Senin, 18 November 2019
Ford is chasing Tesla with an electric Mustang SUV - The Verge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLrV3fPfePU
2019-11-18 12:36:12Z
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Emirates orders 50 Airbus A350 jets worth a total $16 billion - CNBC
An Airbus A380-800 passenger plane of the Emirates Airlines at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport.
Mikhail Tereshchenko | TASS | Getty Images
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Emirates has ordered 50 Airbus A350 jets, the Dubai state-owned airline announced at the Dubai Air Show on Monday.
The order's list price sits at $16 billion, but a steep discount is typically negotiated by airlines. The deal was originally slated to see Emirates order 70 planes from the French manufacturer — 40 of the A350s and 30 A330-900neo jets — but all A330 orders were scrapped in favor of bringing the A350 order size to 50.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told a press conference that the European multinational planemaker's flagship A380 would now have a "younger but very talented brother in the Emirates family."
The A350 is a family of long-range, twin-engine wide-body jet airliners, while the A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner. The 50 jets ordered by Emirates are its cornerstone A350-900 variety, accommodating between 300 and 350 passengers.
"Complementing our A380s and 777s, the A350s will give us added operational flexibility in terms of capacity, range and deployment," Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told press. "In effect, we are strengthening our business model to provide efficient and comfortable air transport services to, and through, our Dubai hub."
The announcement of the order comes after an underwhelming first day for the Middle East's flagship aerospace expo, with only two jets sold on Sunday.
The Emirates CEO declined to discuss the reasons behind the company's A330 order cancellation, saying only, "For anybody touching on the A330, that is not part of the discussion today."
The A330-900 is a slightly thinner variant of the A350-900, carrying less passengers and with a slightly slower cruising speed. The A350 is more expensive but lighter, meaning less fuel costs and more savings over time, aviation analysts say.
Emirates is the number one buyer of Airbus' iconic A380, the world's largest airliner, but its cutback on orders of the jumbo jet early this year led the French manufacturer to announce it would scrap its production. Aviation analysts called it the "end of an era," as the industry's symbol of excess and luxury flight was sidelined for smaller, more fuel-efficient planes now increasingly preferred by airliners.
Asked if a reversal of the decision was possible and the jet's production might be continued, Faury replied, "The decision is in implementation now, we love the A380 at Airbus, it is a great plane and will continue to fly for decades, we are committed to supporting it. But no, the decision that was taken to cease production is not reversed."
The last A380 will be delivered in 2021.
Airbus Chief Corporate Officer Christian Scherer told CNBC on Sunday that the A380 was by no means finished, however, as the company turns to the secondhand market to keep the jet in use. Scherer described the A380 as having "many, many profitable years" to come.
The Dubai Air Show, known for record-breaking mega deals, is expected to see fierce competition for deals from rivals Airbus and Boeing, who each own approximately half of the market for large commercial airliners. But the American planemaker's presence has been subdued thus far, weighed down by Boeing's two catastrophic 737 Max jet crashes in a span of five months, which killed a combined 346 people.
Boeing's fleet of some 400 737 Max jets has been grounded since March, denting airlines' profits, forcing carriers to cancel thousands of flights and pushing up costs. On the air show's first day, the manufacturer announced a sale of two of its 787-9 Dreamliner jets to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, valued at $585 million at list prices.
Asked on Sunday if the 737 Max's grounding benefited Airbus, Scherer forcefully rejected the notion, telling CNBC: "This does not benefit anyone in this industry, the least of which would be Airbus... it is not good for competitors to see problems on any one particular airplane type."
At the start of the last Dubai Airshow in 2017, Boeing kicked off the event by clinching a major sale of 40 787-10 jets to Emirates Airline at a value of $15.1 billion.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/18/emirates-annoucnes-order-for-50-airbus-a350-jets.html
2019-11-18 09:29:00Z
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Five things you need to know about the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E - Driving
LOS ANGELES, California—As if calling an SUV – a battery-powered one, at that – a “Mustang” doesn’t already foist an uphill challenge on this new model, Ford’s 2021 Mach-E also has to strip sales away from Tesla, prove to Ford shareholders that there really is a “mass” market for mid-priced electric vehicles and, at the same time, prepare the ultimate of Ford loyalists – F-150 owners – for the inevitable electrification of their pickup trucks.
