Following the launch of its new “‘pay as you calibrate’ equipment”, it is worth considering where this move fits in terms of the company’s current business strategy. For anyone wondering, asTech is a Plano, Texas-based automotive technology firm specialising in remote diagnostics. So the first question we asked was who is asTech?
asTech launching what the company says is the industry’s first ADAS ‘pay as you calibrate’ initiative. The company is offering ADAS equipment with no upfront cost, and repairers will be able to pay as they use the equipment based on a small number of calibrations per week.
During the pandemic year 2020, connected and intelligent car solutions reached a value of 1.8 billion euros. A third of the market is represented by ADAS systems (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, equating to 600 million euros). The largest segment is constituted by so-called solutions for the connected car, which in 2020 slowed down to 1.18 billion euros (-2%), after having grown in double figures during both 2018 (+ 31%) and in 2019 (+ 14%). Similar trends can be seen across Western countries, which oscillate between -5 per cent and + 5 per cent.
Automotive supplier Hella intends to sell its 50 per cent share in the South Korean joint venture Mando Hella Electronics (MHE) to Mando. The two partners have now signed a corresponding agreement and the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021 calendar year. The price is “around €60 million.”
Vehicle manufacturers, dealerships, the DVSA and driving instructors should include a comprehensive lesson for motorists on how to use advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) so they are a road safety benefit and not a potential hazard, says IAM RoadSmart following the publication of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) ‘How to maximize the road safety benefits of ADAS’ report.
AB Dynamics is showcasing its ability to replicate simulated swarm tests quickly and accurately in the real world and vice-versa. According to the company, this work enables the testing and development of ADAS and autonomous systems to be significantly accelerated whilst also reducing risk and cost.
It isn’t news to say that the tyre and autocentre sector is becoming an increasingly technological business. However, two recent trends confirm the need for garages to be properly equipped – increasing electric vehicle take-up and, in the short term, booming MOT demand.
In January 2019, we predicted a 5 per cent increase in MOTs during the course of the year. One calculation suggested this would work out as 2.6 million extra MOT tests during 2019, which equates to something like 50 extra MOTs per site per month. The latest DVSA numbers suggest that MOTs actually went up by an estimated 6.2 per cent last year, rising from 29.560 million in 2018 to 31.405 million last year. So far DVSA have only released data relating to the first nine months of 2019, so the final figure could go down, but in all likelihood it now looks like 5 per cent was a conservative estimate.
Hella might be best known for its bulbs and ADAS, but the international automotive has announced that it expanding its global software competencies with a new Global Software House. Hella currently employs around 2,000 software experts worldwide, particularly in the field of embedded software in functional development for radar sensors, battery and steering electronics and lighting control, for example.
Japanese automotive manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation has launched new vehicles onto the market. The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) installed in the Suzuki Swift and Swift Sport is based on 24 GHz radar sensor technology from Hella. After debuting on the Suzuki Vitara in 2018, Hella’s 24 GHz radars are now featured on Suzuki’s new flagship models, enabling safety-relevant driver assistance functions, such as blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.
Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd. Is jointly developing a road hazard detection solution with SK Planet. According to the companies, the sensor is designed to determine road conditions using artificial intelligence and deep learning technology in order to pre-emptively respond to road hazards. Analyzed road surface condition, and risk factors include rainfall, snowfall, black ice and accidents.
The UK is taking steps forward in automated technology in vehicles with the launch of a call for evidence on 18 August 2020 to help shape how innovative new systems could be used in future on GB roads. The call for evidence will look at the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) – an automated system that can take over control of the vehicle at low speeds, keeping it in lane on motorways.
At the start of July, just in time for the company’s 10th anniversary WabcoWürth launched its W.Easy ADAS Calibration kit. The launch forms part of a strategy to communicate that WabcoWürth is increasingly becoming a one-stop shop for everything from the optical adjustment device to the customized multi-brand license for automotive lasers, to the matching accessories.
Frank Petznick (49) will take over the management of Continental AG’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business unit and become a member of the Management Board of the Autonomous Mobility and Safety business area on 1 August 2020.
A common concern for motorists when driving in wet conditions is aquaplaning, when the car begins to lose traction and glide on the road with the resulting loss of control, especially when on fast roads such as motorways and dual carriageways. As a result, Hella, the lighting and electronics expert, working in conjunction with renowned manufacturer Porsche, has put its wetness detection function into series production and is supporting the world premiere of ‘Porsche WET-Mode’.
Knowledge of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is becoming a necessary requirement in the aftermarket as more vehicles with these systems are entering the workshop. Hella is an ADAS specialist that not only designs and manufactures many of the sensors and radars on which these systems rely, but through its subsidiary, Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS), has been educating the industry in the importance of ADAS calibration and its repercussions for independent businesses for more than a decade.
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