Although motorization and intelligence have brought endless possibilities to the automotive industry, the influx of technology companies and start-up companies will certainly bring enormous challenges to traditional automobile manufacturers and component suppliers. In order to obtain technological advantages and successfully achieve transformation in a highly competitive market environment, all companies have adjusted their strategic direction and increased investment in key areas to adapt to changes in market demand. In this regard, one of ZF ’s coping strategies is to establish a venture capital company to integrate industry advantages and occupy technological highlands.
Established venture capital to increase industrial chain ecological integration
At this year’s global media conference, ZF proposed the concept of “creating Vision Zero Ecosystem†and hopes to create higher product value through joint industry leaders. Therefore, ZF chooses leading companies to cooperate in different fields and hopes to achieve synergy. In May of this year, ZF and Foggia launched subversive and differentiated technical cooperation in the development of automotive interior systems and in the safety of autopilot applications; in June, ZF and Hella reached a strategic cooperation in sensors. In the technical field, especially the front camera system and the imaging radar system, close cooperation has been carried out to achieve mutual benefit.
In addition to its cooperation with traditional component suppliers, ZF has also invested in the micro-vehicle market. In May of this year, ZF plans to establish joint ventures with Magura, Brake Force One (BFO) and Unicorn Energy, and hopes to redefine the electric technology and safety technology of the mini vehicle subdivision business. In June, ZF signed an agreement with e.GO Moove, a joint venture between Zukunft Ventures GmbH, its subsidiary and e.GO Mobile AG, Germany, to establish a joint venture e.GO Moove, which is dedicated to the development of personnel and cargo automated transporters, and to production and sales.
Torsten Gollewski, general manager of Zukunft Ventures GmbH, a ZF venture capital company, said that he chose to set up a joint venture with startup e.GO Mobile AG because of its rapid technological development. In addition, the founder of e.GO Mobile AG is the founder of StreetScooter GmbH, the famous German electric vehicle company, Professor Günther Schuh. The success of StreetScooter also added weight to e.GO Mobile's preference for ZF.
Dr. Stefan Sommer (right), CEO of ZF (right) and Torsten Gollewski, general manager of Zukunft Ventures GmbH (left)
Choosing a company cooperation like e.GO Mobile is a reflection of Zukunft Ventures' investment philosophy. In order to establish a continuous cooperation agreement with external partners and experts in other fields, Zvezft Ventures GmbH was established by ZF and has officially launched its business in September 2016 to identify and invest in ZF-related technology companies. To fill the technological gap and gain a leading position in the fast market competition. Gollewski points out that compared to the size and time of creation, the company values ​​technology and ideas when it comes to choosing a partner company. In terms of investment, it is no longer limited, but it is flexible to adopt different investment methods for specific situations.
In addition, investment will not be subject to geographical restrictions, so Chinese companies are also within the scope of investment. Gollewski spoke with interest: “We actually found a lot of excellent Chinese companies, and in Shanghai, China, we also have branch offices that specialize in investment management. Once we discover small technology companies that are committed to developing ZF-related technologies, we will consider potential Cooperation possibilities."
In addition, Zukunft, a ZF subsidiary, has successfully invested in several companies in the past year alone. Among them, including the acquisition of 40% of the shares of each of lbeo Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. and software company doubleSlash. In an interview with ZF CEO Stefan Sommer on August 4th about ZF's financial results for the first half of 2017, ZF is currently fully prepared to undertake major acquisitions.
Hand in hand with e.GO Mobile--Electrification in one
According to the ZF Future Study's forecast in November last year, electric transporters with autonomous driving capabilities and used to transport people and goods will have great potential worldwide, especially in the urban center logistics market. For this type of forecast, ZF Zukunft Ventures GmbH and e.GO Mobile AG have established a joint venture, e.GO Moove, to develop, manufacture, and sell an automatic transporter for people and goods that combines electrification and automatic driving. At the beginning of this year, the first prototype transporter was exhibited at Aachen University of Technology in Germany.
