedequipment.Fuel withanyamountofsulphurgreaterthan10parts-permillionisconsideredill-suitedforthecurrent infrastructure.Therefore,fuelrefinerieshavetoupgrade theirmachinerytoachievethedesiredquality.Good newsisthatOilMarketingCompanieshavealreadygear uptheprocesstoupgradetheirrefineryinfrastructure.

2.Down-weightingisthekey!

Manyorganisationsemployamethodwheretheyoptfor unconventionalsizeaccompaniedwithlightweight structuretofitintheregulations.Forinstance,insteadof hunksizedSUVs,companiesnowadayslaunchmany SUVshavingsmallersizesandmuchlighterinweight. Thiscangivethemadvantageintwoways.Firstly,with lessintrinsicloadtopropel,vehiclesachievebetter mileagewhichisthemostappealingfactorformanyof thebuyers.Secondthingis,productioncostsassociated withshrunksizevehiclesareproportionallysmaller, furthershrinkingtheactualcostaconsumerhastobear.

Needlesstosay,reductioninsizeandweighttogetheris merelyadreamwithoutmaterialshavingdesired properties.Fortunatelymodernmaterialsciencehas blesseduswithmaterialslikeCarbonfiber,Aluminium Alloy,MagnesiumAlloy,HybridmaterialandPolymer Compositeswhichnotonlyflaunttheirlightweight characteristicsbutalsotheirdurabilityandwear resistance.

3.Greenfuelpoweredvehicles

Automobilefraternityisfacingaparamountshiftin termsofpropellingpowerasnewer,cleanerandcheaper alternativesarebeingintroduced.Fromitsintroduction th ofSIandCIenginesinlate19 century,theyarea popularchoiceamongmassandtechnocrats.Buttheir environmentaldemeritsareslowlypushingthemtowards extinction.Solarvehicles,electricvehicles,hybrid vehiclesandgaspoweredvehiclescanbethesolutions forgrowingenvironmentalpollutionanddepletingcrude oilsources.Asawisehasmansaid,“change is the only permanent thing in this world”, automakershaveno choicethanembracingthesechangesdespiteoftheir higherinitialcost.However,theadvantagesitoffersare countlessandunquestionable.

4.UnorthodoxDesigns

Untilnowpeoplehaveusedautomobilesfor connectivity,comfortandthemeansofcarryinggoods. Timehascometorethinkoverourexpectationsfrom themsinceweareemployingvehicledesignswhich servepurposescommonly Anexamplewhereavehicle

widelyusedforintra-cityconnectivityisalsoequipped withlargertrunkspaceswhichcouldhavebeenavoided helpinginreductionofoverallweightandsize. Dedicatedcategoryofvehiclesfordedicatedpurposes employinguniqueshapesseemsadistantdreamfornow butcertainlynotimpossible.

5.Spreadtheword!

Customerstendtohaveaprobleminpayingextracash unlesstheyknowthelong-termbenefitsandpayback timeoftheseaccessories.AstudyshowsthataEUROVI normcarwhichcostsabout$1000morethanitsEURO Vcounterpartsretrievestheinvestmentwithin2-3years forenhancedfuelefficiency

ProtectingourmotherEarthfromharmfuleffectsof pollutionisaresponsibilityofeverysingleindividualto assureahealthierandgreenerenvironmenttoourfuture generations.Despiteofinitialinvestmentswhichthese amendmentsdemand,theyareessentialforthevery existenceofthisplanet.Anintensivemarketingstrategy aboutmakingpeopleawareofthebenefitsreceivedat thecorecaninstilanappreciationof value over cost. Thiscanmakethejobeasierformanufacturers.

6.CreditSystem:Atoolforrectification

Creditsystemisadepositorysystemwhereifan automakerexceedsstandardsinearlyyears,itcanbank creditstouseinfutureyearswithstringerstandards.An interestingstatisticsrevealedthatlastyear,many automobilegiantslikeMercedesBenz,Hondacouldnot mitigatetheemissionstotheleveldraftedbyregulatory agencies.However,thankstotheirpreviousyears'credit points,theycouldmanagetosurpassthebenchmark.

Someexpertsevencallthiscreditscoremechanisma dauntingloopholewhichiscompromisingtheserious effortsofenvironmentalprotection.However,while tighteningthegriponvehiclepollutants,stricter emissionstandardslikeEUROVI,CARBandBSVIhad toprovideabreathingspacefororganisations. Entrepreneurscanexploitthissituationtosomeextentin casetheyfallmarginallyshortofmeetingthenorms.

7.Lowerprofitswithhighernumberofcustomers

Aprimehurdlewhileemployingthesetechnical modificationsisthattheircostisundoubtedlyreflectedin increasedvehicleprices.Thiscandiscouragepeople frompurchasingnewautomobilesresultingoverall slowdownoftheindustry.Afterall,peoplepayvehicle producersforhorsepowerandnotforenvironmental protection.

Thatbeingsaid,weshouldalsofacetherealitycheck wherebearingthewholecostisn'tpossibleforany organisation.So,passingitontothecustomersisthe onlywaymanufacturershave.Butachunkofthosecosts canbeswallowedbyloweringtheprofitmargins.This strategycanmakebusinessessurvivewithoutlosingtheir customers.

Undoubtedly,emissionregulationsaretheneedofthe hourwithmillionsofvehiclesrollingoutinthemarket worseningthepollutionissueglobally.Conformingto themisofprimeimportancewhenconsideringthenoble virtuesoftheeffortsmakingthisplanetabetterplaceto live.Butsucceedingandsurvivinginthistransiently modifyingworldofconnectivity,automobileindustry hastoadoptsomechangesandstrategies.Anindustry withahistoryofmarvellousinventionsandapotentialto shapethefuturewillsurelybeonthedrivingseatwhile experiencingthissustainableawakening.

