🎯Autowist Report 87

Polestar's new tech hub in Bengaluru, Samsung can disrupt infotainment systems, Buying cars on Amazon, Ultra fast charging solution from GM

Author

Harikrishnan Radhakrishnan
September 30, 2024

💡There will be no Autowist Report on Thursday 4th October.

IN TODAY’S REPORT

💼BRIEFING

Top insights and analysis that is moving the needle in the automotive industry

Polestar has announced the opening of a new tech hub in Bengaluru, India, in partnership with Infosys. This hub will focus on developing software for electric vehicles (EVs), specifically in the areas of infotainment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and telematics. Infosys will provide support through its engineering labs, design studio, and "Living Labs" to help Polestar innovate across product management, customer engagement, and digital services.

  1. The shift from suppliers to development partners: This is a trend I have long pointed out. Traditional supplier models won’t work anymore. It is built on a n old paradigm of fixed cost quotations.

  2. Achieving a software-defined product line takes much more. Infosys is one of the biggest IT service providers in India and in the world. They are in a very good position to be a development partner for Polestar.

  3. Why India is the perfect place to set up shop:

    1. Language: Most Indian who have graduated in Engineering speak very English well. The language and cultural barrier that is often seen with other Asian countries is not there.

    2. Time Zone: India and Europe is not that far away in time-zone, which is an added bonus.

    3. Thriving local ecosystem: Piggybacking on the decades of service-based IT industries that India hosts is the right strategy. Not only automotive, but most other industries are in a journey of digital transformation and India is one of the best markets to be in and talent pools to absorb.

  4. This is a strategy that more companies should take note from. It will pay dividends over time.

Mercedes CEO Kallenius scours China for high-tech partners as sales slide

Kallenius is said to be searching for Chinese partnerships with local companies producing maps or in-car entertainment that will help make the automaker's battery-only CLA — the first model that will be released on the company’s new electric architecture — more desirable to consumers there.

europe.autonews.com/automakers/mercedes-ceo-ola-kallenius-seeks-china-tech-partnerships

I think Ola is looking in the wrong country 🙂 

Can Samsung disrupt infotainment systems? (Link)

Hyundai and Kia are collaborating with Samsung on a next-generation infotainment system that will link their future vehicles with Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem, allowing users to control smart home devices directly from their cars. The system, set to be unveiled in 2026, includes features like in-vehicle health monitoring through Galaxy devices and a vehicle location tracking service using Samsung’s SmartThings Find. Hyundai and Kia aim to provide personalized services and expand the SmartThings platform, enhancing the mobility experience for their customers.

  1. This just shows how management in each of these companies are not able to meet product demands with existing resources. Pooling resources is a negative sum game in the initial stages.

  2. Samsung seems to be in a backfoot when it comes to infotainment systems. Most OEMs today are going for a Qualcomm-based platform. A few also choose Nvidia.

  3. One ecosystem play that Samsung has over it’s competitors is the SmartThings Platform. If they could get vehicles on the same platform it would be a game-changer.

  4. Instead of competing with Apple via CarPlay, this would be a much deeper integration. The article also mentions a newly established app market that will be cross-device, that are in the Smart Things Platform. The vehicle now becomes a recognized SmartThing on the same platform as all other devices of the user.

  5. I really see a potential in the approach. Instead of making car’s like “smartphone on wheel”, I would rather have it as a smart device that I can also interface with similar to other devices I use.

▲ (From left) Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division; Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, CTO of DX Division at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research

How close are we in buying cars on Amazon?

Hyundai's partnership with Amazon to sell cars online, announced over a year ago, has seen little progress, and dealers are expressing frustration. Mike Stanton, CEO of the National Automobile Dealers Association, noted that dealers find the arrangement more of a digital retail tool than a functional sales platform. The complexity of automotive sales, involving banks and trades, has been challenging to integrate with Amazon's system. Inga Maurer from McKinsey also raised concerns about Amazon potentially using customer data to market other products, including aftermarket parts. Despite initial excitement, significant hurdles remain, and the deal’s future is uncertain.

Key points:

  1. Buying a car with complete cash or credit is a very small subset of purchases. Most buying are still partially through bank credit. Integrating this into Amazon is particularly a challenge since the banking system is scattered. There is no centralized system to handle auto loans.

  2. The way I see how this can play out is, if Amazon itself offers financing options on their platform. Then they can control the buying experience and eliminate middlemen from the deal.

  3. Then there are other challenges like how Amazon can deliver the vehicles. In essence, this means that Amazon would have to take over the distribution. This model seems futuristic but we cannot rule out such a model just yet.

GM x CATL: Ultra fast charging

General Motors, in partnership with SAIC and CATL, has developed the industry's first 6C ultra-fast charging lithium iron phosphate battery for the Chinese market, capable of providing 200 km of range in just five minutes. This new battery, cheaper and considered safer compared to NMC batteries, will be integrated into GM's updated Ultium platform with quasi-900V architecture. The new battery uses advanced technologies such as second-generation graphite fast ion ring and super-electronic network cathode to improve charging efficiency and stability. Vehicles featuring this battery are expected to be available next year, potentially in models like the Buick Electra-L or Electra-LT.

  1. C stands for charging rate, which is calculated by dividing the charging current (A) by the battery’s rated capacity (Ah). The higher the charging rate, the faster the battery can be charged or discharged.

  2. 6C means that the battery can theoretically be fully charged in one-sixth of an hour — 10 minutes

  3. The winning strategy is not to eliminate range anxiety in my opinion. The best way to approach the problem is make charging so fast, that range is actually not the problem.

