SAE Tomorrow Today

Ford Next is strengthening connections to consumers and defining the future of mobility. By integrating skill sets in consumer electronics, safety, regulation and public policy, it is expanding the Ford Motor Company outside of traditional automotive engineering to address the full spectrum of future mobility needs. It's Ford’s equivalent of going to the moon.

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Brought to life in late 2021, Ford Next is focused on accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles, prioritizing mobility services, and acting as a startup incubator. With Chet Dhruna, Head of Strategy & Business Planning, and Kristin Welch, Strategy & Operations, Ford Next is wasting no time exploring, seeding and scaling new technologies.

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Among its many future-focused initiatives, Ford Next has entered into a new venture with ADT called Canopy to outfit vehicles with high-tech security systems to help reduce burglary and theft. The team has also invested in Cavnue, the leading developer of roadway and infrastructure technology designed to accelerate automated vehicles, including a first-of-its-kind connected corridor in Michigan. In addition, Ford’s stake in autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI is part of the Ford Next ecosystem.

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For over 100 years, Ford Motor Company has been responsible for many firsts in technology and innovation. With the recent creation of Ford Next, Chet, Kristin and team will ensure there will be many more over the next 100 years —and getting it right means Chet’s 81-year-old father feels comfortable in an autonomous vehicle.

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The team at Carbon Revolution is going against some age-old advice—they’re reinventing the wheel. And they’re seeing results.

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Back in 2004, Dr. Ashley Denmead, Chief Technology Officer and Founder of Carbon Revolution, was part of the Formula SAE team at Deakin University in Australia. After building a too-heavy car the year prior, Ashley and his engineering team looked to save weight in the wheels. Their idea? Build them out of carbon fiber.

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Thus, the journey of Carbon Revolution began. Today, the company designs and manufactures some of the world’s most technically advanced and highest performing wheels on the planet, and one of the most advanced lightweight technologies on any car. There are more than 50,000 Carbon Revolution wheels on the road today, including on vehicles such as the Ford GT and the Ferrari F8 Spider.

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From four guys in a garage to 550 people in a 10,000 square-meter facility with Ford, Ferrari and General Motors among its customers, Carbon Revolution proves anything is possible with passion. Hear from Dr. Ashley Denmead on the company’s journey to success and the future of lightweight carbon fiber applications.

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Hydrogen fuel cell power is ready for takeoff.

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Imagine an aircraft without exhaust; the only emission is water. That’s what hydrogen fuel cell technology can do. From regional trips today to long-distance flights in the future, ZeroAvia is enabling scalable, sustainable aviation by retrofitting conventional engines with hydrogen-electric powertrains.

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As the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, the aviation industry is primed for change. Hydrogen-electric propulsion is the best way to scale sustainable aviation for commercial use as it offers longer flight range, lower maintenance costs, zero emissions and lower fuel costs. Fueled by recent partnerships with United Airlines and Alaska Air, ZeroAvia is pioneering the transition to clean aviation.

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Hear from James McMicking, Vice President of Strategy at ZeroAvia, on why the future of flight will be powered by hydrogen and how his company is developing robust standards alongside operators, airframers and infrastructure partners.

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As we look to the future of aviation, the evolution of standards related to hydrogen fuel cell power will play a key role in accelerating its adoption. If you’d like to get involved, please contact us at [email protected].

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The future of mobility is software-defined.

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For automakers, this means that vehicles will transition to a combination of software-centric computing systems on wheels. The key to unlocking this incredible opportunity is the capability to update vehicles instantly.

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Enabling this transformation is Jeffrey Chou, Co-Founder and CEO of Sonatus. With a proven track record of revolutionizing IT data centers, Jeff and his team are bringing to life an extensive array of advanced technologies and a cloud-connected in-vehicle infrastructure that is accelerating the OEM journey toward fully Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs).

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The Sonatus Digital Dynamics™ platform—which was recently integrated into the Hyundai Genesis GV60 —helps automakers create a foundation for dynamic SDVs that can evolve and adapt in real-time, empowering them to innovate faster, reduce complexity and costs, and become more agile. Along with this opportunity comes an increased focus on cybersecurity and data protection.

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Hear from Jeff on how SDVs will change the future of mobility, the importance of security and data protection amidst this shift, and how OEMs can differentiate themselves to increase competitiveness.

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Innovations are born on the racetrack.

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In the automotive industry, it’s common knowledge that racing has long had a meaningful impact on technological breakthroughs. From safety to engines to simulation, the racetrack acts as an incubator—and the engineers who support the drivers help bring these exciting innovations to life.

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Taking his aerospace engineering degree down an unexpected path, Eric Cowdin has made innovations as a Race Engineer for Chip Ganassi Racing™. As a graduate student, Eric found his way to the Formula SAE team and was immediately put in charge of the wing program, tasked with looking into the aerodynamic forces that help the car move fast while sticking to the road—a new undertaking for the team at the time.