LiDARsystemsaretechnically idealforenvironment detection-especiallyfor autonomouscars.Theproblemisthat laser-basedsensortechnologyisnot yetrobustenoughand,aboveall,too expensiveforuseinmillionsof vehicles.Munich-basedLiDAR start-upBlickfeldisworkingonthe nextgenerationofLiDAR.

Itisstillunclearexactlywhen autonomouscarswillbringus comfortablytoourdestinations.While manufacturerssuchasTeslaandVolvo predictedsuchvehiclesfor2017inthe past,theconsultingfirmPwCassumes thatLevel5drivingwillnotbepartof everydaylifeuntil2030.Whatisclear, however,iswhichsensortechnology willbeneededforthefurther automationoftrafficinthecoming decade:“LiDARisthesweetspotfor sensors,”writestheSwissbanking groupUBSinitsrecentreporton autonomousdriving.Thereason:only LiDARtechnologywillensurereliable safetyforautonomouscars-andthus pavethewayfortheirbreakthroughfor themassmarket.

.

Keytechnologyfortheautonomous car

Laser-basedsensortechnology functionssimilarlytoaradar:Instead ofradiowaves,however,aLiDAR emitslaserpulses.Ifthesepulseshit objects,theyarereflected.Asensorin theLiDARmeasurestheamountof timeittakesforeachpulsetobounce back.Thedistancebetweentheobjects canthenbecalculatedfromthepulse propagationtime.Thankstotheirgood

spatialresolution,LiDARsensorscan detectcars,cyclistsandpedestriansas wellastrafficlights,fencesand buildingspreciselyandreliably-better andeasierthanothersensors:stereo camerascanalsobeusedtoobtain3D information.However,distance measurementwiththismethodis stronglydependentonambientlight. Aradar,ontheotherhand,isnothighresolutionenough:itdetectsobjects, butcannotsayexactlywhattheyare. However,LiDARsystemsstillhave theirdrawbacks:Currently,thekey technologyforautonomouscarsisstill toolarge,pronetofailure,too expensive,andnotproductionscalable. GermanLiDARstart-upBlickfeldsays theproblemthattheautomotive industryfacestodayisnotbuyinga handfulofhigh-performanceLiDAR. Theproblemisgettinghundred thousandormillionsofthematacost wheretheycanbebuiltintoevery consumergradecarwhichcan eventuallyprovidethehighest performanceandsafety.Asofnow, thereisnoLiDARavailableforthis mass-marketneed.

Mathias Müller, Florian Petit, Rolf Wojtech

Thecurrentlymostpowerful

LiDARcoststensofthousands ofeuros,issolargethatitcan onlyfitontheroofofthecarandis stillnotautomotive-grade.Priceslike thatareoutofthequestionforseries applications.Inaddition,thecurrent LiDARgenerationhasafurther disadvantage:itworkswith complicatedrotatingmechanicsto directthebeamsfromseverallasers overthescenery.Thesecomponents aresensitiveandnotideallysuitedfor thetypicalstressesinacar.Blickfeld takesadifferentapproach.They believesolid-state-LiDARsensorsare thesolution.Theydonotrequire mechanicallysensitivecomponents likebearingsandarethereforemuch morerobustandthereforemore durable.Akeycomponentare so-calledMEMSmirrors.Thesesilicon partsareresponsibleforlaserbeam deflection,replacingallrotatingparts. Theycanbemanufacturedasprecisely andashighlyscalableascomputer chips.Incombinationwithlow-cost standardcomponents,powerfulLiDAR sensorswillthusbecomeaffordablefor themassmarketforthefirsttime.

Highlyscalable,ultra-compactand flexibleinapplication

Blickfeld'ssilicontechnologyisalso ultra-compactandcanbeconfigured flexibly,forexampleasafront-facing systemwithanarrowopeningangle andalongrangeofupto200meters formotorwaydriving-orasa mid-rangesensorwitha120-degree scanningangle.Inaddition,thenew generationofLiDARsensorscanalso improvedriverassistancesystemssuch asblindspotdetection.Distributed overthecornersofavehicle,theycan completelymonitortheareaaroundthe car.Previously,onlyextremely expensiveandbulkyLiDARsensors oncarroofsofferedsucha360-degree

all-roundview

.

SoonsuchLiDARsensorscouldroll offtheassemblylineintheirhundreds ofthousandsandmore.Untilnow,one couldonlydreamofthesequantities.

ForthisnewLiDARtechnology,there arealsomanyapplicationsoutside vehicles.Forexample,intelligent trafficlightsthatwarnpedestrians, cyclistsandcarsofeachotherat dangerousjunctions.Ormobilerobots andautonomousdronesthatcanfind theirwaysafely.EvenLiDAR monitoringandmeasurement technologyispossible.

The3Dpointclouds,thattheLiDAR producesarerichininformation,butto useitinsuchaturnkeysolution requiresanintermediatestepwhich condensesinformation.Blickfeldis thereforealsodevelopingasoftware

stackthatprovidesabstracted informationandenableshigh-level environmentperceptionbasedondata collectedbyoneormoreLiDAR sensors.Itisdesignedforapplication inavarietyofscenarios,suchasobject trackingandrecognition,orrealtime localizationandmapping.

VisionaryLeaders

ForBlickfeld,thekeyforsuccessis technicalexpertise,experienceand varietyinateam.EachLiDARisa complexsystemandrequiresdeep knowledgeofamultitudeoftechnical disciplines.Thefoundingteamof Blickfeldconsistsofanopto-electrical engineer,acomputerscientist,a roboticist,andapatentattorney-two ofwhichhadalreadyfoundeda successfulstart-uptogether They thereforeknowhowtobuilda company,valuableknowledgewhich theyareapplyingtoBlickfeldnow Thatalonebringsverydifferentskills tothetable.Theyarejoinedbya managementteamofexperienced professionalswithrenownedexpertise inthefieldsofelectronics,optics, MEMS,software,andbusiness.

