EPN Automotive Electronics Blog

Japan: News from Distributors

European and international distributors offer online information about the delivery and supply situation regarding their Japanese linecards.

Convertibles from Osnabrück

In the course of one year, Volkswagen has not just finished a new production facility but also brought its new convertible series to manufacturing readiness. The plant might help this economically unstable region of northern Germany to gain a foothold again.

Electric cars can be safe

Are electric vehicles safe on the road? Well… nobody knows, since the usual extensive (and destructive) tests haven’t been conducted. The whole class of cars is too new to have gone through the bone crusher, but this is changing. Slowly.

Playing the fuel card

Business-to-business fuel cards offer companies that operate fleets of commercial vehicles a convenient way to pay and account for fuel and other services. However, there are at least three parties involved: The petrol company, an infrastructure provider and someone dealing with potential customers.

The charging net

While finding a place where to charge an electric car can still be quite a challenge, Bosch Software Innovations already aims at the next level of infrastructure: A comprehensive open business platform for eMobility.

125 years on a ride

2011 is the celebration year for the automotive industry. 125 years ago, Carl Benz registered his »vehicle with gas-engine drive« with the Berlin Patent Office and in the same year 1886, Bosch also came into existence. At Daimler’s , the year started with an anniversary party.

Antipodes flood car price

The consequences of the Australian flood for the international steel production and industries like automotive look like a symbol for something, but I’m not too sure for what. Climate change?

Hitch your car to a star

The Korean foundry Dongbu HiTek is reaching for the stars: Specialized on analog and mixed signal semiconductor technologies, it’s trying to expand its business into automotive ICs. Its process technologies have undergone high-quality automotive certifications and now they’re ready for more.

Pay, drive and pay again

»Pay-As-You-Drive« and »Pay-How-You-Drive«: »User-based insurance solutions« are mainly about the customer paying. Even worse, this kind of special telematics solution enables insurance companies to track and record the movement and behavioural aspects of drivers. Actually, that's the essential functionality.

BMW still sustainable

»Sustainability« is a rather complex term which in general can mean everything as well as nothing. Today, economical, ecological, social and humanitarian issues are mixed up in this term in such a way, that it’s almost impossible to ascertain what it means that BMW is, according to SAM and DJSI, »the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer for the sixth consecutive year«.