AVL's Reimagine Mobility Podcast

In this episode of AVL's Reimagined Mobility Podcast, Phil Stephenson from PACCAR delves into the electrification and alternative propulsion systems for heavy-duty trucks, emphasizing the industry's shift towards reducing CO2 emissions. Stephenson brings his extensive experience in diesel engines, thermal management, and battery systems into a discussion that covers the challenges and strategies of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, the potential of hydrogen fuel cells, and the role of policy and industry collaboration in overcoming infrastructure and technological hurdles. This conversation provides deep insights into the future of sustainable heavy-duty transport and PACCAR's approach to navigating these changes.

Dr. Philip Stephenson is General Manager, PACCAR Technical Center. He has held this position since 2012.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Stephenson was Vice President, Exide Technologies. Before joining PACCAR, he worked as Director of Product Development and Engineering with A123 Systems where he led engineering teams in the US and Germany. Dr. Stephenson was also Chief Engineer for product development and validation at automotive supplier Behr and was instrumental in the expansion of Behr’s test facilities to support their North American automotive business.

Early in his career, Dr. Stephenson worked as a computational fluid dynamics simulation engineer at Mercedes Benz Research in Stuttgart, Germany, an engineering manager at Fluent Inc. (now Ansys) and an executive at CD-adapco (now Siemens)

At the PACCAR Technical Center, Dr. Stephenson leads teams responsible for product validation of Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks and for development, calibration and testing of PACCAR diesel and alternative fuel powertrains for North America.

Dr. Stephenson earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University.

PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of premium light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services, information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

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This week, we're venturing into the future of transportation with a special guest, Vivek, a leading innovator from Apex.AI. Together, we'll explore how cutting-edge technologies and visionary ideas are setting the stage for a revolution in mobility. Vivek's unique insights and experiences at Apex.AI provide a fascinating glimpse into the advancements shaping our travel tomorrow. 

Apex.AI aims to provide a robust, safety-certified middleware framework for companies to build their applications on top, allowing them to differentiate their vehicles based on the Apex middle layer. This allows OEMs to differentiate their vehicles based on the applications, regardless of the underlying hardware and operating system being used. By providing a safety-certified middleware framework, Apex.AI aims to provide a reliable platform for companies to build their applications and differentiate their vehicles.

 
Your journey into the next era of transportation begins here. Don't miss this insightful conversation that bridges dreams and reality in the mobility sector. Tune in to the Reimagined Mobility Podcast on your favorite streaming platform and witness the future unfold with Vivek and Apex.AI Join our community of innovators, thinkers, and explorers by following us on social media and sharing your thoughts on this episode. Ready for more? Subscribe to our series for a regular dose of inspiration and stay at the forefront of mobility innovation.

 
 Vivek is the Director of Business Development of Apex.AI. In his role, he leads the business development activity for Apex.AI in North America, enabling the transition of automotive and non-automotive OEMs to software-centric development by adopting a truly cutting-edge framework and methodology derived from the ROS open-source community.

Vivek is a pragmatic engineering and business professional, passionate about leveraging the power of software to solve real-world problems. During his early years in the automotive industry, he worked in the General Motors team that developed the first stability control system to make cars safer in tricky road conditions. In his subsequent roles at Bosch and AVL, he helped several automotive OEMs reach their goals of developing safe and reliable mobility solutions using innovative approaches, advanced development tools and safety-certified operating systems. During this time he also co-authored several SAE papers highlighting those methods and tools.

Vivek obtained a Management Certificate from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, a master’s degree in engineering from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology. 

https://www.apex.ai/

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

In this episode, of Reimagine Mobility, Stephan sits down with Jeff Varick, Founder and CEO of Brandmotion, LLC to discuss the impact of aftermarket products on the mobility sector.

Jeff Varick is Founder and CEO of Brandmotion, LLC, a Novi, Michigan-based vehicle safety systems development company focused on improving vehicle safety performance through retrofit and original equipment technology integration.  

Brandmotion is a developer of highly integrated vehicle retrofit safety solutions for the automotive aftermarket.   Brandmotion distributes OEM-quality advanced safety technology solutions under the Brandmotion brand through its North American network of over 2,500 installers, fleets and dealers. 

