#2024 Honda Accord Build
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Intro to Japanese Kaiju Films (1950s-1960s)
Over the course of cinematic history, it is difficult to think of a more relevant and revolutionary style of film than the Japanese Kaiju films, particularly those of the 1950s and 1960s. Growing up, my father and I bonded over these movies year in and year out, him growing up on them and sharing them with me to let me experience the same magic that he felt. Because of this, I have a strong sentimental connection with these kinds of films and am extremely excited about having the privilege to study this subject.
Beginning with background on Kaiju films, a “Kaiju” is defined as the Japanese word for monster or “strange creature” for its direct translation. These beasts can come from absolutely anywhere and anytime, from the sea to outer space, some even having their own categories according to their size. For instance, the term ‘daikaiju’ refers to that of the giant monster while ‘kaijin’ refers to the kaiju that take a humanoid form. With that said, “Kaiju” becomes an umbrella term for the many monsters and beings that fall under any of these sub-categories, including their intentions in relation to humans. With this, there comes a fluid range of reaction from being bent on destruction to being protectors of civilization which often serve as a metaphor for a commentary on humanity.
Probably the most iconic of these movies and, the first one that my father showed to me, was the 1954 film Godzilla directed and written by Ishirô Honda. A really important aspect of the film’s production is the very company that produced it though, Toho Film Co. who managed to build an entire empire off the “Monsterverse” franchise. Because of Toho, Kaiju like Mothra, Godzilla, King Kong and countless others were able to be immortalized and celebrated by millions decades after their birth. Fun fact, Godzilla became such a cultural icon in Japan that the nation made him a legal citizen. Referring back to the concept of using the monsters as a commentary on human behavior, Godzilla became a political piece on the subject of nuclear testing in early post-World War II. During the years of 1946 and 1958, 23 nuclear devices were detonated in the area of Bikini Atoll, the very place where Godzilla came from. With that said, the nuclear weapons was “the monster” that humanity created, establishing the potential for unparalleled destruction of mankind which is seen through Godzilla’s rampage on Tokyo. In my opinion, the incredible success of the film leading to one of the biggest cinema franchises all around the world further illustrates humanity’s obsession with annihilation of the utmost extent.
For the remainder of this blog, I seek to expand on concepts like these and dive deeply into the multi-faceted and complex universe of Japanese Kaiju movies. If done correctly, I believe that I, as well as any interested readers, will have the opportunity to utilize the knowledge and context of these films to garner a better understanding about human nature. Thank you.
References:
Godzilla (1954). (2004, May 7). IMDb. Retrieved April 10, 2024, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047034/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
Thrift, M. (2019, November 19). Where to begin with kaiju monster movies. BFI. Retrieved April 10, 2024, from https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-japan-kaiju-monster-movies
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Tuesday, February 27, 2024
For Car Thieves, Toronto Is a ‘Candy Store,’ and Drivers Are Fed Up
(NYT) Whenever Dennis Wilson wants to take a drive in his new SUV, he has to set aside an extra 15 minutes. That’s about how long it takes to remove the car’s steering wheel club, undo four tire locks and lower a yellow bollard before backing out of his driveway. His Honda CR-V is also fitted with two alarm systems, a vehicle tracking device and, for good measure, four Apple AirTags. Its remote-access key fob rests in a Faraday bag, to jam illicit unlocking signals. As a final touch, he mounted two motion-sensitive floodlights on his house and aimed them at the driveway in his modest neighborhood in Toronto. But all of these security gadgets, Mr. Wilson is convinced, will do no more than delay what seems inevitable: Toronto’s seasoned auto thieves won’t be deterred by the defensive gear, and they’ll make off with this Honda SUV just as they did with its predecessor—and its insurance replacement, which they returned to steal. “By no means do I think that I’ve stopped them,” Mr. Wilson said. “All I’ve done is made it take an extra 10 minutes to steal my car.”
Biden Caught in a Political Bind Over Israel Policy
(NYT) The Biden administration’s reversal of Trump-era policy on settlements in the occupied West Bank reflects not just its rising frustration with Israel, but the political bind the president finds himself in, just days before the Democratic primary in Michigan, where a large Arab American population is urging voters to register their anger by voting “uncommitted.” The United States has long been Israel’s most important international ally. Since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 left 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, Washington has consistently backed Israel’s blistering campaign in Gaza. The Biden administration has also shielded Israel from international censure by blocking cease-fire resolutions at the U.N. Security Council, even as the death toll in Gaza nears 30,000, according to health officials in the enclave. That stance has increasingly left Mr. Biden in a no-win situation. His recent moves to press the Israeli government to wind down the war in Gaza and enter negotiations toward a Palestinian state have angered some ardent supporters of Israel in the United States. Yet they have come nowhere close to placating Israel’s fiercest critics on the political left and the Arab American community.
Supporters of Brazil’s Bolsonaro stage huge demonstration to defend him amid investigations
(AP) Supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro staged a huge rally jamming a main avenue in Brazil’s biggest city Sunday to defend him against legal challenges that could put him in jail. The far-right leader said in a speech that he seeks “pacification to erase the past,” taking a more conciliatory tone than when he was in office. Bolsonaro is seeking to show his base is resilient as he is being investigated by federal police over his alleged role in the Jan. 8, 2023, attacks on government buildings by his supporters over his election loss. Bolsonaro is also accused of illegally receiving jewels from Saudi Arabia during his presidency.
Hungary approves Sweden’s NATO bid, unblocking historic expansion
(Washington Post) Hungary’s parliament voted Monday in favor of Sweden’s long-delayed bid to join NATO, clearing the final obstacle to a historic expansion of the military alliance and putting an end to an uncomfortable standoff between members. With Budapest at last onboard, Sweden is set to become NATO’s 32nd member, possibly within the week, completing a process that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and saw Finland join last year. The addition of the two Nordic countries will bolster the alliance’s capabilities, strengthening its position in the high north and the Baltic Sea—all while sending an important message to Moscow.
How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin
(NYT) Nestled in a dense forest, the Ukrainian military base appears abandoned and destroyed, its command center a burned-out husk, a casualty of a Russian missile barrage early in the war. But that is above ground. Not far away, a discreet passageway descends to a subterranean bunker where teams of Ukrainian soldiers track Russian spy satellites and eavesdrop on conversations between Russian commanders. On one screen, a red line followed the route of an explosive drone threading through Russian air defenses from a point in central Ukraine to a target in the Russian city of Rostov. The underground bunker, built to replace the destroyed command center in the months after Russia’s invasion, is a secret nerve center of Ukraine’s military. There is also one more secret: The base is almost fully financed, and partly equipped, by the C.I.A. Now entering the third year of a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the intelligence partnership between Washington and Kyiv is a linchpin of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. The C.I.A. and other American intelligence agencies provide intelligence for targeted missile strikes, track Russian troop movements and help support spy networks.
In water-stressed Singapore, a search for new solutions to keep the taps flowing
(AP) A crack of thunder booms as dozens of screens in a locked office flash between live video of cars splashing through wet roads, drains sapping the streets dry, and reservoirs collecting the precious rainwater across the tropical island of Singapore. A team of government employees intently monitors the water, which will be collected and purified for use by the country’s six million residents. “We make use of real-time data to manage the storm water,” Harry Seah, deputy chief executive of operations at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, says with a smile while standing in front of the screens. “All of this water will go to the marina and reservoirs.” The room is part of Singapore’s cutting-edge water management system that combines technology, diplomacy and community involvement to help one of the most water-stressed nations in the world secure its water future. Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries on the planet. In recent decades the island has also transformed into a modern international business hub, with a rapidly developing economy. The boom has caused the country’s water consumption to increase by over twelve times since the nation’s independence from Malaysia in 1965.
China’s Cat Island, where lucky strays wait for a new home
(Washington Post) The happiest place on Earth for cats might just be here, on Cat Island, a feline playground just a few miles from Shanghai Disneyland. While humans whoop and whirl at the latter, the 400-plus kitties who call Cat Island home rest in the shade of specially constructed grass-covered play tunnels or loll about in pagodas. They cross a wooden bridge to stalk through pear orchards, the intrepid among them even venturing into the horse stable. The pampered residents here were once strays in downtown Shanghai, a city of 25 million people and somewhere between 400,000 and 1.5 million stray cats. But efforts are underway to stem the exploding feral population in the metropolis, and find homes for at least some of the newly neutered cats. Cat Island’s entire population is up for adoption.
South Korea doctors on mass walkout say they are overworked and unheard
(Reuters) Ryu Ok Hada always wanted to help people, but now the South Korean trainee doctor has walked off the job and stands outside the hospital where he worked, holding his medical gown in his hand. Park Dan, who recently realised his childhood dream of being an emergency physician, is also one of over 7,800 interns and residents who have resigned in a confrontation with the government, which threatens to arrest them. Ryu and Park say the junior doctors, a crucial cog in South Korea’s highly regarded medical system, are overworked, underpaid and unheard. “The current medical system in South Korea, which is a great one, is run by making cheap trainee doctors keep grinding,” Ryu, 25, told Reuters. Intern and resident doctors in South Korea work 36-hour shifts, compared to shifts of less than 24 hours in the U.S., according to the Korean Intern Resident Association. It says half the young U.S. physicians work 60 hours a week or less, while Korean doctors often work more than 100 hours.