That’s a pretty steep ask. Here’s how Ford plans to do it, plus some background info you just need to know.
Ford was first going to just call it “Mach-E”
Rumour ’round the L.A. auto show has it Ford originally tried to build the Mach-E on an existing – that should be read “gas-powered” – platform, but the engineers couldn’t hit their range and performance targets.
So they made a deal with the devil, asking Ford’s accountants for more money so they could build a bespoke battery-powered chassis. The tithe exacted by the bean-counters? That they name it “Mustang” so they could build on the name recognition of probably the most famous Ford of all time. Which explains why—
Ford wants to move a boatload of its electrified sport brute
This is no halo vehicle or vanity project. Ford is looking to move some (battery-powered) iron, here. I count, for instance, no less than nine distinct trim levels across the Mach-E’s five models — Select (available early 2021), Premium (late 2020), First Edition (also late 2020), California Route 1 (early 2021) and GT Performance (spring 2021).
That’s a huge number of trims from a company that prides itself on efficient manufacturing. The only way to amortize the cost of that proliferation is to sell boatloads of product, which also explains why—
Ford is sticking it with impressively aggressive pricing
Base (Select trim) Mach-Es will start at $50,495 and, unlike Elon’s $35,000 Model 3, you’ll actually be able to buy them at that price from launch. Even the all-singing, all-dancing GT Performance Edition will slip in under $83,000 (yes, these prices are all Canadian).
Again, Ford plans to move a bunch of Mach-Es in preparation for what will surely be its real heavy-hitter in the EV world, an electrified F-150. The first two models available – the Premium and California Route 1 – will start at $59,495 (for the standard-range version of the Premium) and $64,495 (for the Route 1 and its extended-range battery). In between—
Ford’s offering a vast array of powertrain and battery options
Running through the Mach-E’s order guide is like feasting at the ultimate of electric vehicle buffets. Want a rear-wheel-drive BEV with a big battery that maximizes range? Mach-E’s got the California Route 1. Want an all-wheel-drive with a cheaper battery but better performance? Well, Ford has a Premium SR AWD with your name on it that can scoot to 100 clicks in about five-and-a-half-seconds.
Wading through the vast array of options and combinations will make your head spin, so I’ll attempt to simplify it all for you. There are basically two battery options: a standard-range (SR) 75.7-kilowatt-hour affair; and an extended-range (ER) 98.8-kilowatt-hour monster.
Combine the extended-range unit with a modestly-powered (282-hp) rear-wheel drivetrain and you have the 475-kilometre California Route 1. Package the same 98.8-kilowatt-hour ER hardware with 459 all-wheel-driving horses and you have the GT Performance with its three-and-a-half-second blitz to 100 kilometres an hour (though range is reduced to 375 km).
The Premium, which looks to be the backbone of Ford’s sales effort, can be had with any combination of long- and short-range battery and rear-wheel- or all-wheel-drive powertrains you want, in 255-, 282- and – yet another iteration – 332-horsepower guises.
Dizzy yet? Like the California, the First Edition (which will exact something of a premium – $71,995 – for its limited quantities) is only available with the extended-range battery, but drives all four wheels with less urge (332 hp) than the GT Performance, resulting in yet another range rating, this time 425 kilometres.
There’s a Mach-E for every purse and purpose, and the only way Ford can do this at these (comparatively) aggressive prices is to sell dealerships full of them. 2021 is going to be very interesting for Ford’s bottom line.
The big question, then, is where Ford will find all the zero-emissions enthusiasts to fill Mach-E seats. Its first course of action – duh, look at the name, Dave – is obviously loyalists. Now whether this means past patrons of Ford in general or of Mustang in particular is anybody’s guess.