In addition, Brandmotion develops and supplies custom safety solutions for some of the nation’s largest commercial, specialty vehicle manufacturers and upfitters.  

Brandmotion is also a pioneer and market leader in integrating Connected Vehicle (CV) solutions to advance V2X communication technology to greater numbers of cars and trucks already on the road.  The company has served in the Vehicle Integrator role for over 40 US CV Deployments and has installed more V2X onboard units in vehicles in North America than any other entity.  As Vehicle Integrator, Brandmotion is responsible for all sourcing, verification, system integration, installation, and field support of the vehicles. 

 Brandmotion has won numerous awards from SEMA, the leading aftermarket association, including Manufacturer of the Year in 2016.  In 2017,  Jeff was honored by the SEMA PRO Council as Person of the Year for his leadership in leading the aftermarket into the Connected Vehicle era.    Jeff also serves on the Global Board of Directors of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). 

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

In this episode Stephan sits down with Joe Grace to discuss global mobility trends, the role of hybrids in the future, the next advancement in passenger vehicles, and differentiating between brands. 

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a growing category, with hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and range-extended electric vehicles featuring gas engine generators for electrical power. These vehicles have variable-sized batteries, ranging from the minimum to some in some cases. Larger batteries can provide the EV experience if the consumer plugs in and charges up while consuming the battery, allowing the gas engine generator to generate electrical power. The complex emission requirements and electrification issues make EVs challenging to achieve. Some manufacturers strive to achieve a fully electric solution with zero emissions while providing the necessary range. However, North America's truck market is particularly challenging, with pickup truck owners used to heavy payloads, towing, and long distances. The Cybertruck, a new offering from Ford and General Motors, aims to meet these consumer needs, but it is challenging to meet all their needs.

Manufacturers face challenges blending passenger cars with electric vehicles due to pressure on aerodynamics and energy efficiency. The general shape of sedans and crossover SUVs is similar, making it difficult to differentiate between them. The convergence of shape and performance is particularly challenging for electrified vehicles, which offer incredible performance numbers. To differentiate and maintain brand consistency while providing a unique experience, manufacturers must differentiate their products while still appealing to consumers.

Recently retired from Stellantis, Joseph M. Grace led the Physical and Functional Design & Integration organization. In this assignment Grace had responsibility for the global development of all Stellantis product programs from Concept Development, Virtual Engineering and Vehicle  Integration through final Validation across the 14 Stellantis brands. The group has responsibility for all segments and global markets.  Prior to this assignment, Grace led the Total Vehicle Integration organization at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles which led all vehicle development, integration and validation globally.

From 2018 to 2021, Grace was responsible for Maserati Product Development in Modena, Italy with full responsibility for Maserati and Alfa Romeo product programs. From 2012 to 2018 was responsible for Advanced Concepts and Platform Development at FCA.  In this position, Grace led the creation phase for all future vehicle programs and the development of new architectures to support global applications.  

Previously, he held the position of Vehicle Line Executive – Street and Racing Technology (SRT) and A/B Segment Vehicles, Chrysler Group. In this position, Grace was responsible for the engineering management of all current and future SRT vehicle platforms along with the on-track motorsports efforts for factory-supported motorsports teams.  Grace was also responsible for A/B Segment Vehicle Programs.

First joining the former Chrysler Corporation in 1985 as a product engineer, Grace led numerous product programs in Body Engineering, Vehicle Integration, Manufacturing and Program Management.

Grace holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Michigan (1992), a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn (1987) and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame (1985). 

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The Transportation and Power Systems division focuses on assisting in the transition to a decarbonized economy, specifically in mobility, electricity generation, and storage for mobility applications.

 Argonne is focusing on the reliability of electric vehicle charging, particularly DC fast charging, as a benchmark for the success rate of refueling. 

 There must be a paradigm shift in how we think about refueling versus recharging. Some see the potential for electric vehicles to be an additional drag on the grid. However, if electric vehicles are connected to the grid, distributed batteries could be leveraged as a resource to stabilize and provide services. This shift in thinking about electric vehicle charging is a significant step towards a more sustainable and efficient future.