A Re-established West Bank Settlement Symbolizes Hardened Israeli Views
(NYT) For an Israeli settlement that has become such a resounding symbol of religious and right-wing politics in the West Bank, Homesh is not much to look at. Three families live in tarpaulin-covered shelters full of bunk beds for some 50 young men, who study in a yeshiva that is a shabby prefab structure surrounded by abandoned toys, building materials and garbage. They live part time here amid the ruins and rubbish of a hilltop settlement ripped down in 2005 by the Israeli army and police. It is one of four West Bank settlements dismantled when Israel pulled all of its troops and settlements out of Gaza. Israel’s intention then, pushed by Washington, was to signal that outlying settlements too hard to defend would be consolidated in any future peace deal. The decision to dismantle them is now being challenged by the more religious and right-wing ministers in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. They are agitating to settle more land in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and even remove Palestinians from Gaza to resettle there. Homesh, perched in the hills above Nablus, has become a symbol of their resolve.
Israeli Forces Will Move Into Rafah, Cease-Fire Deal or Not, Netanyahu Says
(NYT) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces would push into the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah regardless of the outcome of talks to pause the fighting that appear to have been making some progress in recent days. “It has to be done,” the Israeli prime minister said. “Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach.” The push toward Rafah has drawn warnings from Israel’s closest ally, the United States, because of the potential for mass civilian casualties beyond the nearly 30,000 Gazans who have already been reported killed in the war, more than half of whom are women and children. Israeli officials have said that the battle for Rafah could take place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin during the second week of March. Ramadan has been a critical moment for tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the years.
Runaway train speeds 43 miles down tracks in India without a driver
(CBS News) An Indian train conductor should maybe consider retaking driving lessons after leaving a fully loaded freight train unattended on a slope without the emergency brake on. Thanks to the basic principles of physics, the 53-wagon train quickly began rolling on its own. It traveled 43.4 miles at around 53 miles per hour in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, whizzing through several stations before officials managed to stop its journey five stations over from where it had started. Luckily, only gravel was aboard the runaway train, and no one was injured.
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https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honda-weighs-14-bln-plan-ev-production-canada-nikkei-2024-01-07/
Honda, is looking to build an EV plant in Canada, potentially including in-house battery production, according to a report by Japan’s Nikkei on Sunday. The report said that Honda is looking to build the plant, which could cost up to 2 trillion yen (USD 13.83 billion), and that it will be one of its largest investments ever. According to the report, Honda is considering several locations, including near an existing car factory in Ontario.
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Introducing the cheapest electric car.
By Emmanuel Omeri.
Here you’re looking at an electric vehicle that costs Kshs. 730,000. Yes, that’s right! And out of all automakers, of course Honda is the one that makes it.This affordable van has been announced and is scheduled to hit the market in 2024. It’s said to be suitable for both personal and business commuting.
The minicar is based on the N-VAN which was introduced in 2018. This one, however, is priced from 1 million yen or roughly Kshs.730,000 according to the current exchange rate.
Honda is responding to the increasing demand for personal and business electric cars by making an EV that offers user friendliness, flexibility, and a large storage space.
According to the Japanese automaker in its press release, the new electric van will be very quiet and capable of quick acceleration thanks to its electric powerplant.
There’s still no detailed information about performance; what we know so far is Honda wants to reach a driving range of 200 km or 124 miles.
The company believes that this range is sufficient to meet various needs, including commercial commuting, going to school or work, daily shopping, and hobby use. With a low price tag, Honda expects fast market acceptance of the electric car.
This new light EV is undergoing multiple tests in various business scenarios before its release early next year. Honda’s longer-term plans for electrification include building 30 new electric car models that will be rolled out worldwide by 2030.
Following the reveal of new electric moped designs and Gogoro-style battery exchange stations, we can see that the Japanese automaker is beginning to take electrification more seriously than before.
Now with its new electric van, which is super compact and offers a limited range, it’s trying to make the Japanese EV market – where the van will be released – more lively.
It is no surprise that Honda’s electrification move prioritizes the minicar segment of Japan, since that’s where the company wants to accelerate the spread of EVs, hence why it’s starting to develop light electric cars.
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Electric Vehicle Market Analysis for 2022 | TechSci Research
Governments and automobile manufacturers are shifting to selling newer, cleaner electric vehicles, which are expected to account for one-quarter of new sales by 2035. Global electric vehicle sales reached 6.75 million units in 2021. Providing a boost to electric mobility is intended to cut down carbon emissions that contribute to greenhouse gases. Electric Vehicles are environment-friendly and safer, which has led to their rapid popularity and adoption in recent years. Continuous development in battery technologies and cheaper production costs have resulted in the emergence of affordable EV models. Besides, owners can save a lot on operating expenses since EV consumes 60% less fuel compared to internal combustible engines. Favorable government policies and subsidies, along with rapidly expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, are also encouraging buyers to opt for electric vehicles, supporting their market growth.
Expansion of EV models
Battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids make up more than half of the options among available models in new car showrooms in the US. By next year, the number of all-electric vehicles is expected to quadruple, from 13 to 50. Key market players in the electric vehicle market such as Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai, BMW, and General Motors are releasing new models in all segments, such as all-electric pickups, SUVs, luxury, and sports cars. Other EV makers are ramping up their strategies and making huge investments to improve their battery technologies to keep up with new regulations and remain competitive. Ford has planned to roll out four new commercial EVs three-passenger electric vehicles by 2024. Japanese automotive giant, Honda has planned to launch 30 new electric vehicle models worldwide by 2030 and invest USD63.9 billion in R&D initiatives.
Commercial Players Big on EVs | TechSci Research
Commercial buyers are more focused on operating costs compared to retail customers. Switching to battery power would give a clear advantage to business buyers as they cost about half as much to keep in motion. High daily vehicle utilization and a large scale of operations make players in the e-commerce business ideal for commercial electric vehicles, which is projected to expand the commercial EV market size during the forecast period. Some businesses are recognizing EVs as a cost improvement measure, improve customer satisfaction, and meet regulatory compliances. Amazon, Flipkart, Uber, Zomato, and Swiggy have already set out their EV targets for 2025 and 2030 to boost electrification in their fleet. Witnessing the growing adoption of EVs by big businesses, auto manufacturers are building electric vehicles, from garbage trucks to semis.
Plug-in Hybrid Remains the Most Preferred Choice for Buyers
Although pure electric cars are popular, the gasoline-electric hybrid models have been gaining much traction in recent years. Asia auto manufacturers are boosting hybrid vehicle line-ups as many customers are shunning EVs due to high prices and limited driving range. Hybrids offer a mix of fuel economy and performance, combining a combustion engine with an electric propulsion system. In 2021, the hybrid vehicle sales jumped 76% to 801,550 units in the United States. Toyota recorded the highest hybrid car sales in the US market, which made the Japanese automaker overtake General Motors, the top-selling automaker in the country. In the coming years, hybrid EVs are expected to register the fastest growth, owing to the rising number of hybrid EV models and the increasing inclination of buyers towards purchasing gasoline hybrids.
According to TechSci Research report on “Electric Vehicle Shared Mobility Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity and Forecast, 2017-2027, Segmented By Service Type (Ride-Hailing, Car Sharing, Car Rental and Ride Sharing), By Vehicle Type (Two-Wheeler and Four-Wheeler), By Commuting Pattern (Daily, Weekly and Occasionally) and By Region”, the global electric vehicle shared mobility market is expected to grow at a steady rate. The market growth can be attributed to the rising demand for urban mobility, increase in internet accessibility, and continuous digital revolution.
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Honda Wants to Build Electric Planes, Reusable Rockets, and Conquer the ‘4th Dimension’
Honda, a corporation that makes cars, motorcycles, airplane engines and the like, has released a plan to build a lot more stuff that it calls "initiatives in new areas." That is a modest way of describing a press release with phrases like "Challenges on the lunar surface" and "reusable small rocket" and "make mobility in the skies more accessible for people."
And it will do all this "with absolute safety and zero environmental impact." Yes, Honda is a modest company with modest goals: sell cars and motorcycles at a reasonable price, and "expanding the potential of mobility into the 3rd dimension, then the 4th dimension which defies the constraints of time and space, and ultimately into outer space."
Honda is hardly the only company to be talking up electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, with several other companies looking to make air taxis a thing. For its part, Honda recognizes these vehicles will not have sufficient range to serve as any more than glorified urban airport shuttles, so it plans to also equip models of this yet-to-be-constructed vehicle with a gas engine, too. The press release is unclear how this aligns with the pledge for "zero environmental impact." Fortunately, the company has published this helpful graphic to clear things up:
A mobility ecosystem. Screenshot: Honda
In addition to mere low altitude challenges, Honda, and this is a direct quote from the press release, including the bold emphasis, "began initiatives to strive for the expansion of human activities and development on the lunar surface." Honda wants to use the water on the moon to create a circular renewable energy system using water electrolysis technologies and fuel cell systems. While this is indeed a thing some have already proposed, I feel the need to point out that the moon, according to NASA, has water concentrations one-hundredth that of the Sahara Desert. So imagine someone saying they want to use all the water of the Saraha to create a renewable energy ecosystem involving an incredibly water-intensive process, and then multiply the skepticism you would have of that working out by a factor of 100.