Certainly branding a sport utility vehicle “Mustang” when it shares nothing but a grille and some taillights with your iconic sports car is a brave – that should be read “risky” – move. I do think, however, that while Mustang cognoscenti may prove outraged, current Ford owners looking for their first EV will appreciate the tie-up.
There’s no doubt Ford also has Tesla firmly in its sights. The general specs look strikingly similar, though Ford would seem to have Lord Elon surrounded with its plethora of models and trims. And, although there is some Ford traditionalism to the Mach-E’s cabin – the steering wheel, rotary gear selector and various switches and controllers – that gargantuan touchscreen plunked vertically in the centre of the dashboard is pure Tesla.
“Come to me,” the Mach-E seems to be saying, “and I will make you feel instantly comfortable.” Of further note, even though it does not yet sport Autopilot-like hands-free driving, Ford says – again, emulating Tesla – an over-the-air update may be available shortly after the electrified Mustang hits the road.
Ford plans to build North America’s “largest electric vehicle charging network”
By partnering with Greenlots and Electrify America, Ford says Mach-E owners will have access to more than 12,000 charging stations and 35,000 plugs in Canada and the United States. Using Electrify America’s 150-kilowatt DC chargers, Ford says its battery-powered crossover can add about 75 kilometres of range with just 10 minutes of charging, and can replenish a near-dead – 10-per-cent life – battery to 80 per cent in just 45 minutes. Ford is also offering two years of complimentary access to the FordPass network.
Ford also expects most electrified Mustangs will be ordered with its 48-amp Ford Connected Charge Station, which recharges the Mach-E’s batteries at the rate of 50 kilometres an hour. Every Mach-E will also come with a mobile charger that can access higher-power 240-volt home networks. And like similar systems in other EVs, Ford’s My Trip app will help you plan your route by monitoring the battery’s state of charge and identifying FordPass charging points along the route.
Final thoughts on the Ford Mustang Mach-E
The most important question, of course, is whether Ford badging can compete with the Teslas and Porsches of the luxury EV segment. I suspect that’s what prompted the bean-counters’ insistence on calling it a “Mustang.”
The ‘Stang has long been Ford’s best foot forward, and when you’re going against the hegemony that is Tesla and electric vehicles, it helps to have all hands on deck. Whether that’s enough to sell boatloads of battery-powered sport utes posing as Mustangs — only time will tell.
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November 18, 2019 at 09:31AM
Grocery shopping goes high tech with smart carts, apps - Global News
Shoppers pushing one of 10 new smart carts at a Sobeys store can scan their items on the spot, track their total bill and accept payment, which means they can skip the cashier or self-checkout altogether.
The artificial intelligence-equipped carts are the latest aspect in grocers’ efforts to streamline the shopping experience as consumers became increasingly accustomed to convenience.
Despite all the advancements found in a modern grocery store, customers are still required to gather their groceries, unload them at checkout, and then place their purchases into bags.
“This helps remove a little bit of that friction,” said Jacquelin Weatherbee, communications director for Sobeys.
The grocer announced late last month it purchased 10 smart carts that it is starting to pilot at an Oakville, Ont., location.
For now, shoppers using the carts must allow it to scan each item they place inside. Eventually, the cart, which “gets smarter over time,” will learn what each product is and the company will remove the scanning requirement, said Weatherbee.
The cart also weighs produce, keeps a running tally of the total bill, and accepts payment. One feature it lacks is a seat to hold a child.
“It really limits the amount of time you’re going from product to stand to belt to bag for the customer,” said Weatherbee.
Sobeys hopes to develop the technology to include suggestions about missing ingredients for recipes based on what is already in the cart and the ability for customers to upload their shopping lists.
The carts — created by New York-based Caper Inc., which did not respond to an interview request — show one way grocers turn to tech to eliminate the need for traditional checkouts.
Amazon debuted its Amazon Go system in Seattle in 2018. Shoppers must have an Amazon account and the Amazon Go app, which grants them access to the store. Customers take the products they want and leave. In-store technology tracks the purchase and charges their app.
