September 8, 2017 – Silicon Valley Automotive News

Silicon Valley News Update

Week Ending September 8, 2017

This week we saw some interesting developments across the Automotive ecosystem and beyond. Below are some key highlights:

Fiat Chrysler beats Tesla. Read More
Tesla teams up with one of the world’s largest wind power companies. Read More
Why Delphi could become a tech takeover target. Read More
Uber and Lyft could destroy car ownership in major cities. Read More
Meet the boy genius changing the way driverless cars see. Read More
Joint first honours for Kia and Volvo in vehicle reliability study, with BMW left miles behind. Read More
Goodyear expands innovation network to Silicon Valley. Read More
Toyota invests in Uber rival Grab to extend ride-share foray. Read More
General Motors launches car-sharing platform Maven Gig. Read More
Ford seeking commercial vehicle autonomous tech partnerships. Read More
Apollo partners with Volkswagen, Ford in Europe as OE supplier. Read More
Waymo built a secret world for self-driving cars. Read More
Apple scales back its ambitions for a self-driving car. Read More

HMP Commentary:

Uber and Lyft have begun to disrupt car ownership sales by offering cheaper and more efficient services to everyone, especially in major cities and towns. Toyota is getting actively involved in ride-sharing, having invested in Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing operator, a year after the carmaker bought a small stake in Uber. General Motors has just announced the launch of its own car-sharing platform, Maven Gig. The concept is that people can rent cars with an all-in cost that covers insurance, maintenance, and free charging for EVs. Ford is now exploring multiple partnerships, including ride-sharing and delivery services, to develop large autonomous commercial vehicles. Tesla just announced a partnership with Vestas Wind Systems, the largest Danish wind turbine maker, to combine wind turbines with batteries and to expand upon their respective global ventures.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is beating Tesla on Wall Street. The company’s shares have increased considerably in value over the last twelve months, beating out the modern electric car maker. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company just announced the opening of its first office in the Silicon Valley in order to connect with automakers, suppliers and mobility-related startups working on the next generation vehicles and service models. Apollo Tyres “has embarked on a very important journey“ with OEMs, including Volkswagen and Ford, by entering into their supply chains.

Austin Russell, the 22-year old founder and CEO of Luminar Technologies, is ready to show the world his creation after pulling the company out of a five-year stealth mode by building a LiDAR system for self-driving cars. The goal is to improve the safety of autonomous cars with one single laser. According to J.D. Power’s survey, the top three brands for reliability are Kia and Volvo tied for first, followed by Skoda, while BMW is at the bottom of the list. Apple has reduced its ambitions on its driverless car project and is now focusing instead on autonomous systems by improving the underlying automotive technology.

About Harvest Management Partners LLC:

Harvest Management Partners LLC is a Silicon Valley based investment bank, specializing in company financial assessment, advisory services, plan of action development, strategic marketing, and worldwide negotiation of mergers and acquisitions. Since 2010, Harvest Management Partners has assisted over 40 technology clients within the software, semiconductor, security, IP and automotive electronics sectors. They are also the exclusive Silicon Valley advisors for Fiat Chrysler Automotive (NYSE: FCAU) and TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL). With a combined history of 60+ years of direct operational experience and relationships with venture capitalists and C-Level executives worldwide, Harvest Management Partners is well positioned to provide a comprehensive set of unique services for their clients. For more information, visit www.harvestmp.com

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