By comparison, Honda's reusable small rocket initiative is downright reasonable. They will simply build small reusable rockets to launch low-earth orbit satellites, something that SpaceX is essentially already doing, albeit not with "small" rockets. "For this challenge, Honda will strive to utilize control and guidance technologies Honda has amassed through the development of automated driving technologies," the company states. A recent review of the company's latest self-driving car project found the car worked "in most—but not yet all—conditions."
This is a big, bold vision for a company that, thus far, has released one electric car, the Honda e, which is not even available for purchase in the U.S. It doesn't have an electric car slated for release in this country until 2024, by which point it will have only six years remaining to fulfill its vision of reusable rockets filling the skies, electric vertical takeoff and landing ships traversing the globe, and ghostly robot hands massaging the scalps of prominent executives as they consider more technologies to leverage for the future of mobility. We cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
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Eco-Conscious Aviation Startup ZeroAvia Joins Board of FCHEA
ZeroAvia has joined the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) board, a leading national advocate for the research, development, and implementation of fuel cell and hydrogen energy. The company earned the FCHEA’s elite “Tier One” membership, a rank that includes General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota.
The recognition comes after the 4-year-old ZeroAvia developed the first hydrogen-electric powertrain—an innovation that has made early zero-emission aviation possible—and completed the first flight by a commercial-grade aircraft running on hydrogen fuel cell power. These renewable-powered flights could be the future of the aviation industry. The company says its focus is transitioning short-haul aviation from fossil fuels to hydrogen, which could potentially remove half of all carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation industry.
The FCHEA began in 1989 as the Nation Hydrogen Association and later merged with the U.S. Fuel Cell Council to become the FCHEA. Today, the association represents more than 50 companies and organizations that advance innovative and green technologies. The association also acts as a singular voice to shape regulations, codes, and consumer safety standards.
ZeroAvia’s Journey to Zero-Emission Aviation
Carbon dioxide is the heat-trapping gas at the heart of climate change. The fossil fuel byproduct continues to feed the climate crisis, and the race is on to move mass transportation into a realm of sustainable, zero-emission alternatives. Cars, trucks, and ships are all prolific polluters, but aircraft is a principal offender. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aviation accounted for nearly 35% of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. While renewable energy solutions abound in road travel, aviation remains one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize—a task ZeroAvia is happily taking on.
“Green hydrogen” has become one of the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels because it releases only water vapor into the environment. To create hydrogen, companies use electrolyzers, which send electric currents through the water to split hydrogen atoms from oxygen. Solar panels and wind farms worldwide also use hydrogen.
‘Green Hydrogen’ Flights
Currently, ZeroAvia is honing in on short-haul flights between 300 and 500 miles. Today, short-haul flights account for up to half of all carbon dioxide emissions in the aviation industry. That means that a complete transition to green hydrogen-electric technology could decarbonize half of all harmful emissions from the aviation sector.
The company is currently working on short-haul hydrogen-electric flights that seat up to 20 passengers, which it plans to accomplish by 2024. Next, it hopes to build a craft that can travel the same distance with 100 passengers. Not only could this revolutionize an industry that’s currently reliant on fossil fuels, but it will likely also result in more affordable prices and more accessible flights. According to ZeroAvia, their newly invented powertrain has 75% lower fuel and maintenance costs. That could cut trip costs in half compared to conventional propeller aircraft.
It has been a high-flying year for ZeroAvia, filled with plenty of strategic partnerships, including Shell Ventures, the eco-investment arm of Shell Oil, itself on a mission to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Bill Gates’ climate investment firm Breakthrough Energy Venture and Ecosystems Integrity Fund led a Series A funding netted $21.4 million for ZeroAvia. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Summa Equity, and Shell Ventures also joined in on the financing. The ventures chipped in another $24.3 million to accelerate ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engine development for a 50-plus seat aircraft in April.
The post Eco-Conscious Aviation Startup ZeroAvia Joins Board of FCHEA appeared first on Baltimore News Journal.
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Acura will reportedly launch electric SUV built by GM
Acura is reportedly working on its first battery-electric vehicle, an SUV, using General Motors’ BEV3 platform and Ultium batteries.
Citing people familiar with the plans, Automotive News (subscription required) reported Tuesday that GM will also build the SUV for Acura, plus a second electric SUV for Honda.
According to the sources, the Acura SUV is slated to enter production in 2024 at GM’s…
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Honda will build two EVs based on GM battery technology Honda will launch two new EVs for model year 2024 in the US and Canada, and they'll both be based on GM's EV platform. According to GM EVP Doug Parks, the automakers have teamed up to achieve an "all-electric future" and to deliver "a profitable EV business through increased scale and capacity utilization." Since they'll still be Honda vehicles, the Japanese automaker will be in charge of its interior and exterior designs. They'll be manufactured at GM's plants in North America, though, since they'll be using GM technology. In addition, they'll also feature GM's OnStar safety and security services. https://ift.tt/34amW6y By Samy Morsy
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Inside the Cocoon: What to Expect from Automated-Vehicle Interiors
We don’t know when the autonomous-vehicle revolution will start, how it will look, or what to expect—apart from a tangled mess of red tape and legalese—but we know it will inspire change, like any worthwhile revolution. In the case of the automotive interior, it’s not difficult to imagine the metamorphosis it will soon undergo will be its most dramatic since inception.
“The traditional automotive interior is built around the driver and the steering wheel for the best possible control and view of the vehicle’s surroundings,” says Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s executive director of design. “The autonomous interior, however, is based on the passenger’s needs. The autonomous interior gives passengers time to do what they want while getting where they want to go.”
Manufacturers and suppliers are on the scent, early in development of basic passenger cocoons that coddle and encourage free play. No idea is too perverse, audacious, or unrealistic, and no one knows what will stick. Some manufacturers refuse to comment on the subject at all because they see no point in discussing something in such flux. Others are less timid, wandering eagerly through undefined space as they engineer solutions to never-before-seen problems posed by the six graduated levels of automated driving that range from Level 0 to 5.
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space.
As the revolution arrives in stages, so will aspects of the next-generation interior, first in semi-autonomous vehicles that don’t appear all that different from today’s automobiles. They drive among us even now: Cadillacs with Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benzes with Drive Pilot, Teslas with Autopilot, and Volvos with Pilot Assist offer stints of autonomous driving with occasional human inputs. Tesla designed its Model 3 from the outset to be an “open, liberating space” with fewer physical buttons and controls so it would be upgradeable and hopefully avoid obsolescence in an autonomous world.
The VW I.D. Vizzion (pictured above), Volvo 360c, BMW Vision iNext, and Mercedes-Benz F 015 showcase open-concept autonomous interiors with similar layouts but different aesthetics.
All semi-autonomous cars require means by which to steer. A number of automakers have released concept cars with retractable steering wheels that automatically fold up and store themselves during autonomous driving scenarios, freeing up precious interior space. Mercedes’ director of interior design, Hartmut Sinkwitz, wonders if we need a steering wheel at all. “Maybe we only need a joystick or something that gives you a perfect interaction to really conduct or to really steer and control the car,” he says. “Just yesterday I was test-driving a car with joysticks and enjoyed it very, very much.”
We’ll control whatever steering appendage from the comfort of a three-axis seat that twists and slides through the cabin to support both active driving and autonomous relaxation. The seats might articulate, according to Motivo Engineering, a Southern California-based product design and engineering firm. A fabric skin will stretch over a “flexible skeleton,” and the seats will shapeshift depending on use. Domagoj Dukec, head of design for BMW i and M, says the movable seat won’t debut until the “seat belt issue” is resolved: Will cars be so predictably safe that there’s no need to buckle up? “We’d need a highly intelligent airbag system that will know immediately how each individual passenger is sitting at that particular moment,” he says. “The foldaway steering wheel tech will be the extent of things for the time being.”
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space. He also believes black slabs of touchscreen will be difficult to interact with in the changing interior of a self-driving car and that screens have to “be much more organic, blend into the environment—actually have the screen adapt to the space and be used in the space.” Some screens will be subtle, like Continental Corporation’s “see-through” A-pillar concept, which wraps bendable OLED screens around a car’s roof pillars to reveal, via camera, whatever occupies the not-so-blind spot.
Unconvincing models discuss 2024’s business trends in the Volvo 360c’s rolling office, which also features a full-size bed.
Other screens will be less subtle. “Energized glass coupled with augmented reality opens up new opportunities for connection,” says Chris Rockwell, founder and CEO of Lextant, a user-experience and design consultancy. “Imagine the windscreen becoming a window to the world. You drive through a new city, see where relevant services are located, get information on history and culture, and then use virtual-reality services to tour the sites en route.”