 Further energy savings opportunities are available with connected and automated vehicles. Extensive analysis and experimental work is underway, focusing on the impact of automated vehicles on traffic around the eco vehicle. While eco vehicles may be fuel-efficient, overall energy consumption may increase if they disrupt traffic flow.

 The integration of AI, ADAS and ADS automated driving features has allowed for a more integrated view of systems of systems. Argonne is interested in how people engage with the system, as full automation is still a few years away. This could have larger energy implications than building the perfect system.

 The focus on energy savings is not limited to edge cases but extends to the everyday, mundane cases that occur repeatedly. The lab is interested in understanding how people might engage with the system, as this could significantly impact overall energy consumption. The lab's engineering teams are working to understand how people might engage with the system and make informed decisions about adopting eco vehicles.

Dr. Thomas Wallner is the director of Argonne National Laboratory’s Transportation and Power Systems (TAPS) division. His team leverages its groundbreaking experimental and analytical capabilities to accelerate the development of sustainable mobility and power technologies to achieve the aggressive U.S. decarbonization goals. TAPS focuses on conducting systematic and deep analyses of all sustainable mobility technologies for on-road vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty, non-road construction, agriculture, mining, rail, marine, and aviation sectors as well as decarbonizing stationary power generation, including combined heat and power systems. TAPS expertise and capabilities provide workforce development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative solutions for decarbonization that will support our nation’s transition to a cleaner and more sustainable transportation and power generation future that benefits everyone.

Thomas holds a M.S. and Ph.D. from Graz University of Technology, Austria, has published more than 100 peer-reviewed technical papers including 30 journal papers and several book chapters. He is an active Fellow Grade member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and has been serving as a session organizer and chair at several national and international conferences.

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

The automotive industry is expected to face challenges in meeting the same aggressive launch program processes and technological leaps as the consumer space. This shift in consumer demand for fast, iterative development will impact the automotive industry as people become accustomed to rapid technological advancements. This could affect companies' ability to release new products every three years.

In the future, the vehicle experience will be viewed as a mobility experience, extending personal preferences such as infotainment and navigation. This will transform into an entertainment, business, and communications space, with autonomous vehicles driving this shift. The future of vehicles will focus on these purposes, with interior electronics significantly maximizing space. Autonomous vehicles will open up endless possibilities, and electrification will play a significant role. The future of vehicles will offer a space for socializing, chatting, and eating while charging, transforming how we interact with the road.

Historically, vehicle purchases were based on engine size. However, with electrification, the focus is now on the in-vehicle experience, with luxury solutions providing an exhilarating experience. Consumers are making buying choices based on the overall vehicle experience, with significant increases in screens, display sizes, and functionalities available today.

In this episode, Stephan Tarnutzer sits down with Mike Kenhard, CTO and VP of Engineering for Alps Alpine to discuss topics surrounding consumer electronics in mobility, the way software changes our view of mobility, AI use today and key mobility technology markets.

Previously Mike has held roles as General Manager of XL Fleet (a commercial vehicle electrification company), and significant roles in leading engineering consultancies including President of IAV North America and as Engineering Director for AVL. Mike has also spent time with DENSO in both the US and Europe and with Ford of Europe.

Alps Alpine conducts business across three segments: Components, Sensors and Communication, and Modules and Systems. Our products and services tend to the needs of customers in many different sectors, including automotive, consumer electronics, mobile devices and gaming markets. We also look to break ground and expand our horizons in new application domains, such as industrial equipment and the Internet of Things.

https://www.alpsalpine.com/e/

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

Potential and great things characterize the hype cycle for technologies in the industry, but the market assumes a 100% solution in the next few years. Predictable incremental innovation drives primary adoption. This is due to end users' ability to absorb the technology, especially in off-highway spaces. The market is moving towards incremental functions that make machines more efficient and enable new operators to work better for extended periods. Automation is more relevant in the industry, and while there has been hype about autonomous cars, significant technological advancement is still needed for on-road autonomy. The Ag space is the most conducive to full or close to full autonomy, as it offers a combination of uninhabited environments, stability, and well-controlled environments. 