In an interview with the Gasgoo reporter, Gollewski pointed out that “Autonomous driving technology will change the automotive market. In the future, not only can we see autopilot passenger cars on the road, but we can also see auto-piloted cargo transport vehicles. In the public transport field, people and goods will be The transportation tools integrated in transportation will be a major solution for future travel."
Prof. Günther Schuh, CEO of e.GO Mobile AG (right) and head of ZF's advanced engineering and design department, and at the same time Torsten Gollewski (left), General Manager of Zukunft Ventures GmbH, a ZF venture capital company, introduced personnel and freight transport Device. Self-driving vehicles will become a joint product of the e.GO Moove joint venture envisaged by ZF and e.GO.
As we all know, ZF is the world's leading supplier of transmission and chassis technology and active and passive safety technology. At the same time, it is also an absolute industry leader in the field of electric technology. The electric system will be an important component of ZF's investment in the joint venture company. In addition to electric systems, ZF also delivered advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), chassis and sensor fusion technologies for the joint venture. Among them, ZF ProAI, a scalable supercomputing controller jointly developed with Nvidia, will be incorporated into the e.GO transporter. The controller is based on vehicle-to-infrastructure artificial intelligence algorithms that can communicate with other vehicles and their surroundings and have learning capabilities. At the same time, ZF ProAI enables fleet operations to be safer and more efficient by integrating community intelligence. Currently, e.Go Mobile is working with Nvidia to develop and test the autopilot function of the e.GO transporter.
When talking about mass production planning of personnel and freight transporters, Gollewski said that the team is currently studying how to integrate ZF products into e.GO transports, such as braking systems, steering systems and autopilot functions, hoping to A new generation of e.GO transporter beta will be delivered in mid-2018. The initial version of this transporter can provide 9 seats, the remaining space can stand 6 people, but also adjust this design according to the needs of different markets. In addition, the interior of the transporter can provide a variety of options that suit the needs of consumers beyond the basic version.
Gollewski also gave a fairly positive answer to the question of whether the transport will introduce the Chinese market. "The Chinese market has great potential. The cooperation intention between us and Chinese investors also includes how to introduce this personnel and cargo transporter to China."
A big step towards "zero vision"
The theme of ZF’s global media conference in 2017 is On the Road to Vision Zero, and its “zero vision†is defined as “Zero accidents and zero emissionsâ€. In order to fully demonstrate the theme of zero vision, ZF has also launched a landmark concept car Vision Zero. The intelligent mechanical system carried by the vehicle can help to avoid traffic accidents to the utmost and can realize L3 level autopilot function, showing that ZF has actively explored the transition from assisted driving to automatic driving. In addition, the highly integrated electric drive axle in this vehicle configuration enables zero emissions.
ZF and e.GO Mobile AG have established a joint venture to produce electric transport vehicles equipped with autonomous driving functions - personnel and cargo transport. It is also out of the "zero vision" practice. ZF provides advanced electric drive systems for personnel and freight transport developed by the joint venture e.GO Moove, which is characterized by durability, economy, and high efficiency, and can achieve zero emissions. In terms of autonomous driving, this transporter has a relatively advanced technology platform that can meet the driving needs of the vehicle between L0 and L4 levels. "Vehicles can be driven by hand, ie L0 or L1, or L4 level autopilot without the need to change the technology platform." The ZF ProAI system carried by the transport can process information from sensors and cameras via deep learning. Clearly identify the surrounding environment, and then accurately locate on high-definition maps, to plan a safe travel route for the vehicle, and thus a step closer to the vision of a zero accident.
For the strategic significance of personnel and cargo transporters, Dr. Sommer explains, “The automated, interconnected and highly flexible electric shuttle is a safe, comfortable, efficient and environmentally friendly means of transportation that will transport traffic in future cities and suburbs. The system plays an important role. For ZF, the birth of this transporter means that we have taken a big step away from the 'zero vision'."
Although the automotive industry is currently undergoing an unprecedented historical competitive environment and has undergone profound historical changes, ZF is able to judge the situation, occupy technological and strategic opportunities, and adapt to changes in the times. Perhaps it is the secret of the strong and permanent.
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