AboutBlickfeld

Blickfeldisaproviderofcutting-edge LiDARtechnologyforautonomous mobilityandIoTapplications.The companyhasdevelopedproprietary LiDARtechnologybasedonpatented siliconMEMSmirrorsandcommercial off-the-shelfcomponents.Blickfeld aimstobringhigh-performance LiDARstothemassmarket.Founded in2017andbasedinMunich, Germany,thefast-growingcompany has50employeestoday

Gonearethedayswhen theapplicationofERP softwarewaslimitedto automatingthebackofficefunctionsof anenterprise.ERPtodayhasbecomea comprehensivetoolforbusinessesand managestoimpactalmosteveryfunctionofan enterprisewitheffectiveresults.Logisticsinspecific hasseenexceptionalproductivity Allofthisisan outcomeofyearsofdevelopmentandinnovationsput togetherbytheERPsolutionsproviders.Theseproviders havedisruptedvariousindustriesforgoodandenabledthemto deliverbestinclassproductsandservices.BlueSageSoftwareis oneoftheleadingERPsolutionsprovidersandhasdonethesame.

Foundedin2013andheadquarteredinSanDiego,CA,BlueSage SoftwareprovidespremierERPsoftwarefortheautomotive,truck, andheavydutyaftermarketpartsdistributionmarket.Thesoftware isdesignedtoprovidecustomerswithaneasytouseinterface andgiveownersandmanagersaccesstothedetailstheyneed tooperatetheirbusinessesefficiently.

BlueSagealsoparticipatesinthemajortradeevents wherecustomers,vendors,andusersallhave valuableinsightsintothemarket.Thisenablesthe companytoworkwithinthesegroupstodevelopnew andbetterproductstomeettheever-changingneedsof industryconcerns.

SolutionsasperNeeds

BlueSagedeliverssolutionsthatarecustomizedandaretailormade fortheneedsofeachcustomer,beitasmallretaileroraverylarge enterprise.Itofferssolutionsthatcanre-orderpartsaspertherequirements ofspecificrulesdeterminedbythecustomersandprovidesmanylevelsof pricingthatcanbecustomizedbythecustomersthemselvesandadaptedforeach endusertheyservice.

ASeekerofExcellenceandInnovation

RogerMoyersisthePresidentofBlueSageSoftware.Hehasover35yearsofexperience buildingandguidinghigh-techbusinessgrowthdrivenbyhisdesireforexcellencein technology,developingpeople,andbuildingsuccessfulteams.

PriortoBlueSageSoftware,Mr.Moyers’careerhighlightsincludefoundinghisfirst companyin1989andsellingittoIntelCorporationandthenstartinghissecondcompanyin 2000andraising$40Minventurecapitalfunding.BlueSageSoftwareishisfifthcompany HeisaformerTechnologyandBusinessAdvisorattheWilliamJ.vonLiebigCenterfor EntrepreneurismandTechnologyAdvancementattheUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego.

RogerisalsoaformerEntrepreneurinResidence(EIR) withSpringboard/CONNECT,anon-profitcorporationthat assistscompaniesinallphasesoftheirbusiness.

BlueSageSoftwaremanagementisextremelycustomer focused.TheLeaders,alongwithitsteaminteractwith customersonadailybasisandencouragetheemployeesto dosoaswelltomakesuretheyfullyunderstandcustomer needsandrequirementstocontinuouslyimprovethe productsandservices.

LeveragingExperience

ThecoreofthesoftwarethatBlueSageprovideshasbeen developedoverthecourseofmorethan35years.Thislevel ofinsightisunparalleledintheindustry,andthevastrulesbasedcapabilitiesthathavebeencreatedoverthatlong periodoftimecontinuetoshowvalueeventonewentrants inthecompany’smarkets.BlueSagehascustomersthat havereliedonitsproductstomanagetheirbusinessesfor decadesanditoffersthesamelevelofservicetobrandnew patrons.

CustomerSpecificSoftware

BlueSagehasbeenoperatingitssoftwareforamanyyears anditsteamhasdevelopedadeepunderstandingofthe uniqueneedsofeachofitscustomers.Thecompanyfully understandsthatnotwocustomersareexactlyalikesoit hasmadeasignificantefforttodevelopthetoolsnecessary toallowitscustomerstoadaptthesoftwaretofulfilltheir specificneeds.

ExploringnewTerritories

Growingitsbusinessintonewmarketsandsegmentsisa priorityforBlueSageSoftware.Itwillcontinuetodevelop featurestomeettheneedsofnewgeographicalmarketsas wellasnewverticalmarketsthatcanbenefitfromits extensiveexperienceinbusinessprocessmanagement software.

BlueSagewillalsobeannouncingthelaunchofPaceSetter BusinessIntelligenceatAAPEX2018inLasVegas,NV October30–November1.PaceSetterBIprovideseasy-tousedashboardsforvisuallyreportingthedatafrom Pacesetter,webPace,orPacesetterPlusERPsoftware package.Thecharts&reportsprovidedbythissolutionwill showeverythingfromstockflowtosalesperformancein real-time.Itwillalsoallowmobilefriendlyaccesstoall featureson-the-gothroughsmartphones,tablets,andof course,laptopsanddesktops.PacesetterBIistheideal analysistoolforbusinessowners,seniormanagement,sales peopleandfinancialstaff.