  4. As time goes by, we will only have more and more charging stations around the world. So charging faster is actually the problem to solve for.

  5. Another point to highlight is LFP batteries are known for their superior safety and thermal stability, thanks to their robust LiFePO4 chemical composition. They are less susceptible to thermal runaway and combustion, making them ideal for applications where safety is a top priority.

⚡ROUNDUP

Key headlines shaping the auto industry this week

  • Nio to Open First Battery Swap Station in Belgium, Exec Says (Link)

  • Hyundai Isn’t Even Close To Selling Cars On Amazon (Link)

  • Volvo’s head of sustainability on why the brand tweaked its ‘EV or bust’ strategy (Link)

  • Carlos Ghosn Ordered To Give Nissan A Yacht and $32 Million (Link)

  • Faraday Future Somehow Wants To Make A $20,000 EV (Link)

  • General Motors to produce ultra-fast 6C charging EV in China (Link)

  • Hyundai And Kia Working On Next-Gen Infotainment With Samsung (Link)

  • Zeekr 7X electric SUV launched in China (Link)

  • First Audi-SAIC-made electric car to enter market in 2025 (Link)

  • Mercedes CEO Kallenius scours China for high-tech partners as sales slide (Link)

  • SAIC-GM-Wuling Unveils ASEAN Strategy and Concept Car (Link)

  • BMW recalls more cars over new issue with Continental's brakes (Link)

  • VW To Ditch Cheap Plastics For Quality Fabrics In New Design Direction (Link)

  • Stellantis CEO's Answer To EV Tariffs: Just Be More Like China (Link)

  • BYD exec predicts solid-state EV batteries will hit the market sooner than expected (Link)

  • Hackers Get Keys to Any Kia With Just A License Plate (Link)

  • Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Wishes NACS Ramp Up Was Faster (Link)

  • Mercedes Recalls S 580 and Maybach S 580 for Software Issue Causing Engine to Stall (Link)

  • BYD and Huawei collaborate on world’s first off-road smart-driving solution (Link)

🔬PATENTS

Fresh Innovations from global automotive OEMs’

Augmented Reality Interfaces for Speed Regulation through Optical Illusions

A method for an unsafe speed intervention system is described. The method includes determining whether an initial speed of a vehicle is unsafe. The method also includes displaying an augmented reality pattern on a windshield of the vehicle moving at a selected speed in response to determining the initial speed of the vehicle is unsafe. The method further includes monitoring a current speed of the vehicle after displaying the augmented reality pattern. The method also includes adjusting the selected speed of the augmented reality pattern displayed on the vehicle windshield in response to the monitoring the current speed of the vehicle.

🤖TECH DEEP DIVE

An inside look into new automotive technology

System Sleep States in the Linux Kernel

System sleep states in the Linux kernel, specifically focusing on energy-saving modes where user space code is paused, and overall system activity is significantly reduced. It details four primary sleep states:

1. Suspend-to-Idle (S2Idle)

  • ACPI State: S0

  • Label: "s2idle" or "freeze"

  • A software-based, lightweight sleep state that saves more energy than runtime idle. User space is frozen, and I/O devices are put into low-power modes. It's always supported and is particularly useful for platforms without support for Power-On Suspend or Suspend-to-RAM.

  • Resume Latency: Low

2. Standby / Power-On Suspend

  • ACPI State: S1

  • Label: "shallow" or "standby"

  • Provides moderate power savings by freezing user space and putting I/O devices into low-power states. Nonboot CPUs are also taken offline. It allows a quick resume, with a relatively low-latency transition back to a working state, as no operating state is lost.

  • Resume Latency: Medium

3. Suspend-to-RAM (S2RAM)

  • ACPI State: S3

  • Label: "deep"

  • In this state, all components, except memory, are placed in low-power modes. Memory is kept in self-refresh mode to retain its contents. It involves deeper power savings compared to Standby and hands control to the BIOS in ACPI systems for further power reduction.

  • Resume Latency: Higher than Standby, but allows for substantial power savings.

4. Suspend-to-Disk (Hibernation)

  • ACPI State: S4

  • Label: "disk"

  • Offers the greatest power savings by writing the contents of memory to disk before powering down or entering a low-power state. Upon waking, the system restores memory contents from the disk. This state doesn't require platform support, and it's managed either by the kernel or firmware.

  • Resume Latency: High, as the system must read the memory image from disk before resuming.

Each state has specific properties and implementation details controlled via the /sys/power/state and /sys/power/mem_sleep files. "mem" represents system suspend and can be associated with various modes ("s2idle", "shallow", "deep"), depending on platform capabilities. The system's default suspend state is typically "deep" (Suspend-to-RAM) or "s2idle," unless otherwise specified by the kernel configuration.

These sleep states enable the system to balance power savings and resume latency based on user needs and platform support.

🐦AUTO BUZZ

Top posts, tweets, and videos from the automotive industry

📈MARKET SNAPSHOT

This week’s key movers in the automotive stock market

📆CALENDAR

Upcoming auto industry events and and earnings calls

  1. 1 Oct: Traton Capital Markets Day 2024

  2. 3 Oct: VinFast Q3 2024

  3. 4 Oct: Fisker Q1/Q2 2024

  4. 8 Oct: GM Investor Day

  5. 16 Oct: Blackberry Investor Day

  6. 16 Oct: Bajaj Auto