The triple technology challenge refers to the complex environment of alternative fuels, automation, and connectivity. The industry grapples with different diesel emissions levels, regulations, environmental conditions, and infrastructure. The impact on OEMs and customers is significant, as it may lead to new ways of going to market and business models, but it may also force changes in business models. This is the core of the industry's ongoing struggle with changing technologies.

There is a productivity opportunity from looking at systems in the farm and construction industry. Instead of looking at individual machines, we should look at how that machine interacts with the environment, other machines, and other processes.

abcg™ is a commercial vehicle advisory practice that offers unrivalled experience, deep industry knowledge and an external 360o perspective to clients, qualifying them to deliver accelerated, sustainable transformation that propels business performance from good to exceptional. Equally focused on delivering successful outcomes as well as conceiving strategy, abcg™ help to identity and remove points of friction and provide hands on support to implement the required change.

 Alan Berger is Managing Partner at abcg™, a commercial vehicle advisory practice.   Alan has over 30 years of international product development experience in the off-highway vehicle industry, much of which he gained through roles of increasing importance with Volvo Construction Equipment culminating in the role of Senior Vice President, Technology followed by Chief Technology Officer at CNH Industrial.   Alan also serves as Independent Director at Multi-Wing A/S in addition to being past board chair of the SAE ITC.

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

In this episode Stephan is joined by Mohammad Musa Founder and CEO of Deepen. Deepen provides the only safety-first full AI data tool suite for annotation, calibration & validation.

 Data adaptation is a crucial aspect of transforming sensor suites, enabling the interpretation and validation of data from various camera types and thermal sensors. The precision of this data adaptation is achieved through fine-grained pixel-level accuracy, allowing for multi-modal ability in light, camera, and radar over time.

 Balancing automation and human involvement is crucial for ensuring accurate results and minimizing mistakes. Considering economics while balancing automation and human input is essential to avoid potential errors.

 Automated quality checks and validation processes analyze AI and human actions across multiple runs, using heuristics and signals to create a workflow for productive labeling operations.

 To ensure return on investment, customers should ensure solid data collection and calibration, avoid garbage-in and garbage-out scenarios, and collect data that aligns with the vehicle's operation.

 Mohammad Musa started Deepen AI in January 2017 focusing on AI tools and infrastructure for the Autonomous Development & Robotics industries. Prior to Deepen, Mohammad was the head of Launch & Readiness at Google Apps for Work where he led a cross functional team managing product launches, product roadmap, trusted tester and launch communications. Before Google, Mohammad worked in software engineering and technical sales positions in the video games and semiconductor industries in multiple startups.

Deepen

Multi-sensor data labelling and calibration tools and services to accelerate computer vision training for autonomous vehicles, robotics and more.

-          Labelling accuracy, delivered fast with our in-house team

-          Special multi-sensor calibration bundle

-          Customizable solutions to suit your needs

The only safety-first full AI data tool suite for annotation, calibration & validation.

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

Stephan is joined by Tom Baroch, Sr. Director of Global Partnerships at Outrider to discuss the commercializing of AV/EV distribution yards and automating logistics. 

The distribution yard is a crucial link in the supply chain, serving as a transition point between warehouses and the open road for over 20 billion tons of freight annually. However, inefficiencies and unsafe manual tasks in these yards have led to bottlenecks in the supply chain. Over the past three years, these inefficiencies have led to diesel trucks idling in the yard, waiting for trucks or trailers, causing delays of up to four hours.

Yard trucks contribute significantly to the global carbon footprint, emitting 3.8 million tons of carbon dioxide. The future of yard operations is autonomous and electric, eliminating manual tasks for greater efficiency and safety. The private, confined space of yard operations is ideal for autonomy. Commercializing heavy-duty trucks with EV technology is a great place to start, reducing emissions and supporting the adoption of sustainable freight transportation. This aligns with forward-looking enterprises aiming to reduce emissions by having all-electric fleets in the next 10-20 years.

