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* BMW, Intel, Mobileye strike driverless car tech pact
* Autonomous cars to hit the road by 2021
* Autonomous vehicle platform open to others (Adds comments from Mobileye chairman and Intel CEO)
By Edward Taylor
FRANKFURT, July 1 (Reuters) - BMW is teaming up with Intel and Mobileye to develop new technology for the auto industry that could put self-driving cars on the road by around 2021.
The alliance highlights a shift in the dynamics of research and development in the car industry, which until recently saw automakers largely dictating terms for suppliers to manufacture their proprietary technologies at specified volumes and prices.
Now carmakers are increasingly striking up partnerships with technology firms using open technology standards, seeking to harness their expertise in areas including machine learning and mapping as they race against Silicon Valley companies such as Google, Tesla and Apple to develop driverless vehicles.
"Highly autonomous cars and everything they connect to will require powerful and reliable electronic brains to make them smart enough to navigate traffic and avoid accidents," Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich said on Friday at a joint news conference announcing the alliance.
The three companies said their new platform would be made available to multiple carmakers and they expected vehicles with highly and fully-automated driving would be brought into mass production by 2021. It is too early to say which other carmakers would join the alliance, BMW Chief Executive Harald Krueger said at a news conference on the outskirts of Munich on Friday.
Sophisticated cruise control systems already enable "hands off" driving as cameras and computers allow cars to automatically brake, steer and accelerate in traffic at low speeds. But drivers are required to stay in control.
Now BMW, Intel and Mobileye will develop cars with even higher levels of automation described as "eyes off," "mind off," and "driver off". This requires much more computing power and software know-how, forcing traditional carmakers to collaborate more closely with technology specialists.
Both industries see huge revenue opportunities in the market for autonomous vehicles, although it is unclear how many drivers will be prepared to relinquish control and how quickly laws will be put in place to allow fully autonomous vehicles on the roads.
But creating common technology standards would help all manufacturers update their vehicles faster, Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich said."That will be critical for advancing the safety aspects of this."
A common approach to standards will also make it easier for regulators to understand and approve the roadworthiness of a vehicle while still leaving enough scope for individual car manufacturers to customise their cars, Mobileye Chairman Amnon Shashua said.
Beyond technological hurdles there are legal questions over who is responsible when a crash occurs. On Thursday, the driver of a Tesla Model S car, operating in Autopilot mode, was killed in a collision with a truck in the United States, prompting an investigation by federal highway safety regulators.
When asked about the crash, BMW CEO Harald Krueger said: "The accident is very sad .... We believe today the technologies are not ready for series production," he added, explaining the alliance had not forecast that until 2021.
"For the BMW group, safety comes first," he said.
As part of the new alliance, Intel, the world's largest computer chip maker which has been looking to expand into the automotive electronics market, will supply the microprocessors - or central processing units - to control an array of sensors.
Auto camera and software maker Mobileye will supply its Road Experience Management (REM) technology and make its latest EyeQ5 chip available to be deployed on Intel computing platforms.
The three companies said they would demonstrate their technology in a prototype in the near future.
(Additional reporting by Eric Auchard in London; Editing by Mark Potter, Greg Mahlich)
Volkswagen and LG agree joint development of an innovative connected car platform
The Volkswagen Group and LG Electronics have signed a memorandum of understanding on joint research and development of a next-generation connected car service platform.
Going forward, the two companies will work together on Volkswagen's Cross-Over-Platform, which is aimed at enhanced vehicle connectivity and convenience. Using the latest in cloud technology, it will offer drivers seamless digital access to extensive features such as smart home and location-based services.
Over the coming years, the two companies will be concentrating on:
• Developing technologies that bring together the connected car and the smart home
so that drivers are able to control and monitor smart devices in their homes —
such as lights, security systems and domestic appliances — from out on the road.
• Developing a context-sensitive notification centre that can deliver messages in an
intuitive and safe manner and provide optimised recommendations to the driver in
real time.
• Developing next-generation infotainment technology for connected cars.
Key LG Electronics executives present at the signing at Volkswagen Group headquarters included Richard Choi, Head of LG Cloud Center, and Lee Sang-yong, Head of LG Vehicle Infotainment System Research Lab. Representing Volkswagen were Prof. Thomas Form, Head of Electronics and Vehicle Research, and Robert Kattner, Head of Vehicle Information Systems, both of the Group Research Division.
"Volkswagen is pressing on with the digitalisation of its brands. Our focus in doing so is always on our customers. For them, comfort, safety and energy efficiency play a central role. LG is a strong, reliable partner in the implementation of new features and one of the drivers of innovation in the networked household. We look forward to working with LG and to developing in future simple, easy-to-use smart home solutions for our customers integrated into our vehicle systems," said Form at the official signing of the agreement.
"LG Electronics and Volkswagen are teaming up to develop the next generation of connected car platform that allows wide integration with smart home services and adoption of open IoT connectivity technologies," said Richard Choi. "We think LG's expertise in smart technology together with Volkswagen's leadership in the automotive sector will revolutionise the way drivers interact with their vehicles."
This agreement is an example of the long-standing relationship that LG and Volkswagen have developed over the years. LG was one of the first electronics companies to commit itself to the automotive industry. It has been supplying audio-visual products for vehicles since 2007, establishing a reputation for reliability and technological innovation.
In March in 2015, Volkswagen subsidiary Italdesign Guigiaro unveiled its GEA concept car at the Geneva Motor Show with seven key components supplied by LG Electronics, including the holographic display, connected smart watch, tail lights and rear camera. In July, LG was selected as Volkswagen's strategic electronics supplier and also listed as a partner company on its FAST (Future Automotive Supply Tracks) programme. At CES earlier this year, the two companies attracted great attention showcasing a smart home system that could be controlled remotely from the vehicle.
I colossi dell'auto sanno benissimo che di fronte ai giganti del tech come Apple e Google subirebbero solo disfatte, la differenza nella liquidità è enorme e il livello dì competitività è immenso.
Di conseguenza le alleanze con altri colossi sono necessari, BMW e' pronta a lanciare auto totalmente autonome a partire dal 2021, Vw ha firmato un'alleanza con LG per creare l'auto connessa.
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