EmblemofExcellence

“

The number one reason we changed to Pacesetter was the ease of exporting the financial data and importing that data into our accounting system due to the fact that just about all financial institutions, accountants, etc., required all our financial data be integrated into third party software such as Quickbooks, Peachtree, etc.”–ToddHernandez, ComputerAdministrator,ChildersburgTruckService, Childersburg,AL

“

Business owners need tools to help them make money and those tools are usually either a blessing or a burden to use. Pacesetter is a Blessing.”–LarryHall,Owner,Battery Specialists,Inc.,Greenville,SC

“

If you are already using PaceSetter software I don’t think you need to go anywhere for an upgraded system and better customer service. Blue Sage Software isn’t just a new name, it’s a whole new company that’s here to help your business grow”–RogerMay,Founder,MightyDistributionof Minneapolis,MN

Greennumberplatesforelectric vehicles.ZeroEmissionsZone trials.Grantsforanyemployer installingEVchargepoints. Ideasand initiativesforboostingtheadoptionof electricvehicles(EVs)have acceleratedrecently,inaneffortto makeelectricvehiclesthenormrather thantheexceptiononUKroads.

InSeptember,TheresaMayannounced furthersupportfortheindustryatthe veryfirstZeroEmissionVehicle Summit,outliningaplantoensure Britain“leadsfromthefront”inthe widespreadadoptionofelectric vehicles,committing£106minfunding forresearchanddevelopmentintoEV technology.Shealsoelaboratedonthe 2040targettomakeallmanufactured carsemission-free,sayingthatthis shouldbereflectedinallcarsonthe roadjusttenyearslater.

Governmentbacking

Thisgovernment’scommitmentto electricvehiclesisbeingmatchedby anincreaseininterestfromdrivers,as theperceivedhurdles-includingthe initialcostofswitchingtoanelectric car,andthemilerangecomparedto traditionalpetrolanddieselcars-are beingcleared.LastmonthEVs accountedforoneinevery12newcars purchasedintheUK. That’sbeenattributedtoanumberof factors,includingtheavailabilityofa rangeofcarsthatdoatleast150miles onasinglecharge,EVdriversare

reducingtheirfuelspendby90%,and withanincreaseinthenumberand visibilityofchargepointsanda decreaseinthecostoftheelectric vehiclesthemselves.

There’salsobeenbetterproofofthe environmentalimpactofEVs,suchas arecentEuropeanClimateFoundationcommissionedreportwhichfoundthat EVsemithalftheCO2emissionsofa petrolordieselcarthroughthecourse oftheirlifetime,andtheoveralleffect hasnowbeenshowntobepositive.

AnewbreedofEV Onecompanyisonamissiontohelp drivetheadoptionofelectricvehicles. OctopusElectricVehiclesispioneering an‘EVbundle’whichwillgivedrivers everythingtheyneedtomakethe switch,foronemonthlyprice.The innovationhascomefromenergy supplierOctopusEnergy,whichis drivenbyamission‘tomakebuying energyaseasyasbuyingcornflakes’. Similarly,theteamatOctopusEV wantstohelptomaketheswitchtoEV aseasyaspossible,forasmanypeople aspossible.

CEOofOctopusElectricVehicles, FionaHowarthsays:“Forus,theEV journeybeginslongbeforewestart talkingaboutleasingoptionsand chargepointinstallation.There’sabig educationjobtodo-manypeoplestill believethatthey’llneedtostopevery fewmilestorechargeandthatthe rangeofmodelsislimited.OurDrive Dayroadshowhasprovedenormously popular,touring thecountryand lettingpeoplecomeandseethecars forthemselves,aswellasquestionEV expertsaboutexactlyhowitallworks”

Theseeventshavenotonly demonstratedthemassiveleapforward thattheindustryhastakeninthepast fewyears,butalsoprovidedpeople withachancetotestdrivethelatest models.FromthesportyBMWi3to thefamilyfriendlyNissanLEAF,the carshavebeencarefullyselectedasthe bestEVsonthemarket,witheach

offeringatleast150milesofdriving percharge.

ContinuesHowarth:“We’vefoundthat peopleareoftensurprisedatwhatan electriccarcando.Ithinkthere’sa generalmisconceptionthatthe technologyandthepricinghasstayed largelythesamesinceEVscameto marketafewyearsago,whereasinfact today’selectriccarisalmost unrecognisablefromitsolder incarnation,andahellofalotcheaper. Batterycostscamedown80%insix years–unlockingabetterrangeof

electricvehiclesatafractionofthe cost.”

All-in-oneEVsolution

Aftereducation,thechallengehasbeen howtobesthelpcustomerswiththe changesneededtogoelectric.Here, OctopusElectricVehiclesispioneering adoptionwiththeir‘EVbundle’. “We’reofferingtheelectricvehicle equivalentofSweden’sfamousbaby box,givingthedrivereverything they needtomaketheswitch”saysHowarth “andunlikebabies,ourvehiclescome withinstructions!”

About Powerloop

How Vehicle-to-Grid is changing the game

Electric vehicles have been criticised for placing more demand on an already overloaded grid. But a consortium of industry experts is hoping that electric vehicles could be the solution to the grid’s capacity issues, rather than a problem. Led by Octopus EV and Octopus Energy, the consortium has won over £3m of funding from Innovate UK (backed by government departments DfT and BEIS) to test the viability of vehicle-to-grid charging on UK roads.

The Powerloop project offers EV drivers the chance to help balance demand by supplying the grid with power from their car batteries during the peak hours of 4-7pm, before recharging in the early hours of the morning while demand is lowest. In return for plugging in their cars 12 times a month to supply charge during the evening, Powerloop drivers will get money off their monthly leasing cost.

Aswellasthemonthlyleaseofanelectricvehicle,OctopusEVorganisesthe installationofahomechargepointandsmartmeter Themonthlyleasecostcan alsoincludeinsurance,serviceandmaintenance,aswellashelpandsupportfor thedurationofthecontract.

There’sevenabespokeelectricitytariff,designedspecificallywithEVdrivers inmind.DubbedOctopusGo,itoffersrenewableelectricityatjust5p/kWh betweenthehoursof12.30amand4.30am,allowingpeopletochargetheircars forjustafractionofthedaytimecostfor70%lessthanastandardvariabletariff fromaBig6supplier

OctopusEVhasalsopartneredwithmyenergi,tooffertheinnovativeZappi chargepoint,whichautomateschargingtotakeadvantageoftheseprices.

