Day: June 26, 2020

Amazon.com has agreed to pay over $1 billion to buy self-driving startup Zoox Inc, in a move that would expand the e-commerce giant’s reach in autonomous-vehicle technology.

The company confirmed the deal to The Information (subscription required), which first carried the report. 

A majority of Zoox investors are getting their money back, with some making a positive return, the report added. Lux Capital, DFJ and Atlassian co-founder Michael Cannon-Brooks are some of the investors.

Amazon and Zoox did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the companies were in advanced talks and the deal could value Zoox at less than the $3.2 billion it achieved in a funding round in 2018.

Amazon has stepped up its investment in the car sector, participating in a $530 million funding round early last year in self-driving car startup Aurora Innovation.

 

Taking a cross-country roadtrip in your electric vehicle is a little more feasible thanks to Electrify America. Its first coast-to-coast EV fast charging route is now complete, and the company plans to have another route finished by September. The routes provide high-powered chargers to all EV brands, and on average, the stations are spaced about 70 miles apart, so EV owners can travel without being stranded.

The first route stretches over 2,700 miles from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. It follows Interstates 15 and 70 and passes through 11 states. The second route will connect Jacksonville and San Diego.

“Electrify America’s primary goal has always been to advance electric vehicle adoption in the U.S., and that starts by instilling feelings of confidence and freedom in consumers when it comes to EV ownership,” said Anthony Lambkin, director of operations at Electrify America. “The completion of our first cross-country route is a significant step towards that goal – by making long-distance travel in an EV a reality, we hope to encourage more consumers to make the switch to electric.”

Electrify America already has routes along the East and West coasts, and with these new routes it will be even easier for EV owners to travel farther. This is especially important for non-Tesla owners. Tesla’s Supercharger network already covers much of the country and has some trip-planning tools. Those chargers are only available to Tesla customers. In contrast, Electrify America’s chargers are “open” to all EVs.

This story by Christine Fisher originally appeared on Engadget.

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When Kia introduced the facelifted Rio for Europe a few weeks ago, the press release briefly touted a clutch-by-wire six-speed manual transmission that would improve gas mileage and reduce CO2 emissions. A new press release provides details on the Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), which we find a surprising avenue of innovation designed just for mild hybrids. Traditional and dual-clutch automatic transmissions, thanks in part to more gears and programmed repeatability, already perform better than human drivers shifting for themselves in metrics including gas mileage. Kia’s head of powertrain in Europe said the automaker developed the manual just because “European drivers in particular still love changing gear for themselves.” With the pressure on budgets and on standard gearboxes even before the current travails, this seems a benevolent gesture.

The traditional linkage from clutch pedal to gearbox goes AWOL in the iMT, sensors on the pedal lever controlling clutch actuation electronically. And an iMT-equipped Kia can take over control of the driveline even when the vehicle is in gear. For example, when a driver takes his foot off the accelerator as he approaches a stoplight, the iMT tells the mild hybrid system to turn off the engine, as it disengages the clutch. Normally, many drivers use coasting in gear in this situation as a way to slow the car without pressing the brake pedal. Kia’s system has “the open clutch limiting deceleration and allowing the car to make the most of its kinetic energy,” which will mean rethinking one of the finer points of transmission use.

If the driver presses the accelerator or brake during the coast, the integrated starter-generator (ISG) restarts the engine. Assuming speed hasn’t dipped too low for the chosen gear, the iMT engages the clutch and the driver resumes in the gear the Kia was left in. The hybrid system supplies a boost to get engine revs back up to speed in order to avoid bogging. If vehicle speed is too low to avoid bogging in the current gear, the iMT will disengage the clutch so the car effectively restarts in neutral while in gear, and the driver adjusts.

If the driver presses the clutch pedal during the coast, the ISG restarts the engine with an open clutch, so neutral.        

Because the transmission can cut the engine off sooner and start it later, Kia says the system “can reduce CO2 emissions around 3 percent in real-world driving.” In the new European emissions regime, every percentage point counts.

The iMT debuts on models with the automaker’s Smartstream 48-volt MHEV powertrains. That begins with the Ceed hatch and Xceed crossover with the 1.6-liter diesel mild hybrid, then the facelifted Rio with the 1.0-liter gasoline mild hybrid. The South Korean maker has a range of new engines and mild hybrid powertrains planned for this year offering the iMT. A seven-speed dual-clutch will remain optional.

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