Amazon now operates 18 of the Go stores in four cities in America — with six more shops on the way, according to its website. With the tech titan’s acquisition of Whole Foods, including its Canadian locations, it’s possible that the concept will one day land in Canada.
READ MORE: Canadians can expect rising food prices due to cost pressures, U.S. trade war: grocery CEOs
Weatherbee said Sobeys likes its smart cart solution because of the ability to add functionality over time.
Loblaw Companies Ltd. quietly rolled out a pilot in a similar vein last year.
Now in eight stores, customers can use the company’s app on their cellphones to scan items as they shop. The app aggregates all the products into one bar code, which can be scanned by a cashier or at the self-checkout when customers pay.
“There’s still quite a few improvements to be made on that product,” said Lauren Steinberg, a vice president at Loblaw digital. That includes adding the ability to pay within the app rather than at the checkout, which the company plans to roll out next year.
Walmart Canada shifted to a similar system that relies on a consumer’s phone this year after testing a handheld device, much like a wand, that allowed customers to scan products while they shopped.
The former scan-and-go system reportedly created frustration for some shoppers.
READ MORE: 10 things you can do to reduce food waste in your home
“Most customers like to actually use their own device, touch their own device, feel their own device,” said Alykhan Kanji, vice-president of format development at Walmart Canada.
When the company launched scan and go, he added, they hypothesized the process would shift to consumer phones eventually.
Shoppers at six Walmart Canada locations in the Greater Toronto Area can now test the program, dubbed Fastlane, via the Walmart app.
Already the company has made changes based on consumer response.
Customers balked at suddenly having to weigh produce to give the app the per kilogram cost of, for example, a bunch of bananas. Walmart introduced per unit pricing for as much produce as possible in response so shoppers can now scan the food without having to weigh it.
Canadians, especially younger demographics that are rapidly becoming one of the most important consumer groups, increasingly expect a more tech-savvy shopping experience, said Joel Gregoire, associate director for Mintel’s Canada food and drinks reports.
READ MORE: Here’s how much more Canadians will likely spend on groceries in 2019
“They’ve grown up at a time when they are very much tied to their technology — to the point where this is all they’ve ever really known,” he said.
“And for grocers to have a competitive advantage or to be relevant, they have to make sure they offer an experience that is linked to their technology.”
But Gregoire said there’s benefits beyond traffic.
Technology could lower labour costs in the long run, as it replaces the need for cashiers. The grocers tended to believe they would redistribute staff formerly tied to the cash register onto the store floor — even further enhancing customer experience.
The data gathered from these apps could help companies learn more about their customers as well, said Gregoire.
If the smart carts and apps can track how customers move through the store, that information can help grocers improve their layouts, he said.
“I’m only kind of scratching the surface in terms of how that can be used, but certainly data is king in retail.”
© 2019 The Canadian Press
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November 18, 2019 at 01:59AM
Aramco valuation falls short of Crown Prince's US$2 trillion target - BNNBloomberg.ca
Saudi Arabia put a valuation on state-owned oil giant Aramco of between US$1.6 trillion and US$1.71 trillion, well below the US$2 trillion target sought by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since he first mooted an initial public offering in 2016.
Aramco will sell just 1.5 per cent of its shares on the the local stock exchange, the Tadawul, somewhat less than expected. At the lower end of the price range, the offer would fall short of a record, coming in just below the US$25 billion raised Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s in 2014.
While the target valuation will make Aramco the world’s biggest public company by some distance, overtaking Apple Inc., the plans are a long way from Prince Mohammed’s initial aims: a local and international listing to raise as much as US$100 billion for the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
In a sign Aramco will rely heavily on local investors after receiving a tepid response from international money managers, the shares won’t be marketed in the U.S. and Canada as originally planned. Japan’s also off the list.
Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser kicked off the IPO’s final phase at a presentation for hundreds of local fund managers in Riyadh. The roadshow is expected to move on to Europe this week.
Nasser called it “a historic day for Saudi Aramco, for Tadawul and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We are excited about the transition to being a listed company.”
