Considered the largest North American event in the field of technological innovations, the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) was held from 5 to 8 January 2023 in Las Vegas. Once again, it was a great success as more than 2300 companies including at least 800 startups were present at this “Tech for a Better Tomorrow” edition. Today, it has become a must-attend event for the transport and mobility sector, increasingly focused on autonomous, intelligent and connected vehicles. However, these are not the innovations from the automotive sector that we will present to you in this article. Discover without further ado our favorite innovations in terms of mobility at the CES 2023…
ZF deploys a new generation shuttle
At CES 2023, the German automotive supplier announced several developments to improve electric mobility, automated transport and connected vehicles. Indeed, ZF Group is unveiling a number of innovative technological advances in line with the company’s “Next Generation Mobility NOW” promise. Known for its autonomous shuttles, the company is advancing a world first: a new generation shuttle capable of Level 4 (out of 6) autonomous driving according to the international SAE standard. In addition, the vehicles will be equipped with a heated seat belt to save energy. This clever concept is based on a contact heating device that warms the passengers’ bodies by means of small conductive threads woven into the belt.
The belts can reach a maximum surface temperature of 40°C using only 70 watts of energy. This targeted heating, which “does not require any adjustments to the belt tensioners and retractors”, says ZF, can reduce the heating in the vehicle and increase the range of an electric vehicle in cold weather by up to 15%.
When the legislative framework permits, this pioneering vehicle will therefore be able to drive in mixed traffic or densely populated areas without on-board personnel. This performance is guaranteed by an integrated software package. In order to support its expansion and growth across the Atlantic, the ZF Group has finally signed an agreement with the American mobility services provider Beep. A supercomputer system, ZF ProAI, developed in partnership with the British company Oxbotica. This is an undeniable step forward in the autonomous driving sector…
Moovance : the french greentech that is revolutionising mobility
The mobility application Moovance has been selected by the Ile-de-France region and Business France to participate in the 2023 edition of CES. Launched in April 2022, Moovance highlights technological innovation for a better future in terms of climate change. Indeed, through its application, Moovance encourages ecomobility and engages citizens and companies in a fun way. Specifically, users can measure and reduce the carbon footprint of their daily travel. Equipped with an AI, Moovance calculates the CO2 emissions of the journeys made and converts them into Mooves points.
With its Mooves, users finance ecological projects and access privileged offers within a network of partners. Moovance is an avant-garde company supported by the BPI, offering a simple solution within everyone’s reach for concrete and immediate results in reducing the carbon footprint of citizens and companies.
Free2Move, its new vision of mobility
At CES 2023, Free2Move presented the next step in its development. As a reminder, Free2Move is the mobility solution brand of the giant Stellantis. It is pursuing the integration of all means of transport into its digital hub. The company wishes to offer individuals and professionals alike solutions ranging from micromobility to public transport. This model is valid in Europe as well as in the United States. This service should take the form of the “Smart Assistant”, which will offer the user the best solution for getting from one place to another, depending on traffic, the availability of transport and all mobility solutions. Among the latter, urban air mobility will be integrated. A possibility that could take the form of the flying taxis that Stellantis will produce from 2024 with Archer.
To accompany this digital development, Free2Move wants to rely on a physical network. The recent acquisition of Share Now has propelled Free2Move to the forefront of free-floating car-sharing in Europe. In the United States, the company is already present in many cities thanks to its car-sharing and subscription offers. This year, Free2Move will continue to roll out in selected US cities through local Stellantis dealerships. Among the Stellantis vehicles available to Mobility Operators is the Fiat 500e (100% electric).
Start of the “AI for Urban Mobility” Challenge
On the occasion of CES 2023, the Île-de-France region and the Software Republic, which includes Atos, Dassault Systèmes, Orange, Renault Group, STMicroelectronics and Thales, launched a new challenge on Thursday 5 January, focusing on mobility issues. The president of the Île-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, herself launched the “AI for Mobility” challenge. The Software Republic and the Île-de-France region are inviting innovators and start-ups from all over the world to imagine a mobility service, using Artificial Intelligence (AI), around the use of light vehicles in the Île-de-France region. What’s at stake? Up to 500,000 euros in subsidies granted by the Île-de-France Region. The winner will also join the Software Republic’s unique and tailor-made incubator to develop his or her project with the help of the skills of its six partner companies. Candidates can register from 5 January to 10 February 2023. Don’t wait any longer and try your luck!
Startups highlighted at Eureka Park
The Eureka Park is a space reserved for start-ups within CES. It offers startups a unique opportunity to showcase their innovation. Eureka Park offers, among more than 1,000 of the world’s most promising technology pioneers, discover its 3 startups that are already making a lot of noise.
Ecology at the heart of innovation with Tripbike
Tripbike is the inventor of Hyboo, the first bio-sourced electric bike made of bamboo. If electric bikes are a very good way to reduce air pollution, they must be ecological to the end. Tripbike has therefore invented the first electric bike made of bamboo, with a retractable auxiliary electric motor for a weight and performance that are worthy of the best electric bikes in the world. It is true that bamboo fiber absorbs vibrations better than aluminum and is as strong as carbon. Waterproof, UV resistant and very light, bamboo grows much faster than wood, without fertilizer or phytosanitary products.
A more responsible production process that further limits the impact of electric bicycle mobility on the environment. To guarantee this light weight, the Hyboo Bike is equipped with a motor integrated into the pedals and a removable battery weighing 1.6 kg with a capacity of 300 Wh. As for autonomy, the brand promises between 60 and 100 km on a charge.
Circle: the solution for electric car-sharing vehicles
After scooters, bicycles, scooters, soon shared cars. Circle is a small electric car designed for short trips in urban areas. The scenario sounds like déjà vu? Alain Di Duca, co-founder and managing director of Circle, knows. “With the Blue Car and Autolib, Bolloré understood the evolution of urban mobility before anyone else. But too early. The technologies weren’t ready, the behaviors weren’t formed,” says Alain Di Duca, convinced that he was in the right time. Its customers will not be private individuals, but specialists in new forms of mobility, such as Lime, Dot, Uber, Sixt and Bold. Circle is also targeting large companies with large urban fleets.
However, Circle’s founders have gone further by opting for a battery replacement system. In concrete terms, every two or three days, an operator exchanges the car’s discharged batteries for others that are recharged. There is no need to move the vehicle to a loading point. A promising innovation that we will hear more and more about…
AtmosGear unveils new soft mobility
After the electric scooters that have invaded urban areas, for better or for worse, will electric rollerblades become as popular as they are now? In any case, the French start-up AtmosGear believes that they will, and at CES they presented their rollerblades powered by a motorized deck. This is controlled by a remote control, which allows the user to increase his top speed to 25 km/h, or even 40 km/h for the fastest version! Inventor of the first electric rollerblades for everyday use, including effortless travel to work. Easy to transport, fun and rechargeable while skating: this is the latest alternative for soft mobility offered by this start-up.
Interestingly, the motor recharges while skating. According to the company, this motorised deck has a range of 20 km, or 4 to 5 hours of use. A full recharge takes between 3 and 4 hours. For the time being, AtmosGear is aiming for 200 pre-orders for its product. But the young French start-up is already looking much further ahead: its goal is to sell more than 100,000 pairs of rollerblades worldwide by 2026! To be continued…