Octopuscanarrangetheinstallationof theZappiviatrustedinstallersthatcan helpunlockthe£500homecharge pointgrantfromthegovernment.

Thisworld-firsttariffispossiblethanks toOctopusEV’srelationshipwith OctopusEnergy Thesupplieris alreadytakingadvantageofthe potentialofsmartmeterswiththe AgileOctopustariff,whichlets customersseethefluctuationsin wholesaleenergypricesandadjust theirusageaccordingly.It’sjustthe beginningofhowthecompanyintends tousesmartmetertechnology,which allowsthemtomeasureandrecord electricityusageinreal-timeandoffer cheaperelectricitywhendemandon thegridislow.

FionaHowarthbelievesthiswillbea landmarkyearforelectricvehicle adoptionintheUK.“Teslahas revolutionisedthemarketandnowall othervehiclemanufacturersarerapidly bringingtheirEVstothemarket.Think oftheswitchfromanaloguephonesto smartphones-we’reinasimilar transitoryphase.IftheGovernment candeliverontheirEVplans,andwe thinktheycan,thecarparkof tomorrowisgoingtolookvery differenttothegas-guzzlinglot oftoday.”

AdvancedEngineeringServicesprovidesonestop solutionstocustomerswiththehelpofinnovative strategiesacrossmulti-disciplinedindustries. DesignSystems,Inc.isonesuchlargemulti-disciplined engineeringcompanywithastaffofover300peopleto supportuniqueneedsoftheclients.DSIprovides engineering,consulting,andprogrammanagement solutionsacrossdiverseindustries.

ExperiencedEngineers

Asacompletelyunbiased,full-serviceengineeringand consultingresource,DSIhasnoproductlinetosell–their onlyobjectiveistodesigntheperfectsolutionfortheir clients’uniqueneeds.Whilemanyoftheirother competitorshavebeensoldorclosedovertheyears,DSIis stillledbytwooftheoriginalownersfrom1983.DSI’s teamofengineershaveover1,500yearsofexperience combined.Theseyearsofexperiencedoingthingsthe‘DSI way’givestheircustomerstheconfidencetobelievethat whenevertheybringDSIaboardtocompleteaproject,it willbewithanexperiencedteamwhichwillcompleteand delivertheworkasperthecustomer’sexpectation.

MaximumProductivity

DSI.hashelpedavarietyofindustriesoverthepast35 yearstoachievemaximumproductivitywithintheir operations.Asanationallyrecognizedleaderin manufacturing,processandwarehousedesign,DSIoffers unmatchedexpertiseandcompleteobjectivityperforming itsengineeringandconsultingservices.Thecompany supportstheirclientswithvariousprocessesfromtheir productiondemandsandthroughputincreases,tocost reductionprojects,leanengineeringpracticesandby identifyingqualityissues.Bringingahigh-leveloftechnical knowledge,tools,andexpertisetotheirindustrialclient base,DSIisanunbiasedpartnerwiththeirclients throughouttheprocess.Atalltimes,DSIrepresentstheir clients’bestinterestwithanopenlineofcommunication.

AdvancedEngineeringServices

WithDSI’sbreadthofserviceofferings,clientshaveaccess toafullcomplementofengineeringdisciplinesreadyto assistanyunforeseenevent.Theyhavebeenableto benchmarkbest-in-classpracticesacrossdiverseindustries. Theyareabletoprovideafull3Dlookintoplantsand providea‘street-view’soallteammemberscanseeexactly whataproblemisandwhatthesolutionwillbe.Bybeing abletobringthesefloorlevelviewsintomeetingrooms,the companyhelpsthecustomersavetimeandmoneyontravel costsandprovidesanoutstandingcommunicationtoolfor allstakeholders.

AnotherwayDSIishelpingtheircustomersisbyutilizing theirdronetechnologytoassistinpreventivemaintenance programs/healthassessmentstogetabetterviewinside warehousesordifferentfacilities.Bybeingabletoprovide theseadvancedengineeringservices,itcutsdownonthe amountofpeoplethatneedtobeonsiteandisamuchsafer alternativethansendingpeopletoperformthoseservices. Thecompanyalsoofferscomplete“Conceptto Commission”servicesfortheautomotive,foodand beverage,pharmaceutical,packagehandling,healthcare, steelmanufacturing,andmanyotherindustries.

ContinuousGrowth

DSI’sjourneyhasbeenanincrediblerideoverthecourseof thelast35years.Advancingfromasmallstartupengineeringhousetoa300personfull-service,multinationalengineeringandconsultingfirmhaschallenged themandmadethembetter.Growingfromhanddrawings ondraftingboardsto2Dand3DCADtotoday’sIndustry 4.0,DSIcontinuouslyreviewssuccessandchallengeson projectstokeeplearningandimproving.

StudentsintheWorkplace

Byteaching,trainingandsharingsinceitsinception,DSI hasregularlyinvolvedalllevelsofyoungstudentsand aspiringengineersintotheirworkplace.Onesuch

partnershipiswithKetteringUniversityandtheir engineeringdepartment.DSIrecruitsstudentstospendtheir three-month‘work-term’workingforthemandgetting activelyinvolvedintheirprojects.NotonlydoDSI’s engineershelpstudentsintheirlearning,butnew,fresh ideasandperspectivesthatstudentsbringhelpDSI engineersaswell.Inaddition,DSIisamembertodozens ofIndustrialandTechnologicalmembershipgroups,

allowingthemtoconnectwithindustrypeerstoservetheir clientsbetter

ClientFocusedManagement

DSI’smanagementhasalwaysbeendeliveringexactlywhat thecustomersneedtodayalongwithhavinganeyetowards helpingthemtomorrow Theyhaveinfluencedtheindustry bypresentingemployeesofDSIwithnewideas,concepts andsolutionstohelpreducecosts,reducedowntimeand increaseoptimization.Theyhavealsoinfluencedthe employeesatDSItotakeownershipoftheirideasandgrow them.Thecompanyallowsteammemberstoexplorenew ideasandserviceofferingsthatinterestthemandhelps furtherthesolutionsDSIprovidetotheircustomers.