The keystone of any successful semi- or fully autonomous interior will be a seamlessly integrated user interface (UI), i.e., non-sentient artificial intelligence (AI) working in conjunction with finely tuned voice and gesture controls. Without a thoughtfully developed, intuitive system for two-way, human-to-machine conversation, there will be no relationship, no trust. User-experience (UX) designers research potential customers to better understand and empathize wants and whims in hopes of breathing life into a UI that understands routines, habits, emotions, and desires.
“The interior of the future needs to be about psychology as much as technology,” Rockwell says. “The goal is for the experience as a whole to not only meet needs but to anticipate them, inspiring connection, collaboration, and relaxation.” But the hardware and software developed for autonomy will go to waste if an interior can’t sympathize with its occupants, who will likely be understandably wary of the “ghost” driver.
The VW I.D. Vizzion comes with a “Hololens by Microsoft” for augmented reality fun.
That trust won’t come easily, but Tim Shih, vice president of design for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, believes the transitional period preceding full automation will be surprisingly short because vehicles built to accommodate both driving and non-driving scenarios will inherently compromise both.
With the mass adoption of Level 5 automation, expect to see a shift from traditional interior to living environment, where higher roofs allow more fluid movement, consoles rearrange on the go, and automatic lighting reflects the mood; an integrated sensor pack will monitor your temperature, heart rate, actions, and more, and share that information with the AI. “The manufacturer may choose to provide more of a blank canvas than a beautiful completed painting,” Shih says, “and the passengers and users could then determine what happens in this space as much as—if not more so than—the manufacturer themselves.”
That blank canvas will be most common because fully autonomous vehicles will generally be of the shared-use variety and need to accommodate many different people and their varied interests. Trying to imagine all possible uses and adaptations is an overwhelming exercise, which is why manufacturers typically group predicted actions into broad, wide-reaching categories. General Motors considers three areas of use: productivity (email, work), relaxation (read a book, take a nap), and social (interacting with the vehicle or other individuals). Volvo adopted a similar approach for its 360c concept, an autonomous pod built for four scenarios: living room, office, party, and sleeper. The autonomous cabin will amplify whatever parts of life accompany you into it, becoming a spa-like oasis after work, a rolling wet bar for a party on the move, or a bottomless media trough.
The inside of the Mercedes F 015 is a blend of Apple store and high-end hair salon.
Humans stream 500 million hours of YouTube content every day. “It’s clear that users will continue this behavior in their autonomous vehicles’ personal space,” despite voiced desires to relax or work while not driving, says Jose Wyszogrod, chief designer of interior styling and UX/UI for Honda R&D Americas. If he’s right, hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
An interior uncorrupted by greedy perversions sounds much nicer, if we let ourselves have it. Wyszogrod sees it as a social space that a wanderlust generation uses for learning and discovery. Sofia Lewandowski, interior and UX designer at Hanseatische Fahrzeug Manufaktur GmbH in Berlin, sees an interior that celebrates connectedness and equality and brings new freedoms to individuals with limited mobility. “We all age into disabilities,” she says. “Designing for the disabled is including all.”
Hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
Mercedes-Benz’s Sinkwitz sees handcrafted woodwork and luminous metals that remind occupants of the analog world they left behind, and ArtCenter College of Design student Santiago Diaz thinks augmented and virtual reality will be digital veils that help us interact with cars in ways we can’t yet fathom, if you can stomach the motion sickness.
“I think we’re going to discover a lot of that, the fact that you have glass around you, showing things whizzing by you,” Infiniti’s Habib says. Maybe windows will be replaced by energized glass, projecting images of the outside world via a 360-degree camera, darkening to opaque when you ask.
Autonomy faces a lot of these odd obstacles. Gesture control, for example, will be a building block of the interior, but it won’t be intuitive to use if you’re traveling abroad because different countries use different body language. But right now no one really cares about those obstacles because autonomy has much bigger issues to overcome and a lot of tough questions in need of good answers sooner rather than later.
The BMW Vision iNext displays images on its Jacquard-weave rear bench through “intelligent projection.”
For instance, how do we protect personal privacy in a complex, hyperconnected world? Will there be global compatibility between competing digital devices, and will in-vehicle Wi-Fi and other entertainment outlets require paid subscriptions separate from what you already have and pay for in your home? Will seat belts indeed be nixed, and who’s at fault if your autonomous car causes a crash? Will politicians embrace or smother autonomy? The list of unknowns that must be dealt with is exhaustive.
“Legislation regarding liability, unconventional seating positions, and alternative-use cases are frequently being discussed but not yet defined on paper,” Yanfeng’s Shih says. “Designers and manufacturers are operating in a gray zone between legislation and speculation. This ambiguity has given designers greater latitude and, from the creativity standpoint, has already unleashed refreshing new thoughts and philosophies around the automotive interior.”
Today, freethinkers unconcerned with convention can disrupt and inspire and be wrong without any real consequence because maybe their dream becomes a reality in the new automotive era. “It’s fantastic to be able to think that our generation could really be the one that changes the way you live in a product that’s more than 100 years old,” Habib says, “but it’s daunting, definitely. There’s a big chance of failure with all the startups and all the established companies creating new things. Some are going to win, and some are going to lose.”
Motivo Engineering CEO Praveen Penmetsa says the company that delivers the most engaging mobility experience will rule the automotive world. “However, we don’t know what that secret combination is yet,” he is quick to point out. “The interior of the automobile will dominate our lives and will be our work desk, play space, creative blank sheet. The car will be more integral than ever before, not less like some people are saying. We’ll work more in cars, have more fun, and will have more life experiences in a car than we could have ever imagined.”
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Inside the Cocoon: What to Expect from Automated-Vehicle Interiors
We don’t know when the autonomous-vehicle revolution will start, how it will look, or what to expect—apart from a tangled mess of red tape and legalese—but we know it will inspire change, like any worthwhile revolution. In the case of the automotive interior, it’s not difficult to imagine the metamorphosis it will soon undergo will be its most dramatic since inception.
“The traditional automotive interior is built around the driver and the steering wheel for the best possible control and view of the vehicle’s surroundings,” says Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s executive director of design. “The autonomous interior, however, is based on the passenger’s needs. The autonomous interior gives passengers time to do what they want while getting where they want to go.”
Manufacturers and suppliers are on the scent, early in development of basic passenger cocoons that coddle and encourage free play. No idea is too perverse, audacious, or unrealistic, and no one knows what will stick. Some manufacturers refuse to comment on the subject at all because they see no point in discussing something in such flux. Others are less timid, wandering eagerly through undefined space as they engineer solutions to never-before-seen problems posed by the six graduated levels of automated driving that range from Level 0 to 5.
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space.
As the revolution arrives in stages, so will aspects of the next-generation interior, first in semi-autonomous vehicles that don’t appear all that different from today’s automobiles. They drive among us even now: Cadillacs with Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benzes with Drive Pilot, Teslas with Autopilot, and Volvos with Pilot Assist offer stints of autonomous driving with occasional human inputs. Tesla designed its Model 3 from the outset to be an “open, liberating space” with fewer physical buttons and controls so it would be upgradeable and hopefully avoid obsolescence in an autonomous world.
The VW I.D. Vizzion (pictured above), Volvo 360c, BMW Vision iNext, and Mercedes-Benz F 015 showcase open-concept autonomous interiors with similar layouts but different aesthetics.
All semi-autonomous cars require means by which to steer. A number of automakers have released concept cars with retractable steering wheels that automatically fold up and store themselves during autonomous driving scenarios, freeing up precious interior space. Mercedes’ director of interior design, Hartmut Sinkwitz, wonders if we need a steering wheel at all. “Maybe we only need a joystick or something that gives you a perfect interaction to really conduct or to really steer and control the car,” he says. “Just yesterday I was test-driving a car with joysticks and enjoyed it very, very much.”
We’ll control whatever steering appendage from the comfort of a three-axis seat that twists and slides through the cabin to support both active driving and autonomous relaxation. The seats might articulate, according to Motivo Engineering, a Southern California-based product design and engineering firm. A fabric skin will stretch over a “flexible skeleton,” and the seats will shapeshift depending on use. Domagoj Dukec, head of design for BMW i and M, says the movable seat won’t debut until the “seat belt issue” is resolved: Will cars be so predictably safe that there’s no need to buckle up? “We’d need a highly intelligent airbag system that will know immediately how each individual passenger is sitting at that particular moment,” he says. “The foldaway steering wheel tech will be the extent of things for the time being.”
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space. He also believes black slabs of touchscreen will be difficult to interact with in the changing interior of a self-driving car and that screens have to “be much more organic, blend into the environment—actually have the screen adapt to the space and be used in the space.” Some screens will be subtle, like Continental Corporation’s “see-through” A-pillar concept, which wraps bendable OLED screens around a car’s roof pillars to reveal, via camera, whatever occupies the not-so-blind spot.
Unconvincing models discuss 2024’s business trends in the Volvo 360c’s rolling office, which also features a full-size bed.
Other screens will be less subtle. “Energized glass coupled with augmented reality opens up new opportunities for connection,” says Chris Rockwell, founder and CEO of Lextant, a user-experience and design consultancy. “Imagine the windscreen becoming a window to the world. You drive through a new city, see where relevant services are located, get information on history and culture, and then use virtual-reality services to tour the sites en route.”