Automating a yard involves more than just an autonomous truck. Outrider's product is a comprehensive system that addresses operational challenges for customers. It includes a mission control dashboard allowing customers to control trucks and moves within their yards. The dashboard has an API that integrates with the customer's yard management system, directing trucks and trailers accordingly. They also handle deployment, infrastructure, and dock doors, making it a complete turnkey solution. Our focus on automation makes our product a winning solution.

The focus is on the system's overall throughput for the whole yard, not the speed of the trucks. The truck uses cameras and LiDARS to scan and geo-locate trailers, increasing efficiency continuously. The goal is to improve the total throughput of the yard, which can be operated with fewer yard trucks and with more accurate, safe, and efficient manual operations.

Tom Baroch is the Sr. Director of Global Partnerships at Outrider. He's responsible for designing, building and leading Outrider's supply chain and partnership ecosystem. Prior to Outrider, Tom spent over a decade developing and scaling supply chains that make mobility safer and cleaner at Bosch, Tesla and Waymo.

Outrider, the leader in autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, helps large enterprises improve safety and increase efficiency. The only company exclusively focused on automating all aspects of yard operations, Outrider works with logistics-dependent enterprises to eliminate manual tasks that are hazardous and repetitive. Outrider’s mission is to drive the rapid adoption of sustainable freight transportation by deploying zero-emission systems. With its customers representing over 20 percent of all yard trucks operating in North America, Outrider is a private company backed by NEA, 8VC, Koch 

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]

OEMs can differentiate themselves from competitors by customizing technologies like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to their needs and brand image; making it easy for customers to access and use these services is a differentiator. Building a platform on top of Apple or Google's technologies is a good option, but it requires much effort and resources. OEMs invest in making it a customer choice by providing onboard systems that can use CarPlay or Android Auto to help customers switch to connected services. The ease of access to these technologies allows OEMs to differentiate themselves.

The automotive industry needs to focus on updated ability and flexible software. This includes bridging the gap between consumer electronics and the automotive industry. However, upgrading hardware without adding complexity to the overall system is challenging. It isn't easy to achieve a universal platform across the industry.

Thomas Bock is the Sr. Engineering Manager at Porsche Digital Inc. where he guides engineering teams building Porsche’s next- generation digital products. Recently his team has launched two products: Apple® Maps EV Routing and My Porsche in Apple CarPlay®

Previously, Bock was the Director of Vehicle Integration & Testing at Samsung Smart Machines, a part of Samsung Electronics, that developed a full-stack SoC- based ADAS platform solution for Tier1s and OEMs. He led teams responsible for the integration of the platform into the development & test vehicles, the data collection software and data collection operation as well as the validation and verification of the platform through Software-in-the-Loop (SiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) to Vehicle-in-the-loop (ViL) testing. In addition, he contributed to the SAE/DIN spec. 91381 as well as to a handful of SAE EDGE™ Research Reports about automated driving simulation & testing, HD Maps, and In-Vehicle User experience.

Bock has 20+ years of experience within the automotive industry. Prior to joining Samsung and Porsche, he worked at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America (1998-2018) where he contributed on the original Mercedes prototype for Internet in the vehicle, wireless communication for safety and infotainment (early DSRC), connected navigation, first iPod integration and multiple telematics concepts for show cars.

Bock was part of the team that developed the Mercedes-Benz Apps and launched them as a product in 2011. In the years following the launch, he worked on expanding the services and bringing them to all carlines and markets. From 2014 on he worked on the specification and pre-development of HD Maps and Localization for the Level 3 Highway Chauffeur Mercedes product, that was successfully handed over for development to the engineering group in Germany and is now in current S-Class as Drive Pilot product. After that, he worked on the Daimler/ Bosch project for “Urban Automated Driving” where he led the team on HD Maps and services for Level 4 Automated Driving.

Bock is originally from Germany and earned his Dipl.-Ing. (U.S. equivalent - Master of Science) in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering from University of Siegen, Germany. 

·         Company -> https://www.porsche.digital/

If you would like to be a guest on the show contact: [email protected]