SmarterProcesses

DSIseesitselfcontinuingtobeingagreatpartnertotheir currentcustomersaswellascontinuingtoexplorenew industriesandtechniques.DSIcontinuestoattracttoptalent whiletheyencouragetheiremployeestoseekcontinuing educationcoursestohelpstrengthenDSI’sfoothold amongsttheircompetitors.OneofDSI’sfuturegoalsisto workwiththeirmanyprojectpartnersandcomeupwith innovativeideasonhowtomakeprocessessmarterand moreefficientwithnewandimprovingtechnology.Inbeing abletoimplementthesenewtechnologies,ithelpsDSI standoutasaninnovatorwhilealsohelpingtheircustomers increasetheirutilizationandproduction.

GlowingReviews

“The knowledge and resources at DSI are outstanding. They have a great knowledge of supply chain processes and will work to help you understand those opportunities that you could be missing.”

“As expected from your teams’members and DSI, the results exceed expectations! The enormous reduction of project hours & timeline and accuracy improvement for the entire shop cannot be overstated, both for immediate and future projects. GREAT WORK!”

Joel Schnelbach Vice President of Operations

Cam Co-founder & CEO Ai Build

BEYOND AUTOMATION:

AI poweredAutonomous Factories of the Future

Riseoftheindustrialrobotsin1980sledtoa majorevolutionofHenryFord’sassemblyline concept.Routinetasksthatwerebeinghandled byfactoryworkersstartedtobeperformedbyrobotswith greateraccuracyandefficiency.Withthespreadof device-to-devicecommunicationandIoTprotocols, robotsstartedtakingaseriousamountofresponsibility fromfactoryworkers.Thismovementwasinitiallyledby th Germanhightechfirmsthatbrandedthisshiftasthe4 industrialrevolution.Ontheoppositeside,therewas China,takingadvantageoftheiraccesstolowcost humanlabourasanalternativetoautomation.Very recently,afewyearsago,Chinaflippedtheirstrategy180 degrees,becomingthebiggestadvocateofautomationby startingtoinvestaggressivelyonbuyingrobotsand developingtheirownroboticsknow-howledby governmentinitiatives.Sothetechnologywon.Thereis noquestionabouttheneedforautomationanymoreand majormanufacturingcompanies,includingtheonesin China,Germanyandrestoftheworldareracingto automatetheirindustrialprocessestoincrease productivity

Everythingthatcanbeautomatedwillbe automated,accordingtoZuboff’slaw However,somethingsaremoredifficult tobeautomatedthanotherthings. Thosearenon-repetitivetaskswhich requirehigherlevelofcognitionand abilitytoadaptintounknown conditions.Thesetaskscanbe definedasthelastmileinfactory automation.Tesla,theelectriccar manufacturer,wasrecently criticizedbyanalystsfor automatingtheirassemblyline morethannecessary.The reasonofthecriticismwasthe factthatthecostof automationexceededthecost ofahumanledassembly

Daghan

line.Thismaybeavalidargumentfor todaybutthesolutionshouldbefound inincreasingthebarforcommercially viableautomationandnotbygoing backtolowerlevelsofautomation.

Soifwearemovingtowardsfull automationandlights-out manufacturing,howcanthelastmile infactoriesbeautomatedwithout overspendingandoverengineering? Autonomyseemstobetheanswer, thereforeArtificialIntelligence…

Thereisaslightbutimportant differencebetweenAutomationand Autonomy.Autonomyisthestateof beingabletomakeindependent decisionsinsituationsthatwerenot experiencedbefore.Bydefinition, autonomoussystemsarealways automated,buttheotherwayaroundis notalwaysthecase.Asystemmaybe fullyautomatedbutnotautonomous. “BlindAutomation”isthetermweuse forthiscategory

Systemsthatareblindlyautomatedare basedonhardcodedrules,asinexpert systems,andtheytendtobevery difficulttobereconfiguredifthe conditionsorrequirementschangeover time.Autonomoussystems,incontrast, generalizetherulesfordecision makingindifferentscenariosby allowingahigherlevelofabstraction intheirprogramming.

Forexample,intheblindautomation scenario,arobotmaybeprogrammed togotocoordinatesx,y,zinorderto pickupanobject.Thiswillwork withoutproblemsaslongastheobject isfoundpreciselyatcoordinatesx,y,z. However,ifforanyreasontheobjectis positionedataslightlydifferent location,therobotwillstillgotox,y, z,failtopicktheobjectupand continueexecutingtherestofits commandswithoutnoticingthis problem.Eventuallyeverystep subsequenttothisfailurewillalsofail.

Abetterstrategyforperformingthe sametask,isusingarobotwithvision

sensors,andprogrammingittogoto theobject’sposition(asavariable)to pickitup.Regardlessofwherethe objectispositioned,robotwilllocalize itusingitssensorsandsuccessfully pickitup.Thisdifferencebetweenthe twoprogrammingparadigms;“gotox, y,z”and“gotoanobject’sposition” makesabigdifferenceinmakingthe systemlesspronetomakingmistakes inunexpectedconditionswhichis crucialforlastmilefactory automation.

About theAuthor

Daghan Cam is the Co-founder and CEO of Ai Build, a London based startup developing Artificial Intelligence and Robotics technologies for the construction industry. He is also a visiting lecturer at University College London doing research on robotic fabrication, large scale 3d printing and parallel algorithms with GPU computing. His work focuses on developing intelligence for automating complex tasks in design and manufacturing by using computer vision and machine learning techniques.