The keystone of any successful semi- or fully autonomous interior will be a seamlessly integrated user interface (UI), i.e., non-sentient artificial intelligence (AI) working in conjunction with finely tuned voice and gesture controls. Without a thoughtfully developed, intuitive system for two-way, human-to-machine conversation, there will be no relationship, no trust. User-experience (UX) designers research potential customers to better understand and empathize wants and whims in hopes of breathing life into a UI that understands routines, habits, emotions, and desires.
“The interior of the future needs to be about psychology as much as technology,” Rockwell says. “The goal is for the experience as a whole to not only meet needs but to anticipate them, inspiring connection, collaboration, and relaxation.” But the hardware and software developed for autonomy will go to waste if an interior can’t sympathize with its occupants, who will likely be understandably wary of the “ghost” driver.
The VW I.D. Vizzion comes with a “Hololens by Microsoft” for augmented reality fun.
That trust won’t come easily, but Tim Shih, vice president of design for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, believes the transitional period preceding full automation will be surprisingly short because vehicles built to accommodate both driving and non-driving scenarios will inherently compromise both.
With the mass adoption of Level 5 automation, expect to see a shift from traditional interior to living environment, where higher roofs allow more fluid movement, consoles rearrange on the go, and automatic lighting reflects the mood; an integrated sensor pack will monitor your temperature, heart rate, actions, and more, and share that information with the AI. “The manufacturer may choose to provide more of a blank canvas than a beautiful completed painting,” Shih says, “and the passengers and users could then determine what happens in this space as much as—if not more so than—the manufacturer themselves.”
That blank canvas will be most common because fully autonomous vehicles will generally be of the shared-use variety and need to accommodate many different people and their varied interests. Trying to imagine all possible uses and adaptations is an overwhelming exercise, which is why manufacturers typically group predicted actions into broad, wide-reaching categories. General Motors considers three areas of use: productivity (email, work), relaxation (read a book, take a nap), and social (interacting with the vehicle or other individuals). Volvo adopted a similar approach for its 360c concept, an autonomous pod built for four scenarios: living room, office, party, and sleeper. The autonomous cabin will amplify whatever parts of life accompany you into it, becoming a spa-like oasis after work, a rolling wet bar for a party on the move, or a bottomless media trough.
The inside of the Mercedes F 015 is a blend of Apple store and high-end hair salon.
Humans stream 500 million hours of YouTube content every day. “It’s clear that users will continue this behavior in their autonomous vehicles’ personal space,” despite voiced desires to relax or work while not driving, says Jose Wyszogrod, chief designer of interior styling and UX/UI for Honda R&D Americas. If he’s right, hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
An interior uncorrupted by greedy perversions sounds much nicer, if we let ourselves have it. Wyszogrod sees it as a social space that a wanderlust generation uses for learning and discovery. Sofia Lewandowski, interior and UX designer at Hanseatische Fahrzeug Manufaktur GmbH in Berlin, sees an interior that celebrates connectedness and equality and brings new freedoms to individuals with limited mobility. “We all age into disabilities,” she says. “Designing for the disabled is including all.”
Hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
Mercedes-Benz’s Sinkwitz sees handcrafted woodwork and luminous metals that remind occupants of the analog world they left behind, and ArtCenter College of Design student Santiago Diaz thinks augmented and virtual reality will be digital veils that help us interact with cars in ways we can’t yet fathom, if you can stomach the motion sickness.
“I think we’re going to discover a lot of that, the fact that you have glass around you, showing things whizzing by you,” Infiniti’s Habib says. Maybe windows will be replaced by energized glass, projecting images of the outside world via a 360-degree camera, darkening to opaque when you ask.
Autonomy faces a lot of these odd obstacles. Gesture control, for example, will be a building block of the interior, but it won’t be intuitive to use if you’re traveling abroad because different countries use different body language. But right now no one really cares about those obstacles because autonomy has much bigger issues to overcome and a lot of tough questions in need of good answers sooner rather than later.
The BMW Vision iNext displays images on its Jacquard-weave rear bench through “intelligent projection.”
For instance, how do we protect personal privacy in a complex, hyperconnected world? Will there be global compatibility between competing digital devices, and will in-vehicle Wi-Fi and other entertainment outlets require paid subscriptions separate from what you already have and pay for in your home? Will seat belts indeed be nixed, and who’s at fault if your autonomous car causes a crash? Will politicians embrace or smother autonomy? The list of unknowns that must be dealt with is exhaustive.
“Legislation regarding liability, unconventional seating positions, and alternative-use cases are frequently being discussed but not yet defined on paper,” Yanfeng’s Shih says. “Designers and manufacturers are operating in a gray zone between legislation and speculation. This ambiguity has given designers greater latitude and, from the creativity standpoint, has already unleashed refreshing new thoughts and philosophies around the automotive interior.”
Today, freethinkers unconcerned with convention can disrupt and inspire and be wrong without any real consequence because maybe their dream becomes a reality in the new automotive era. “It’s fantastic to be able to think that our generation could really be the one that changes the way you live in a product that’s more than 100 years old,” Habib says, “but it’s daunting, definitely. There’s a big chance of failure with all the startups and all the established companies creating new things. Some are going to win, and some are going to lose.”
Motivo Engineering CEO Praveen Penmetsa says the company that delivers the most engaging mobility experience will rule the automotive world. “However, we don’t know what that secret combination is yet,” he is quick to point out. “The interior of the automobile will dominate our lives and will be our work desk, play space, creative blank sheet. The car will be more integral than ever before, not less like some people are saying. We’ll work more in cars, have more fun, and will have more life experiences in a car than we could have ever imagined.”
IFTTT
0 notes
Text
Inside the Cocoon: What to Expect from Automated-Vehicle Interiors
We don’t know when the autonomous-vehicle revolution will start, how it will look, or what to expect—apart from a tangled mess of red tape and legalese—but we know it will inspire change, like any worthwhile revolution. In the case of the automotive interior, it’s not difficult to imagine the metamorphosis it will soon undergo will be its most dramatic since inception.
“The traditional automotive interior is built around the driver and the steering wheel for the best possible control and view of the vehicle’s surroundings,” says Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s executive director of design. “The autonomous interior, however, is based on the passenger’s needs. The autonomous interior gives passengers time to do what they want while getting where they want to go.”
Manufacturers and suppliers are on the scent, early in development of basic passenger cocoons that coddle and encourage free play. No idea is too perverse, audacious, or unrealistic, and no one knows what will stick. Some manufacturers refuse to comment on the subject at all because they see no point in discussing something in such flux. Others are less timid, wandering eagerly through undefined space as they engineer solutions to never-before-seen problems posed by the six graduated levels of automated driving that range from Level 0 to 5.
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space.
As the revolution arrives in stages, so will aspects of the next-generation interior, first in semi-autonomous vehicles that don’t appear all that different from today’s automobiles. They drive among us even now: Cadillacs with Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benzes with Drive Pilot, Teslas with Autopilot, and Volvos with Pilot Assist offer stints of autonomous driving with occasional human inputs. Tesla designed its Model 3 from the outset to be an “open, liberating space” with fewer physical buttons and controls so it would be upgradeable and hopefully avoid obsolescence in an autonomous world.
The VW I.D. Vizzion (pictured above), Volvo 360c, BMW Vision iNext, and Mercedes-Benz F 015 showcase open-concept autonomous interiors with similar layouts but different aesthetics.
All semi-autonomous cars require means by which to steer. A number of automakers have released concept cars with retractable steering wheels that automatically fold up and store themselves during autonomous driving scenarios, freeing up precious interior space. Mercedes’ director of interior design, Hartmut Sinkwitz, wonders if we need a steering wheel at all. “Maybe we only need a joystick or something that gives you a perfect interaction to really conduct or to really steer and control the car,” he says. “Just yesterday I was test-driving a car with joysticks and enjoyed it very, very much.”
We’ll control whatever steering appendage from the comfort of a three-axis seat that twists and slides through the cabin to support both active driving and autonomous relaxation. The seats might articulate, according to Motivo Engineering, a Southern California-based product design and engineering firm. A fabric skin will stretch over a “flexible skeleton,” and the seats will shapeshift depending on use. Domagoj Dukec, head of design for BMW i and M, says the movable seat won’t debut until the “seat belt issue” is resolved: Will cars be so predictably safe that there’s no need to buckle up? “We’d need a highly intelligent airbag system that will know immediately how each individual passenger is sitting at that particular moment,” he says. “The foldaway steering wheel tech will be the extent of things for the time being.”
Infiniti’s design boss Karim Habib believes the first step toward the ideal autonomous interior is simplification: strip away excess to create a warm, minimalistic space. He also believes black slabs of touchscreen will be difficult to interact with in the changing interior of a self-driving car and that screens have to “be much more organic, blend into the environment—actually have the screen adapt to the space and be used in the space.” Some screens will be subtle, like Continental Corporation’s “see-through” A-pillar concept, which wraps bendable OLED screens around a car’s roof pillars to reveal, via camera, whatever occupies the not-so-blind spot.
Unconvincing models discuss 2024’s business trends in the Volvo 360c’s rolling office, which also features a full-size bed.
