Bosch mobile era: pushing new technology to find new partners

inductance

According to foreign media reports, German auto parts supplier Bosch expressed the hope to expand its business scope. Like car companies, Bosch in the era of autonomous driving, electrification and shared mobility, to attract more customers, the competitors they face include Waymo and Apple.

Bosch announced its future development strategy at the press conference earlier this month and showed two electric drive technologies. Bosch said the technology could enable small car companies to launch models more quickly. In addition, Bosch also announced details of future cooperation programs that will help Bosch improve in new products and services.

The performance of Bosch's mobility technology has always been eye-catching. In 2016, sales of the mobile business were $50.1 billion. Bosch expects sales of this year to grow by 7%, and autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems have also contributed to the growth of this business. Bosch expects sales of radar sensors to increase by 60% this year, while video sensors will increase by 80%.

But with the addition of technology companies and start-ups, Bosch's competition in this area is becoming increasingly hot, and traditional suppliers such as Delphi and BorgWarner are aware of the growth in demand for electric drives.

Expanding the audience base and launching new technologies is imperative

Bosch said it will rely on new customers and some non-traditional partners in the new transportation market in the future. To remove the hat of traditional suppliers, Bosch is also looking for some non-traditional customers. Bosch is no stranger to some startups, and it also supplies Tesla with a semi-automatic Autopilot system. Two new electric drive products are also introduced to attract the attention of some small car companies.

Bosch has developed a 48V power system for long-haul electric vehicles that are mainly used for city round-trip traffic. The battery life after full charge can reach 50km, and the system can also extend the battery life. Bosch said the system can be installed in any car immediately and provide the driving force. According to Harald Kroeger, head of Bosch's automotive electronics business, the 48V system can help car companies launch a car within a year. In addition, for long-life electric vehicles, Bosch also introduced an electronic shaft drive, or eAxle. Bosch says the complete system can also be used in the body.

Michael Budde, director of Bosch Battery Systems, said: "The eAxle is a very easy to assemble system, so it has attracted the attention of many West Coast start-up companies." Given that major auto companies have developed electric vehicle development plans, Budde said that the launch is even more Flexible electrical products are essential.

Seeking new partners Baidu in the column

So in addition to expanding the consumer base, Bosch is still looking for new partners. Baidu recently said it will establish cooperative autopilot technology research and development with 50 companies, including Bosch. Bosch said it will provide sensors to the Baidu Apollo program. Baidu’s move will also compete with companies such as Waymo, Uber and Apple. In the next decade, Bosch will also cooperate with Daimler to launch a self-driving taxi service. In March, Bosch said it will work with chip maker Nvidia to develop a self-driving supercomputer. After the cooperation plan was announced, Stephan Stass, senior vice president of Bosch Chassis Control Systems, said that Bosch's artificial intelligence system is three times faster than the human brain.