INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Ford has announced a plan to have a ride-sharing service featuring high-volume, fully autonomous, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)-defined level 4-capable vehicles in commercial operation by 2021.
To get there, the company is investing in or collaborating with four startups to enhance its autonomous vehicle development, doubling its Silicon Valley team and more than doubling its Palo Alto campus.
PRESS RELEASE -
A new project to capture stormwater at GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly – home of the Chevrolet Volt – is slated to save the plant nearly $2 million every year. The initiative, two years in the making, now allows the plant to reuse rainwater for manufacturing processes throughout the 4 million square foot facility.
PRESS RELEASE -
The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding about $6 million in funding for projects at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn and at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico that advance fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.
Ford will use the money to develop a uniquely American fuel-cell catalyst production process, according to U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, who announced the funding Thursday afternoon.
PRESS RELEASE -
Toyota and Horizon Educational Group Challenge SoCal High School Students to Build Fuel Cell Vehicles
TORRANCE, CALIF. (Aug. 9, 2016) – Game-based learning. Augmented reality virtual field trips. Biometric eye-tracking to determine how students absorb and understand content.
PRESS RELEASE -
The line, which will be running at an initial capacity of 350,000 engines per year, is designed to reduce water and energy consumption by over 50% per engine produced compared to the previous production line. The company estimates that the water saving per year will be in the region of 17.5 million litres compared to 2011. This is enough to fill seven Olympic-sized swimming pools, and makes Dagenham the most water-efficient Ford plant in the world.
PRESS RELEASE -
WWF and Toyota Motor Corporation have entered into a five-year agreement aimed at accelerating the globe's transition to sustainability. Through this partnership, the organizations will work together to promote biodiversity conservation, raise environmental awareness and accelerate the move toward a "zero carbon" society.
Toyota is the first car company and the first Japanese company to sign a Global Corporate Partnership agreement with WWF. The agreement went into effect on July 1, 2016.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Billionaire industrialist Elon Musk is doubling-down on the ambitious vision he laid out in August 2006. In a blog post, Musk recently revealed his “Master Plan, Part Deux,” which extends beyond a corporate strategy for his electric car company Tesla, covering the breadth of the sustainable energy chain from generation and storage, to electrification of several types of vehicles, to the sharing economy.
PRESS RELEASE -
Toyota believes hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are more viable than electric ones — and it has brought three of its Mirai models to Australia to prove it.
The Mirai is already on sale in Europe, Japan and California and uses an on-board fuel cell to convert hydrogen into electricity. The small demonstration fleet will be accompanied by a portable refuelling station, which will allow the company to tour the vehicle around the country for maximum exposure.
When the Mirai’s hydrogen supply is running low, it can be fully refuelled in a matter of minutes — a stark contrast to the longer charging times of most electric vehicles. The Mirai can also travel roughly 500km before needing a refill.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Ford Motor Company’s 2015-16 Sustainability Report highlights key environmental benchmarks and the ongoing work of the automaker, including its expanded focus beyond vehicle production to developing mobility solutions for the future.
The future of mobility
Earlier this year, the automaker created Ford Smart Mobility LLC, a new subsidiary to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services using existing Ford innovations, products and technologies.
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors has announced plans to invest $10m (£6.96m) in a Canadian plant as part of an effort to boost driverless technology and cold weather testing. GM will also hire 1,000 new workers in Ontario to focus on research for connected and driverless cars.
Canada, and particularly Ontario, has been promoting its car-making sector as it attempts to compete with Mexico. Canada has been fighting to keep carmakers in the country. Many have been lured to Mexico, where production is cheaper and the cars have the same tariff free access to the US market.Ontario's Premier called the investment a "vote of confidence".
PRESS RELEASE -
POWER PLAY
Toyota’s New Plano Campus Drafts Impressive Energy & Environmental Line Up
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
The San Diego breeze rustles the palm fronds above the Mission Bay Patio - it's nice to be in an outdoor presentation space enjoying the Southern California climate.
The topic for the afternoon is innovation, and the panel brings a good range of perspective.
Carrie Majeske kicks things off by detailing some of Ford's initiatives under the tagline, "Driving change for a better world."
PRESS RELEASE -
Duck, Duck, GOOSE!
Toyota Tagged to Receive Keystone Leadership in Environment Award
PRESS RELEASE -
Toyota is Ready to Catch Some Rays in Plano
Toyota’s New Plano Campus Will Get 25 Percent of Power from the Sun
Plano, Texas and San Diego, Calif. (June 6, 2016) – It might not be the sunshine state, but Texas gets its fair share of sun. And when Toyota moves into its new North American headquarters next year, the automaker plans to “catch a ray.”
PRESS RELEASE -
On 20 May 2016, Radisson RED Brussels welcomed 75 international bloggers and journalists to stay at our world’s first Radisson RED - a new global hotel concept inspired by art, fashion and music.
PRESS RELEASE -
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (May 31, 2016) — Importer/wholesale distributor Omni United Pte. Ltd.’s Timberland brand — the first tire line created in partnership with a leading global lifestyle brand — has been recognized for its collaborative sustainability efforts.
Timberland L.L.C. and the tire brand beat out Reformation, Levi’s and People Tree to win the WGSN Futures Award in sustainability design. Sagra Maceira de Rosen, a member of the advisory board of Omni United, and Nick Barber, director of apparel design of Timberland, accepted the award in London on May 26.
NEW METRICS -
A sustainability manager at a large auto parts manufacturer recently explained the company’s lack of interest in water management this way: “It's not worth our time. Water is too cheap and no one cares." Moreover, the executive acknowledged that even if they did care, they had no idea how to tackle an operational issue that is largely unseen and highly distributed. Doing nothing is a common response, and indicative of the second-class status water still has in much of the business world, including the boardroom.
STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
We had a very interesting finding from our Eco Pulse 2015 study that took us by surprise: the percentage of people who said they had stopped buying a product based on the environmental reputation of a manufacturer increased dramatically from 11% to 33%. That’s pretty significant, especially when you consider this same question has been asked for nearly a decade and the percentage has always been around 12%, give or take a few percentage points.
PRESS RELEASE -
Elon Musk finally rolled out his highly-anticipated electric vehicle for the masses – the Tesla Model 3.
PRESS RELEASE -
In less than four months, Maven, General Motors’ personal mobility brand, has grown to five markets: New York City, Ann Arbor, Mich., and today announced Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Maven members have driven more than one million miles, bringing them closer to the things – and people – they love.