Other screens will be less subtle. “Energized glass coupled with augmented reality opens up new opportunities for connection,” says Chris Rockwell, founder and CEO of Lextant, a user-experience and design consultancy. “Imagine the windscreen becoming a window to the world. You drive through a new city, see where relevant services are located, get information on history and culture, and then use virtual-reality services to tour the sites en route.”
The keystone of any successful semi- or fully autonomous interior will be a seamlessly integrated user interface (UI), i.e., non-sentient artificial intelligence (AI) working in conjunction with finely tuned voice and gesture controls. Without a thoughtfully developed, intuitive system for two-way, human-to-machine conversation, there will be no relationship, no trust. User-experience (UX) designers research potential customers to better understand and empathize wants and whims in hopes of breathing life into a UI that understands routines, habits, emotions, and desires.
“The interior of the future needs to be about psychology as much as technology,” Rockwell says. “The goal is for the experience as a whole to not only meet needs but to anticipate them, inspiring connection, collaboration, and relaxation.” But the hardware and software developed for autonomy will go to waste if an interior can’t sympathize with its occupants, who will likely be understandably wary of the “ghost” driver.
The VW I.D. Vizzion comes with a “Hololens by Microsoft” for augmented reality fun.
That trust won’t come easily, but Tim Shih, vice president of design for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, believes the transitional period preceding full automation will be surprisingly short because vehicles built to accommodate both driving and non-driving scenarios will inherently compromise both.
With the mass adoption of Level 5 automation, expect to see a shift from traditional interior to living environment, where higher roofs allow more fluid movement, consoles rearrange on the go, and automatic lighting reflects the mood; an integrated sensor pack will monitor your temperature, heart rate, actions, and more, and share that information with the AI. “The manufacturer may choose to provide more of a blank canvas than a beautiful completed painting,” Shih says, “and the passengers and users could then determine what happens in this space as much as—if not more so than—the manufacturer themselves.”
That blank canvas will be most common because fully autonomous vehicles will generally be of the shared-use variety and need to accommodate many different people and their varied interests. Trying to imagine all possible uses and adaptations is an overwhelming exercise, which is why manufacturers typically group predicted actions into broad, wide-reaching categories. General Motors considers three areas of use: productivity (email, work), relaxation (read a book, take a nap), and social (interacting with the vehicle or other individuals). Volvo adopted a similar approach for its 360c concept, an autonomous pod built for four scenarios: living room, office, party, and sleeper. The autonomous cabin will amplify whatever parts of life accompany you into it, becoming a spa-like oasis after work, a rolling wet bar for a party on the move, or a bottomless media trough.
The inside of the Mercedes F 015 is a blend of Apple store and high-end hair salon.
Humans stream 500 million hours of YouTube content every day. “It’s clear that users will continue this behavior in their autonomous vehicles’ personal space,” despite voiced desires to relax or work while not driving, says Jose Wyszogrod, chief designer of interior styling and UX/UI for Honda R&D Americas. If he’s right, hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
An interior uncorrupted by greedy perversions sounds much nicer, if we let ourselves have it. Wyszogrod sees it as a social space that a wanderlust generation uses for learning and discovery. Sofia Lewandowski, interior and UX designer at Hanseatische Fahrzeug Manufaktur GmbH in Berlin, sees an interior that celebrates connectedness and equality and brings new freedoms to individuals with limited mobility. “We all age into disabilities,” she says. “Designing for the disabled is including all.”
Hungry advertisers and content providers will find a way to stream nonstop ads and entertainment to insatiable passengers, who will blindly agree to “all terms and conditions” as they do today.
Mercedes-Benz’s Sinkwitz sees handcrafted woodwork and luminous metals that remind occupants of the analog world they left behind, and ArtCenter College of Design student Santiago Diaz thinks augmented and virtual reality will be digital veils that help us interact with cars in ways we can’t yet fathom, if you can stomach the motion sickness.
“I think we’re going to discover a lot of that, the fact that you have glass around you, showing things whizzing by you,” Infiniti’s Habib says. Maybe windows will be replaced by energized glass, projecting images of the outside world via a 360-degree camera, darkening to opaque when you ask.
Autonomy faces a lot of these odd obstacles. Gesture control, for example, will be a building block of the interior, but it won’t be intuitive to use if you’re traveling abroad because different countries use different body language. But right now no one really cares about those obstacles because autonomy has much bigger issues to overcome and a lot of tough questions in need of good answers sooner rather than later.
The BMW Vision iNext displays images on its Jacquard-weave rear bench through “intelligent projection.”
For instance, how do we protect personal privacy in a complex, hyperconnected world? Will there be global compatibility between competing digital devices, and will in-vehicle Wi-Fi and other entertainment outlets require paid subscriptions separate from what you already have and pay for in your home? Will seat belts indeed be nixed, and who’s at fault if your autonomous car causes a crash? Will politicians embrace or smother autonomy? The list of unknowns that must be dealt with is exhaustive.
“Legislation regarding liability, unconventional seating positions, and alternative-use cases are frequently being discussed but not yet defined on paper,” Yanfeng’s Shih says. “Designers and manufacturers are operating in a gray zone between legislation and speculation. This ambiguity has given designers greater latitude and, from the creativity standpoint, has already unleashed refreshing new thoughts and philosophies around the automotive interior.”
Today, freethinkers unconcerned with convention can disrupt and inspire and be wrong without any real consequence because maybe their dream becomes a reality in the new automotive era. “It’s fantastic to be able to think that our generation could really be the one that changes the way you live in a product that’s more than 100 years old,” Habib says, “but it’s daunting, definitely. There’s a big chance of failure with all the startups and all the established companies creating new things. Some are going to win, and some are going to lose.”
Motivo Engineering CEO Praveen Penmetsa says the company that delivers the most engaging mobility experience will rule the automotive world. “However, we don’t know what that secret combination is yet,” he is quick to point out. “The interior of the automobile will dominate our lives and will be our work desk, play space, creative blank sheet. The car will be more integral than ever before, not less like some people are saying. We’ll work more in cars, have more fun, and will have more life experiences in a car than we could have ever imagined.”
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Africa Two Wheelers Market is Anticipated to Grow at a CAGR of 9.1% During the Forecast Period (2016-2024)
According to Goldstein Research, Algeria and Morocco are the largest two-wheelers market in Africa owing to the well establishes and rapidly developing automotive industries; together accounted for more than 80% of new two-wheelers sales in 2016. Observing current sale trends in Africa, it is projected that Africa two-wheeler market could reach up to 10 million units in the next 15 years. Moreover, the lower disposable income of the African population and the high cost of new vehicles, motorcycles and second-hand passenger cars dominate Africa's automotive retail sector. Africa two-wheelers Market Outlook also includes product development, technological advancements and investment strategies adopted by major market players in order to expand their business across the globe.
Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/africa-two-wheelers-market-outlook-2024-regional-opportunity-assessment-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024
Market Segmentation
On the basis of our in-depth analysis, Africa two-wheelers market can be segmented as follows:
By Vehicle Type
Motorcycles
Scooters
Mopeds
By Fuel Type
Gasoline
Electric
Based on Geography
North America (U.S. & Canada) two-wheelers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}
Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina & Rest of Latin America) two-wheelers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}
Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden &RoE) two-wheelers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}
Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) two-wheelers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}
The Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) two-wheelers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}
Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/africa-two-wheelers-market-outlook-2024-regional-opportunity-assessment-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024
“Africa Two wheelers Market Outlook 2024” embodies a comprehensive overview of the Africa two-wheelers market. On the basis of our painstaking study, the market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by vehicle type and by fuel type.
Further, for the detailed analysis, Africa Two wheelers Market Analysis Report encompasses the industry growth drivers, market challenges, risk analysis, market attractiveness, BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, Porter’s five force model and SWOT analysis. This market report also includes competitive outlook of some of the major players profiling of companies such Honda Motors, Yamaha Motor Company Limited, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine Company, Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., Hero Motocorp Ltd., TVS Motor Company, Bajaj Auto Limited, Suzuki Motor Corporation etc.The major company profiles contain business strategy, major information, regional revenue distribution of the companies which encompasses business outlook, products, services, and industries catered, financial analysis of the company and recent developments.
Overall, the report represents the Africa two-wheelers market trends along with a market forecast that will help industry consultants, technology providers, existing companies probing for enlargement opportunities, new players searching potentials and other investors to align their market-centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.
Key questions answered in this Africa two-wheelers market report
What is the Africa two-wheelers market Size by 2024 and what would be the expected growth rate of the industry?
What is the overall revenue per segment and geography in 2015-16 and what would be the projected revenue per segment and region over the forecast period?
What are the two wheelers market trends?
What are the factors which are driving this industry?
What are the major barriers to two-wheelers industry growth?
What are the market opportunities for the current and entry-level players?
What are the new developments and key business strategy adopted by key players?
About Goldstein Research
Based in the US, Goldstein Research currently has a strong presence in the American and Asian countries. In the next five years, we strive to expand our reach to 50+ nations spanning across Europe, Asia and parts of the Middle East and Africa. We strive to realize a strong brand presence globally through our quality research and forecasting solutions.