Inthisscenariowhererobotsmake autonomousdecisionsbyusingrealtimesensordata,afeedbackloopis establishedbetweenphysicaland digitalenvironments.Theconstant flowofinformationfromphysicalto digitalandviceversacreateimmense amountsofstructureddatawhichisthe fuelforAIpoweredautonomous factoriesofthefuture.Suchactionmeasurement-actionstrategiesallow thesystemstoself-improveovertime, creatingadatanetworkeffectin manufacturing.Themoreoneprocess isexecuted,themoreefficientitwill get.Thisallowssuper-human performanceinalmosteverydomain givenenoughdata.

Robotsmakinghundredsofdecisions everysecondandreceivinghundreds ofmeasurementsfromtheenvironment andfromotherdevicesalsorequire massivecomputationandstorage capabilities.Despitethepopularityof cloudcomputinginmostapplications today,adecentralizedcomputepower isnecessaryformostrobotic applicationsandforIoTdevicesin general.Thethroughputbetweenthe edgeandthecloudthroughinternet connectivityissimplynotenoughto processalldatageneratedbysensors andmakesensibledecisionsinrealtime.Soedgecomputing,orfog computing-dedicatedserverson premiseasalayerbetweenindividual devicesandthecloud-willlikelybe thenorminautonomousfactoriesof thefutureunlessweexperiencea breakthroughinsciencethatleadsto infinitelyfastandreliableinternet connectivity.Howeverunlikecompute power,storageofimportantdata,that isfilteredontheedge,shouldbe centralizedinordertoachievethebest decisionmakingmodelsatevery location.

Asasummary,afewconclusionsand predictionsaboutthefutureare:

Ÿ

Wearemovingtowardsan autonomousblack-boxfactory modelwherethefactoryrobotsare operatedbythemselveswithout humanintervention.

Ÿ

Thesefactorieswillbepoweredby thedatathatisgeneratedby themselvesandtheirproductivity willincreaseovertimeexceeding humanperformanceinevery processinvolvedinmanufacturing.

Ÿ

Factorieswillcomputeon-premise/ on-edgeandtheywillpush importantdatatocloudfor benefitingfromasharedpoolof datawithotherfactories.

www.ai-build.com

ItwasDaVinci’sbeliefthatnature isthegreatestsourceof inspirationforinnovation.Ever sincethen,mankind’sgreatest inventionshavereflectedthesame belief.Keepingfaithonthesame, Toposenscameupwiththeideaof ultrasonicecholocationenabledsensor technology.

Foundedin2015,Toposenshas successfullydevelopedasensorsystem thatcandetectobjectsandpeople purelywiththehelpofultrasonic echolocation.Byintegratingthe3D ultrasoundsensorintoavehicle,the startupfromGermanyaimstogivebat visiontoautonomouslymovingcars androbots.Thesensorrealizesnear fieldvisionforvariousapplications, suchasautonomousparking,ADAS, collisionavoidanceorin-car monitoring.

EnhancingtheTechnology

Theinnovativesensortechnology developedbyToposens,blendsin perfectlywithexistingsensorstacks, coveringedgecases,whichotherwise wouldbedifficulttocover Thesensor combinestheuniquecharacteristicsof ultrasound,thereforebeingresistantto externalinfluences,suchaslighting

conditions,reflectionsorevendirtand rain.Thesensormoduleitselfissmall, simpleandinexpensive.

Multiplefunctionscanbeenabledwith thesamesensorsystem,makingit attractiveforToposens’customersto workwith.Thiscombinationof characteristicsprovidesan unprecedentedwayofperceivingthe environment–anotherpieceofthe puzzletowardsautonomousdriving.

ATrioofVisionaries

AlexanderRudoy,Rinaldo PersichiniandTobiasBahnemann aretheCo-FoundersofToposens. WhileAlexanderandTobiassharethe positionofManagingDirectors, Rinaldohasbeenappointedasthe HeadofDevelopmentinthecompany.

Thetriostartedupwithnothingbutan ideaandthebasicalgorithmfora completelynovelsensortechnology Havingnoindustryconnectionsand financialsupport,ittookawhilefor themtogetafootinthedoorinthe automotiveindustry.Accordingtothe Co-founders,Toposenshadadversities initswaythroughtheinitialyearsof itsexistence.Thisperseverance however,paidoffintheend,asitcould

finallyconvinceautomotivecompanies ofitstechnology’sadvantages.

Settingupasustainablecompanyin thisindustrywiththegivenbarriers wasabigaccomplishmentandithas beenachievedbyhardworkanda strongbeliefinthetechnology The threefounderstookeveryopportunity tolearnmoreabouttheindustry,getto knowitspeculiaritiesandits participants,incorporatingthe feedbackintheproductdevelopment alongtheway.Today,theyareexperts inthefieldofautomotivesensor technology

AutomotiveAdversities

Gainingcredibilityasastartupinthe automotiveindustryishardworkand suchwasthecasewithToposens.The companybelievesthateventhougha lotofpeopleseemtobeinterestedin thetechnologyataveryearlystage, notalotofenterprisestakethe initiativetotakethefirststepforward. Despitetheextremepressurefor innovationintheautomotiveindustry, alotofcompaniesinthissectorare stillrelativelyconservativeandhavea hardtimetrustingstartupsinthe market.

Bahnemann Co-founder&MD

Co-founder&MD

Longdevelopmentandsalescyclesintheindustrymakeit evenharderforindependentstartupstosurviveinthis market.Ittakesarelationshipofmutualtrustforthe corporateandthestartuptoworktogetherateyelevel. However,ifthecooperationissuccessfulintheend–the strugglepaysoffforbothsides.Thecorporateboostsits innovationpowerandthestartupwinsaloyalcustomer.