The final version of the prospectus didn’t identify any cornerstone investors, though the company is still in talks with Middle Eastern, Chinese and Russian funds.
Aramco will need to lean heavily on local wealthy families, some of whom had members detained in Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel during a so-called corruption crackdown in 2017, to get the job done.
Foreign investors had always been skeptical of the US$2 trillion target and recently suggested they would be interested at a valuation below $1.5 trillion. That would offer a return on their investment close to other leading oil and gas companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
The new valuation implies Aramco, which has promised a dividend of at least US$75 billion next year, will reward investors with a dividend yield of between 4.4 per cent and 4.7 per cent. Exxon Mobil pays a dividend yield of just under 5 per cent, while Shell pays 6.4 per cent.
More details:
- Price range: 30 riyals ($8) to 32 riyals per share
- Aramco will publish final price and valuation on Dec. 5
- Shares won’t be offered in U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan
- Listing date for Aramco shares still to be announced
Saudi Arabia has been pulling out all the stops to ensure the IPO is a success to a skeptical audience. It’s cut the tax rate for Aramco three times, promised the world’s largest dividend and offered bonus shares for retail investors who keep hold of the stock.
“Aramco’s price range takes into account some uncertainties that weren’t fully absorbed when the IPO was first floated,” such as governance, said Jaafar Altaie, managing director of Abu Dhabi-based consultant Manaar Group. “The lower range reflects uncertainties. It takes into account issues of supply that are very fluid, and demand that doesn’t look so good now.”
Aramco has also faced the challenge of the strengthening global movement against climate change that’s targeted the world’s largest oil and gas companies. Many foreign investors are concerned the shift away from the internal combustion engine -- a technology that drove a century of steadily rising fossil fuel demand -- means consumption of oil will peak in the next two decades.
Speaking in Riyadh on Sunday, Nasser acknowledged the prospect of peak demand, but argued that with the lowest production costs in the industry, Aramco would be able to win market share from less efficient producers.
The Aramco IPO is a pillar of Prince Mohammed’s much-hyped Vision 2030 plan to change the social and economic fabric of the kingdom and attract foreign investment. The prince, who rules Saudi Arabia day-to-day, is trying to recover his reformist credentials after his global reputation was damaged by the 2018 assassination of government critic Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
Proceeds from the IPO will be transferred to the Public Investment Fund, which has been making a number of bold investments, plowing US$45 billion into SoftBank Corp.’s Vision Fund, taking a US$3.5 billion stake in Uber Technologies Inc. and planning a US$500 billion futuristic city.
No matter what the final valuation, the share sale will create a public company of unmatched profitability. Aramco earned net income of US$111 billion in 2018 on revenue of US$315 billion.
--With assistance from Nayla Razzouk, Abbas Al Lawati and Filipe Pacheco.
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November 17, 2019 at 01:31PM
TransLink changes course on planned 'major' Monday SeaBus cancellations - Vancouver Is Awesome
Sunday morning TransLink announced “major service cuts” that would find Monday and Tuesday’s SeaBus schedule dramatically reduced. However, later Sunday afternoon TransLink changed course and announced only a couple of cancellations for Monday.
“SeaBus service cancellations for Monday and Tuesday announced earlier today will not be going ahead. This means service will not be operating on the schedule distributed this morning. The staffing shortage issue behind the cancellations has been resolved,” explains TransLink in a media statement.
The initial announcement had the SeaBus curtailed to a 30-minute frequency at non-peak hours and 15-minutes at a.m. and p.m. rush hours, with a bus bridge in place to help move passengers between Waterfront and Lonsdale Quay.
Now TransLink says the SeaBus will be on its regular schedule minus just four cancellations on Monday:
- 7:20 a.m. and 9 a.m. from Lonsdale Quay
- 7:35 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. from Waterfront
We apologize for any confusion this may cause. We will do our best to keep customers informed,” adds TransLink.
Talks broke down again late last week between Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) and Unifor, the union representing about 5,000 transit operators and maintenance workers, resulting in Unifor making good on their promise to escalate their job action.