Our mission is simple: to develop insightful business solutions, help our clients make powerful future decisions to keep them well ahead of the game which is the industry, and leave a mark across businesses and communities through our well-defined ideas and clear cut forecasts.
Our market research reports provide in-depth analysis of global and regional variations along with competitors’ overview.
Our analysts working on automotive industry market research report to help various tech-giants, tech start-ups and entry players to assess the current and upcoming business scenario. We believe in vigorous examination of the current industry scenario and build around creative ideas and approaches that are most suitable to our clients’ needs and business agenda.
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Jake Bright Contributor
Jake Bright is a writer and author in New York City. He is co-author of The Next Africa.
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The market
Since the recession, America’s motorcycle sector has been in the doldrums. New bike sales have dropped roughly 50 percent since 2008—with sharp declines in ownership by everyone under 40. [Chart: MOTOSALES] Most of the market is now aging baby-boomers, whose “Live to Ride” days are winding down.
Two bright spots in the space are women and resales. Females are one of the few growing U.S. ownership market segments. And per an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, total motorcycles on the road actually increased from 2008 to 2017, though nearly 75 percent of registrations are for bikes over 7 years old.
So Americans are buying motorcycles, but for some reason not choosing new ones.
On the e-moto front, two-wheel gas manufacturers have mostly stagnated around EV concepts. None of the big names—Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW—offer a production electric street motorcycle in the U.S.
Harley Davidson jolted the industry in February by committing to produce an EV for sale by August 2019.
On U.S. e-motorcycle sales, Global Market Insights (GMI) recently tallied 2017 combined American e-scooter and moto sales at 245K units worth $155M. Following worldwide trends, GMI projects that to grow to 598K and $304M by 2024, with the share of U.S. e-motorcycles to scooters increasing.
The startups and motorcycles
Alta, Energica, and Zero have niche markets for their unique tech and design.
Italy’s Energica is targeting the high performance, higher priced superbike segment. On disrupting existing market leaders such as Ducati or Kawasaki, “Of course we want to do that,” CEO Livia Cevolini told me.
Energica offers three models in the U.S.: the EVA ($26,240), EVA ESSEESSE9 ($24,940) and top line 145 horsepower, 150mph EGO ($26,460).
All three share innovative features, including a patented cooling system to optimize performance of their motors and high energy lithium polymer batteries.
08-01-2017 Torino, calcio campionato serie a Tim, gara Juventus-Bologna, nella foto: .photo damiano fiorntini
Energica’s proprietary Vehicle Control Unit syncs to a digital dash and MYEnergica app. The VCU regulates everything from power output and preset riding modes to ABS and regenerative braking.
As a member of the ChargePoint EV network, Energica integrates the group’s 20 minute DC Fast Charging tech “because if want to ride Saturday with your sport bike friends nobody is going to wait 2 hours for you to charge,” said U.S. CEO Stefano Benatti.
He explained the company is expanding its American dealer network from San Francisco, to Chicago, Florida, and New York. Energica is also entering racing. Its EGO motorcycle was named the class bike for FIM’s 2019 Moto-e World Cup.
Brisbane, California based Alta Motors focuses primarily on producing electric powered off-road machines. Four of Alta’s five models—including the three that are street legal—are specialized for dirt riding. The MX and Redshift MXR motorcycles are full on motocross racers.
The startup has raised $45M and counts Tesla co-founders Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard among its investors.
From a design perspective Alta’s two-wheelers are distinctly minimalist and produce significant power to weight. “We pioneered a new approach to building 18650 based packs,” Chief Product Officer Marc Fenigstein told TechCrunch—referring to the lithium-ion battery cells used by Tesla.
Alta recently launched its second generation—waterproof, 350 volt, 66 pound—battery. “That pack gives us unique…range per pound for a battery pack and unique economics, not just for the world of electric motorcycles…but pretty much everything smaller than a passenger car,” he said.
Fenigstein estimated “the premium off-road motorcycle market is bigger than people think, at [roughly] $2BN.” He would not divulge Alta Motors revenue or sales figures.
Shortly after their EV commitment, Harley Davidson took an (undisclosed) equity stake in Alta, along with a board seat, and entered into a co-development partnership.
Alta’s CEO revealed Harley’s recent EV announcement “isn’t the program we’re working on”, but confirmed the Alta-HD partnership “should result in a motorcycle.”
Of the three startups, Scotts Valley, California based Zero Motorcycles has the widest market and model breadth. The company has six base models, three with dual sport capabilities, distribution in 30 countries, and had sales of $90M in 2017 (according to GMI—Zero wouldn’t confirm revenue data).
“We’re the number one full sized electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world. We sell more every year than all our competitors combined,” CEO Sam Pascheltold TechCrunch—though Zero did not provide exact figures.
Like Alta, Zero manufactures its EVs in the USA. The startup’s ZForce battery connects to an internal magnet driven motor. Both are governed by a proprietary Main Bike Board (MBB) processor “the brain…that houses all of our algorithms,” said Zero’s VP for Product Development Brian Wisman.
“The specific energy that’s achieved on Zero’s lithium ion batteries is far greater than anything achieved by automotive EVs right now,” he said.
Zero motorcycles connect via Bluetooth to an app that allows riders to monitor and adjust performance from devices. The company’s EV’s can be fast charged from charging stations or by plugging into the same home outlet that powers your toaster.
In addition to citizen motorcyclists, Zero has started specialized fleet sales to the U.S. military and police departments.
The ride
I got a chance to test models from all three companies. The most significant distinctions between their e-motos and gas two-wheelers are power delivery and no shifting.
Zero, Alta, and Energica’s machines are fully automatic—no clutch or gears.
Simply flick the on switch and twist the throttle to go. When you do an immediate and uninterrupted stream of voltage powered torque launches you forward. The wind is louder than the motor—though each e-motorcycle has a distinct sound—and when you stop there’s silence.
Energica’s big battery acceleration is akin to striking a lightning bolt to the pavement. Alta’s lightweight RedShift MXR is quick, nimble, and flight capable on a motocross track. And Zero’s SR feels distinctly balanced across power, performance, and rideability. I didn’t find myself misting gas motorcycles at any point of the tests.
The biz play
Energica, Alta, and Zero face their own steep climbs to profitability—and the e-moto space has already seen two flops in Mission Motorcycles’ collapse and Brammo sputtering out.
“We do have a burn rate. Like any sub-scale EV manufacturer such as Tesla, we are pre-profit,” said Zero CEO Sam Paschel. “The way to win is scale.”
And while these electric startups probably can’t revive new U.S. motorcycles sales to seven-figures annually—that would take 12 years of five percent growth—they could play a role in transforming the global motorcycle industry.
As their models close gaps on price, performance, weight, recharge times, and ride distance—Zero, Alta, and Energica could shift the market from gas to electric.
Their tech appeal and simplicity to ride could bring more first-time and younger riders into motorcycling, including women.
This — and Harley’s EV production commitment — could pressure the likes of Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati to produce electric motorcycles sooner.
These factors (and regulatory tailwinds) could thrust Alta, Zero, and Energica into an active space for partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Their compact, lightweight technology has application for other non-auto, non-motorcycle e-mobility solutions.
Growing competitive pressure and a shift in two-wheel consumer preferences could also make Energica, Zero, and Alta acquisition targets for mainline motorcycle manufacturers.
That’s a lot of speculation, but the big gas manufacturers are apparently watching. “Since Harley’s EV announcement, three of the big motorcycle companies bought one of our bikes,” an exec from one of the startups told me on background.
“We’d like to think they’re just curious to ride our e-motos, but more than likely it’s to break them down and study the tech,” the exec said.
via TechCrunch
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Jake Bright is a writer and author in New York City. He is co-author of The Next Africa.
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Three e-mobility startups are accelerating into the U.S. motorcycle market.
Italy’s Energica and California based Alta Motors and Zero Motorcycles have revved up promotion, distribution, and sales.
You may see their machines zip by on American roads before the big two-wheel gas powered companies get EVs to showroom floors.
These startups could reboot U.S. motorcycle sales while shifting the global motorcycle industry toward electric.
The market
Since the recession, America’s motorcycle sector has been in the doldrums. New bike sales have dropped roughly 50 percent since 2008—with sharp declines in ownership by everyone under 40. [Chart: MOTOSALES] Most of the market is now aging baby-boomers, whose “Live to Ride” days are winding down.
Two bright spots in the space are women and resales. Females are one of the few growing U.S. ownership market segments. And per an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, total motorcycles on the road actually increased from 2008 to 2017, though nearly 75 percent of registrations are for bikes over 7 years old.
So Americans are buying motorcycles, but for some reason not choosing new ones.
On the e-moto front, two-wheel gas manufacturers have mostly stagnated around EV concepts. None of the big names—Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW—offer a production electric street motorcycle in the U.S.
Harley Davidson jolted the industry in February by committing to produce an EV for sale by August 2019.
On U.S. e-motorcycle sales, Global Market Insights (GMI) recently tallied 2017 combined American e-scooter and moto sales at 245K units worth $155M. Following worldwide trends, GMI projects that to grow to 598K and $304M by 2024, with the share of U.S. e-motorcycles to scooters increasing.