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As his time with Formula SAE progressed, Eric developed a passion for motorsports, eventually going on to become part of the team that won the Indianapolis 500 in 2013. We sat down with Eric to discuss his journey into motorsports, his passion for racing, and what the future holds for the racing industry.

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Picture this: On-demand ridesharing services that take you above the traffic. Archer Aviation is making this vision a reality by unlocking a whole new dimension in transportation.

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Archer Aviation designs and develops electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts for use in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) networks. Their goal is to move people throughout congested cities in a quick, safe, sustainable, and cost-effective manner.

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The eVTOL aircraft can take off vertically like a helicopter and fly forward like an airplane, no runway required. A ride in their fully electric, battery-powered aircraft is approximately the same price per passenger mile as an UberX.

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Hear from Andrew Cummins, Director of Business Development at Archer, on the future of UAM, the company’s plan for commercial operations, and their early-launch partnerships with the cities of Los Angeles and Miami.

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Unrestricted, scalable and modular. These values are at the heart of REE Automotive’s work to provide complete design freedom for electric and autonomous vehicle manufacturers.

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As the automotive market shifts to an electrification-first approach, REE’s electric modular platforms enable automotive manufacturers, OEMs, delivery and logistic fleets, Mobility-as-a-Service providers, and new mobility players to design mission-specific EVs and AVs based on their exact business requirements faster and with lower cost.

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REE’s revolutionary technology packs critical vehicle components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into a single compact module, allowing for fully flat EV platforms with more room for passengers, cargo and batteries.

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Hear from Dr. Peter Dow, Vice President of Engineering at REE, on the future of mobility, including how his company is empowering innovation through no-fault engineering and how he sees start-ups transforming the legacy automotive world.

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Debuting August 1: SAE Connexion+, a new platform for members and volunteers designed with you in mind. Not a member or volunteer? Join us and put SAE’s tools and resources to work for you!

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We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today (and give us a review) on your preferred podcasting platform.

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Is your industrial vehicle fleet driving itself? It could be thanks to a ground-breaking partnership.

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For more than 70 years, Columbia Vehicle Group has manufactured electric vehicles that enable peak operational performance in transporting, carrying, and towing. When the company set out to find a partner in the autonomous vehicle technology space, they discovered Cyngn, a developer of innovative autonomous solutions for industrial and commercial enterprises.

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Together, Columbia and Cyngn are transforming Columbia Stockchasers with DriveMod, Cyngn’s full-stack autonomous driving solution. It combines software, hardware, artificial intelligence, and a variety of commercially available sensors to deliver self-driving solutions for both retrofit and new vehicles.

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Hear from Scott Breckley, President of Columbia Vehicle Group, and Ben Landen, VP of Business Development at Cyngn, on their industry-leading partnership and how autonomous technology and data insights can be used to enhance industrial workflows.

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Just park and charge. No cord required. That’s the future according to WiTricity, the global industry leader in wireless charging. 

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Powered by patented magnetic resonance technology, WiTricity is just as fast and efficient as a plug-in charger. With global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers incorporating this technology into their electric vehicle roadmaps, WiTricity is laying the foundation for worldwide standards that support wide-scale adoption.

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Alex Gruzen, WiTricity CEO, shares his perspective on how ending the hassle of charging will accelerate electric vehicle adoption and how WiTricity is at the forefront of advancements like bi-directional power and the dynamic charging of moving vehicles.

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It’s an exciting discussion on the future of mobility – one that is electric, shared and autonomous.

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As we look to the future, the evolution of standards related to wireless charging will play a key role in accelerating its adoption. SAE is building expert committees to address this need, including the Hybrid Wireless Charging J2954 Task Force. If you’d like to get involved, please contact us at [email protected].

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What if you had access to micron-size Legos that could build anything? It may sound like a dream from the future, but it’s happening now. From U.S. aircraft parts to medical implants, additive manufacturing is a nearly 30-year-old process that’s finally having its moment.

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By definition, additive manufacturing is the technology used to build 3-D objects layer-by-layer, no matter if the material is metal, plastic, concrete or even human tissue. From an industrial production perspective, it’s a transformative approach that reduces energy, cuts waste, decreases production time, and allows for greater design flexibility.

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John E. Barnes, Founder & Manager Partner of The Barnes Global Advisors, sat down to discuss the evolution of additive manufacturing, including Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood 91, the first development in the world to connect and condense all components of the 3-D printing supply chain into one powerful production ecosystem.

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As we look to the future, the evolution of standards related to additive manufacturing will play a key role in accelerating its adoption. SAE is building expert committees to address this need. If you’d like to get involved, please contact us at [email protected].

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