On Friday, several bus routes experienced disruptions across Metro Vancouver throughout the day. There remains the possibility that bus service will be reduced by about 10% across Metro Vancouver starting Monday.
Customers are advised to give themselves extra time to travel to their destination, as well as check the Transit Alerts page for updates on service levels.
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November 18, 2019 at 10:50AM
Mustang Mach-E: 5 Tech and Design Details That Stood Out - TechCrunch
Ford finally showed the world its highly anticipated all-electric crossover, the Mustang Mach-E. The vehicle, which was unveiled Sunday at the Hawthorne Airport and in Tesla’s backyard, marks a series of firsts for Ford and the Mustang badge.
It’s the first vehicle to come out of Team Edison, the automaker’s dedicated electric vehicle organization. It’s not only the first electric Mustang, it’s also an SUV.
TechCrunch has had an up close look and ride in the Mach-E, the first variant of which will become available in fall 2020. While there’s a lot to highlight, here are some of the details that stood out.
Door handles
Ford went an entirely new direction with the door handles on the Mustang Mach-E. You won’t find any Tesla lookalike door handles here. The doors seem to be lacking handles at all. A closer look though reveals illuminated buttons on the B and C pillars. The front doors also have a small, protruding handle located just under the button to grab onto.
Pressing the button for the backdoor immediately pops it open just slightly. Then the passenger reaches into the ajar door to hit the latch. This might sound dangerous and apt for a crushed finger. Except there’s an immediate safety in place that doesn’t allow the door to close. TechCrunch tested it out.
Owners will be able to also use their smartphone to unlock the Mustang Mach-E. This phone as a key technology is new to Ford.
Tech tray
It’s a seemingly small detail, but so many automakers ignore that their customers have smartphones and want to put these devices somewhere other than a cup holder. Behold the tech tray, which has wireless charging pad.
The cup holders, located just below the tech tray, can be used to hold actual cups.
Infotainment system
The 15.5-inch screen will get a lot of attention, perhaps because its location and vertical placement is reminiscent of the Tesla Model S. But then there’s the physical dial placed on the bottom of the screen to control the volume.
While not everyone will love this feature, it’s interesting how this dial came to be. Team Edison was assembled in 2017 to do more than create a new electric vehicle. It was created to do it differently and much faster than a typical vehicle program.
How the look and functionality of the infotainment system was developed is an example of this newfound nimbleness. A group of just over a dozen people with minimal oversight started with a research trip to China. Further customer research revealed that people wanted native apps in their car’s infotainment system and they didn’t want to learn anything new, Philip Mason, who is on Team Edison’s user experience, said during a backgrounder event prior to unveiling.
A prototype of physical dial was put together quickly — no fancy prototypes — and research groups responded positively.
The infotainment system is also cloud connected, allowing it to show traffic in real-time in navigation feature, has natural language, activated by one of four “wake words” like OK, Ford, and allows users to create personal profiles. The system learns the behavior and likes of the user over time.
And the entire system will be updated and improved via over-the-air software updates.
Vegan interior
Ford is hardly the first to move away from leather for its interior. Tesla has dropped leather and the Porsche Taycan is also vegan. Now the interior of the Mustang Mach-E also qualifies.
The synthetic material is among the better faux leather materials TechCrunch has come across. Even the steering wheel, a challenging area for synthetics, feels good.
Frunk
A front trunk in an all-electric vehicle is nothing new. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t have the biggest frunk on the market; it’s not the smallest either.
But there is something interesting about this 4.8-cubic-inch frunk. It’s drainable and plastic lined. Josh Greiner, senior interior designer on the Mach-E, was quick to note during a backgrounder prior to the unveiling that the frunk could be packed with ice and used while tailgating.
One more bonus item
Right above the steering wheel is a driver monitoring system. This might come in handy for the automaker’s eventual plans to offer a hands-free driver assist system in Mach-E.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/17/mustang-mach-e-5-tech-and-design-details-that-stood-out/
2019-11-18 07:41:15Z
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