The startups and motorcycles
Alta, Energica, and Zero have niche markets for their unique tech and design.
Italy’s Energica is targeting the high performance, higher priced superbike segment. On disrupting existing market leaders such as Ducati or Kawasaki, “Of course we want to do that,” CEO Livia Cevolini told me.
Energica offers three models in the U.S.: the EVA ($26,240), EVA ESSEESSE9 ($24,940) and top line 145 horsepower, 150mph EGO ($26,460).
All three share innovative features, including a patented cooling system to optimize performance of their motors and high energy lithium polymer batteries.
08-01-2017 Torino, calcio campionato serie a Tim, gara Juventus-Bologna, nella foto: .photo damiano fiorntini
Energica’s proprietary Vehicle Control Unit syncs to a digital dash and MYEnergica app. The VCU regulates everything from power output and preset riding modes to ABS and regenerative braking.
As a member of the ChargePoint EV network, Energica integrates the group’s 20 minute DC Fast Charging tech “because if want to ride Saturday with your sport bike friends nobody is going to wait 2 hours for you to charge,” said U.S. CEO Stefano Benatti.
He explained the company is expanding its American dealer network from San Francisco, to Chicago, Florida, and New York. Energica is also entering racing. Its EGO motorcycle was named the class bike for FIM’s 2019 Moto-e World Cup.
Brisbane, California based Alta Motors focuses primarily on producing electric powered off-road machines. Four of Alta’s five models—including the three that are street legal—are specialized for dirt riding. The MX and Redshift MXR motorcycles are full on motocross racers.
The startup has raised $45M and counts Tesla co-founders Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard among its investors.
From a design perspective Alta’s two-wheelers are distinctly minimalist and produce significant power to weight. “We pioneered a new approach to building 18650 based packs,” Chief Product Officer Marc Fenigstein told TechCrunch—referring to the lithium-ion battery cells used by Tesla.
Alta recently launched its second generation—waterproof, 350 volt, 66 pound—battery. “That pack gives us unique…range per pound for a battery pack and unique economics, not just for the world of electric motorcycles…but pretty much everything smaller than a passenger car,” he said.
Fenigstein estimated “the premium off-road motorcycle market is bigger than people think, at [roughly] $2BN.” He would not divulge Alta Motors revenue or sales figures.
Shortly after their EV commitment, Harley Davidson took an (undisclosed) equity stake in Alta, along with a board seat, and entered into a co-development partnership.
Alta’s CEO revealed Harley’s recent EV announcement “isn’t the program we’re working on”, but confirmed the Alta-HD partnership “should result in a motorcycle.”
Of the three startups, Scotts Valley, California based Zero Motorcycles has the widest market and model breadth. The company has six base models, three with dual sport capabilities, distribution in 30 countries, and had sales of $90M in 2017 (according to GMI—Zero wouldn’t confirm revenue data).
“We’re the number one full sized electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world. We sell more every year than all our competitors combined,” CEO Sam Pascheltold TechCrunch—though Zero did not provide exact figures.
Like Alta, Zero manufactures its EVs in the USA. The startup’s ZForce battery connects to an internal magnet driven motor. Both are governed by a proprietary Main Bike Board (MBB) processor “the brain…that houses all of our algorithms,” said Zero’s VP for Product Development Brian Wisman.
“The specific energy that’s achieved on Zero’s lithium ion batteries is far greater than anything achieved by automotive EVs right now,” he said.
Zero motorcycles connect via Bluetooth to an app that allows riders to monitor and adjust performance from devices. The company’s EV’s can be fast charged from charging stations or by plugging into the same home outlet that powers your toaster.
In addition to citizen motorcyclists, Zero has started specialized fleet sales to the U.S. military and police departments.
The ride
I got a chance to test models from all three companies. The most significant distinctions between their e-motos and gas two-wheelers are power delivery and no shifting.
Zero, Alta, and Energica’s machines are fully automatic—no clutch or gears.
Simply flick the on switch and twist the throttle to go. When you do an immediate and uninterrupted stream of voltage powered torque launches you forward. The wind is louder than the motor—though each e-motorcycle has a distinct sound—and when you stop there’s silence.
Energica’s big battery acceleration is akin to striking a lightning bolt to the pavement. Alta’s lightweight RedShift MXR is quick, nimble, and flight capable on a motocross track. And Zero’s SR feels distinctly balanced across power, performance, and rideability. I didn’t find myself misting gas motorcycles at any point of the tests.
The biz play
Energica, Alta, and Zero face their own steep climbs to profitability—and the e-moto space has already seen two flops in Mission Motorcycles’ collapse and Brammo sputtering out.
“We do have a burn rate. Like any sub-scale EV manufacturer such as Tesla, we are pre-profit,” said Zero CEO Sam Paschel. “The way to win is scale.”
And while these electric startups probably can’t revive new U.S. motorcycles sales to seven-figures annually—that would take 12 years of five percent growth—they could play a role in transforming the global motorcycle industry.
As their models close gaps on price, performance, weight, recharge times, and ride distance—Zero, Alta, and Energica could shift the market from gas to electric.
Their tech appeal and simplicity to ride could bring more first-time and younger riders into motorcycling, including women.
This — and Harley’s EV production commitment — could pressure the likes of Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati to produce electric motorcycles sooner.
These factors (and regulatory tailwinds) could thrust Alta, Zero, and Energica into an active space for partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Their compact, lightweight technology has application for other non-auto, non-motorcycle e-mobility solutions.
Growing competitive pressure and a shift in two-wheel consumer preferences could also make Energica, Zero, and Alta acquisition targets for mainline motorcycle manufacturers.
That’s a lot of speculation, but the big gas manufacturers are apparently watching. “Since Harley’s EV announcement, three of the big motorcycle companies bought one of our bikes,” an exec from one of the startups told me on background.
“We’d like to think they’re just curious to ride our e-motos, but more than likely it’s to break them down and study the tech,” the exec said.
from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2zQhMkH
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One growth stock I’m holding for the next decade
Saying that you intend to retain an investment for the next decade might come across as hyperbolic to some readers but that’s exactly what I’m planning to do with my holding in robotic automation software specialist Blue Prism (LSE: PRSM). Here’s why.
Comfortably ahead
Despite almost 15-bagging since April 2016, last week’s trading update (after the close of its financial year) did nothing to shake my belief that the company’s best days still lie ahead.
During the second half of the year, Blue Prism “continued to generate strong sales momentum” by adding 266 new customers (sourced via the company’s global partner channel) to its books. These include FTSE 100 utility giants National Grid and United Utilities. Motor company Honda, entertainment giant Sony Pictures and the Federal National Mortgage Association (otherwise known as Fannie Mae) also feature on the list. In addition to this, the company secured 181 upsells with existing customers and a further 13 renewals.
All told, this brings the total number of software deals over the financial year to a staggering 609. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Blue Prism’s full-year revenue is now expected to come in “comfortably ahead of current consensus expectations,” even if the business remains lossmaking at this stage.
Since its launch back in April, its Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) ecosystem and platform — designed to allow partners to “help enterprises build out best-of-breed solutions incorporating cutting-edge cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities” — has proved extremely popular. Giants like Google, IBM and Microsoft have all signed up.
With some of the world’s biggest companies now engaging with the AIM-listed business, it’s no wonder that the £900m cap was recently awarded the title of innovation of the year at the UK Tech Awards and named as one of MIT Tech Review’s 50 Smartest Companies for 2017.
Let your winners run
Given such massive gains, it’s understandable if some early investors are becoming rather nervous that the shares will lose momentum and profits could be lost if not taken.
Of course, this could happen. Nothing can ever be taken for granted when it comes to investing and no share rises in a straight line. Nevertheless — conscious of the tendency for investors to snatch profits — I’m prepared to take any volatility in my stride.
The robotic process automation market has been growing at a rapid pace over the last few years. It will surely only continue over the next decade as more companies wake up to the savings they could make by employing digital robots to perform mundane tasks and re-directing staff to more important duties that help firms to remain competitive. Indeed, according to a report from Global Markets Insights, the market is expected to hit £5bn in 2024. I think even this estimate could prove conservative.
Having doubled the number of staff and opened new offices in Tokyo, Bangalore and Sydney over the last year, it’s not hard to see why Blue Prism’s CEO Alastair Bathgate is so bullish when he stated that the company was looking forward to “another exciting year of growth“. Once the full potential of the RPA market is fully digested and success stories are shared, Blue Prism could easily emerge as a multi-billion pound company, in my view.
In short, I’m sticking with Blue Prism until 2027. Unless, of course, the company is acquired by deep-pocketed suitor at a satisfying premium.
Another great growth stock
If reading about Blue Prism has made you want to track down the best growth opportunities on the market, why not download a special report from Mark Rogers - the Fool's Head of UK Investing. He thinks this lifestyle brand's plans to go global could handsomely reward investors over time.
Mark's report is completely FREE to read and comes with no obligation whatsoever. Click here and get reading.
More reading
Last chance to buy IWG plc under £2?
Paul Summers owns shares in Blue Prism. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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