New Bosch Division Focused on Connected Mobility

Automotive supplier Bosch announces the formation of a new connected-mobility solutions division whose 600-plus employees will develop and sell digital mobility services including vehicle sharing, ride sharing and connectivity-based services for motorists.

“Connectivity will fundamentally change how we get from A to B, and in the process it will help to solve today’s traffic problems,” Volkmar Denner, chairman of Boach’s board of management, said during the recent Bosch ConnectedWorld 2018 IoT conference in Berlin. “We are using it to realize our vision of emissions-free, stress-free and accident-free mobility.”

Bosch is meeting growing demand for connected mobility via ride sharing, which encompasses online services and apps for carpools as well as for arranging driving services and taxis. The company recently acquired Splitting Fares Inc., a U.S.-based startup serving commuters who want to share a ride to the same workplace or place of study.

“One advantage of this is that rides are shared by colleagues, which means users never have to get in the car with complete strangers,” Bosch says in a news release. “Within seconds, an algorithm locates a suitable rideshare, calculates the fastest route through traffic and thus assumes what used to be the time-consuming task of coordinating the departure point, departure time, best route and passengers.”

Bosch also is offering digital services for connected vehicles. At the IoT conference, Denner presented system!e, a network of connected electrified powertrain components and new service solutions for electric vehicles. This involves connecting the electric drivetrain to the Bosch Automotive Cloud Suite. The company’s development of web-based services that rely on this interaction will tell EV drivers not only precisely when their power will run out, but also indicate where they can find their next charge.

The system!e technology uses an algorithm that factors in vehicle data such as state of battery charge, energy consumption of heating or air conditioning and the driver’s driving style, as well as information from the vehicle’s surroundings. This includes the current traffic situation and topographical data for the route ahead. Based on this information, the system can reliably calculate the vehicle’s precise range.

For longer journeys in an EV, the range forecast is supplemented by a charging assistant that knows the location of all the charging spots on a given journey so it can plan the route accordingly. “Thanks to additional information about, for example, restaurants, cafés, and shopping options, drivers can make the most of the charging time and relax,” Bosch says.

A third service manages vehicle charging in smart homes by integrating the EV into the home’s electricity grid, meaning the car’s battery supplements the stationary storage device for the house’s photovoltaic system. During the day, the car absorbs excess solar power and feeds it back at night as necessary.

Bosch also says its COUP subsidiary, which has provided electric scooters for rent in Berlin since 2016 and in Paris since last year, will launch in Madrid this year. This will raise the total number of e-scooters to 3,500.

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