RaisingIndustryStandards Toposenshascontributedtothewholeecosystemofboth theautonomousdrivingandthesensorindustriesby developingitspioneersensortechnology.Usingultrasound asitsunderlyingtechnology,thesensorisperfectlysuited tocomplementexistingsensortechnologiesandenablenew applications,whichhavelackedareasonablesensing technologyuptilltoday.

certainsensortechnologies,areeasytoidentifyfor ultrasoundandviceversa.

ConsistentInnovationisKey Sensorstechnologyisverysignificantforautomation industries,especiallyvehicles,robotsandelectronic devices.Therefore,itsimportancewillincrease dramaticallyinthefuture,asinteractionbetweenhumans andtechnologyincreases.Duetothisimportanceofsensor technologies,competitionhasgrownfiercely.Eventhough Toposensoffersauniquetechnology,itispossiblethat currentcomplexitiescanalsoberesolvedbydifferent technologiesbeforeultrasound.

Tostandoutfromcompetition,Toposensthereforehasto constantlyworkonitstechnology,evolveintonewmarkets and,finally,broadenitsproductrangefromultrasoundto neighboringtechnologies.Today,animportantdifferenceto establishedsensordevelopersisToposens’agilityand flexibilitywhichcomeswithitssmallsize.Maintainingthis agilitywillbeacrucialcompetitiveadvantageinthefuture.

Bat Vision for Autonomous Vehicles.

Currently,Toposensisworkingtogetherwithautomotive manufacturersandsuppliersonvarioususe-casesincluding collisionavoidanceandautonomousparking.Inthelong run,Toposenswantstoprovidenear-fieldvisiontoall autonomousvehiclesandrobots,makinginteraction betweenhumansandmachineseasierandmorereliable.

Accordingtothecompany,customersbenefitfroma broaderrangeofoptions,butalsofromtheredundancy, whichsubsequentlyincreasesreliabilityofthewholesensor stack.Edgecases,whichmightbedifficulttodetectfor

Tobias

AlexanderRudoy

RinaldoPersichini Co-founder&HOD

Driving Towards a Greener and Cleaner Environment

Withtheenvironmentaldamagesfromthefossilfuelelectricscarshaveseenasteepriseinitsdemand.A growingnumberofcountries,includingNetherlands,Japan,Korea,Denmark,PortugalandSpain,have recentlysettargetsonelectricvehiclessales.AlsocountrieslikeUK,FranceandIndiaarelookingto completelyshifttowardsallelectricvehiclesbytheendof2040.

AccordingtopetroleumgiantBP,globaloildemandwillwitnessitspeakdemandin2030,whichwilleventually increasethedemandofelectricvehiclesbyquitefewfolds.

Whenitcomestoleadingthewaywithelectricandhybridengines,NorwayandChinaareoneoftheprominent facilitators.IncaseofNorwaymorethanhalfofthenewcarssoldfallintothiscategory.Chinaisalsoabiganda leadingmarketforelectricandhybridenginesandpowertrains.Backin2017,morethan600000electricvehicleswere soldinChina,whichwaswhooping71%higherthanthepreviousyear.

So,thequestionarises,howitwillimpacttheconsumersandgovernments?

Whenitcomestoindividuals,electricvehiclesreducemonthlytravellingcostsdrastically

electricvehiclescomewithlimitedrangeoffuel efficiencywhichmeansonehastoplanhis/hertrip accordingtoroutewithamplenumberchargingstations. Alsoelectricvehiclesaremuchcheapertomaintainthan aninternalfuelcombustionengine.

Theimpactofelectricvehiclesonenvironmentisquite clear.Morethanaquarterofgreenhousegasesproduced intheUnitedStatesofAmericaarearesultof transportationwhicheventuallycontributestotherising pollutionlevels.Ontheotherhand,electricvehicles comewithnogasesandsounds,leadingtoaclean environment.

However,thewideuseofelectricvehiclesalsohassome demeritsifweconsiderthegovernment’sperspective. Thankstothesevehicles,variousgovernmentswilllose billionsofdollarsofrevenuefromtaxesonfossilfuel. So,soonwemighthavetoshellouthigherdirector indirecttaxes,orthevehicletaxationsystemcouldbe changedcompletely Also,electriccarsneed30%lesser timetoproduce.So,acompleteswitchtothesegreen vehiclesmightalsoleadtoreductionofworkforceinthe automotiveindustry.Switchingtogreenvehicleswould alsomeandropinemploymentlevelsinpetrolbunks,car repairgarages,etc.

Vehiclesarenotonlygoingelectric,Norwayplansto start1.5hoursshorthaulflightsusingelectricplanes.

Recharging Enviroment

Also,theaircraftmanufacturercompanyAirbus,engine manufacturerRollsRoyceandSiemensaredevelopinga hybridmodelwhichwillprobablymakeitsmaidenflight asearlyas2020.

AccordingtoamajorSwissbank,bytheendof2025 electricvehicleswillaccountfor14%oftotalcarsales globally.Backin2017,thefigurewasjust1%.

Alsothankstotherapidlychangingmarketandgrowing innovationthistimelinecaneventuallyshiftbackwards. Asanexample,thebatteriesareconstantlygetting cheaperandmuchmoreefficient.Nowadaysonecan coveradistanceof1000kmswithasinglecharge.With theimprovementinbatterytechnologycostsareslowly cuttingdownandit’sbeingpredictedthatthetotalcost ofownershipofanelectricvehiclewillbeonparby 2025.

So,it’sallgoodforthedriversandtheowners,whowill beabletobuyandmaintainelectricvehiclesat reasonableprices.Butjobswillbelost,countriesthatare nowthrivingduetopetroleumwillfacescarcedemands. However,newjobswillbecreated,andcountrieswhich haveLithiumdepositsmayhavetheirchanceofsuccess. Aboveallwewillgetaplanetthatismuchgreener, cleanerandquitter.