The Future Car: A Siemens Podcast

Imagine being in a car that allows you to subscribe to the features you want instead of visiting a dealership to get them. On top of that, you would also be able to get system updates, sync with your cloud playlists, weather updates, assisted driving, among others.Well, that’s what car manufacturers are seeking to do as they push to create connected vehicles.They are essentially turning cars into computers that we can drive and get a far better user experience.It's all understandable because users' needs have expanded beyond moving from point A to point B and accelerating to certain speeds in seconds. The ability to connect the vehicle to one’s devices as well as the internet will soon be a necessity rather than a luxury.In this episode, the first part out of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Marcus Welz, Vice President Smart Mobility at Hyundai. He’ll help us understand the concept of connected vehicles and the benefits they provide to the users. He’ll also share with us the challenges that they face in the development of these vehicles.Some Questions I Ask:What exactly is a connected vehicle? (02:16)How do the monitoring features contribute to improved user experience? (10:13)How does your past experience, working on intelligent traffic systems, help you in the job you are in now? (18:37)What do you think would motivate the different players to work together to maximize the benefits of connected vehicles? (25:22)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:The negative side of connected cars (05:22)The different aspects of a connected car and how they all work together to create a customized experience (06:59)How the connected car project aligns with Hyundai’s vision (12:03)How different people view and relate to the concept of connected vehicles (20:28)Connect with Marcus Welz:LinkedInHyundaiConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

Sustainable and smart transportation - are we there yet?Not yet, but so far, the future looks promising. Last year, we had many guests from very diverse fields who helped us understand the innovations and efforts shaping the future of transportation.This first episode of 2022 is different but equally awesome. You’ll get to hear two parts from the most listened-to podcasts of 2021 in the Women Driving the Future series. If you want to hear more, you can always check out the full episodes posted last year.In this episode, we’ll start with Ed Bernardon interviewing Sara Spangelo, the Co-Founder and CEO of SWARM, a satellite company working to link the world through reliable, low-cost internet connectivity. She’ll share with us the impact that her company is having and will continue to have on the future of transportation.And then we’ll hear part of his interview with Susie Wolff, Team Principal for ROKiT Venturi Racing. She has been a racing phenom since the age of 8 and earned her place in racing history as the first female driver in 22 years to participate at Formula One Race Weekend at the 2014 British Grand Prix. She’ll share with us her experiences as a race car driver and a Team Principal.Some Questions I Ask:(Sara Spangelo & Ed Bernardon)What made you decide to shape your company around the goal of affordable connectivity? (04:10)How will SWARM help in increasing the digitization of farming? (10:27)What role is SWARM going to play in future transportation? (14:07)What do you envision the future of transportation in space will be like? (17:42)(Susie Wolff & Ed Bernardon)How did you get your first sponsor? (21:04)What is the most important thing that you learnt in racing? (24:30)Why is it that we need the ‘Girl on Track’ and the ‘Dare to be Different’ programs? (26:50)What’s the role of racing in the shift towards sustainable transportation? (27:48)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:(Sara Spangelo & Ed Bernardon)When Sara first caught the entrepreneurial bug (03:17)How SWARM creates affordable connectivity (05:47)Who SWARM’s target customers are and their value proposition (07:02)The future of the company beyond putting up the satellites (17:00)(Susie Wolff & Ed Bernardon)How it was racing F1 champion Lewis Hamilton (21:36)Importance of good relationships within a racing team (23:35)The importance of gender diversity in F1 racing teams (25:31)How Formula E promotes electric vehicles (29:16)Connect With Sara Spangelo:LinkedInSWARMConnect With Susie Wolff:TwitterInstagramConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle Revolution

Sustainability will play a major role in shaping the future of farming!The biggest changes that have to be made to create sustainable farms are the farm input and the machines utilized. Companies in this industry are leveraging technology to come up with ways of making the above changes while still being mindful of the farm produce quality.So far, it is working! The current technological advancements are making farming cheaper and more friendly to newbie farmers. This is bound to promote the mass adoption of sustainable farming strategies.In this episode, the second part out of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Carlo Mondavi, grandson of Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi, and founder/Chief Farming Officer of Monarch Tractor. Carlo is also a farmer and one of the owners of RAEN Winery. We’ll talk about the impact their autonomous tractor is having on the farming industry as well as what the future of farming looks like.Some Questions I Ask:How many tractors can a single operator run? (06:40)What’s the role of data analytics in all this and how do you collect it? (08:46)Do you foresee a future where AI will play a bigger role? (13:00)What do you see as the next two or three steps in farming in the next 5 to 10 years? (21:59)How are we going to be making wine in the year 2050? (24:55)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:How Monarch will help in getting rid of chemical use in the farms (03:24)How the Monarch tractor removes weed without hurting the vine (05:05)Challenges that farmers are facing during the harvest season (07:28)How technology is making it easier to become a farmer (16:24)Some of the Monarch’s challenge success stories (19:07)Connect with Carlo Mondavi:LinkedInMonarch TractorRAEN WineryConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

If you eat today, thank a farmer!Farming is one of the most important aspects of human life as we know it. It’s also one of the biggest contributors to environmental pollution which is causing climate change that threatens our lives as we know it. Simply put, we can’t live without farming - but how can we live with it!This is where sustainable farming comes in, and one of the ways to promote it is by using eco-friendly, cost effective farming machines. For instance, an electric tractor which reduces a farm’s carbon footprint while also autonomous to reduce operating costs.In this episode, the first part out of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Carlo Mondavi, grandson of Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi, and founder/Chief Farming Officer of Monarch Tractor. Carlo is also a farmer and one of the owners of RAEN Winery. We’ll talk about the use of autonomous electric tractors in implementing cost-effective and sustainable farming as well as learn a bit about what it takes to manage a vineyard and turn grapes into a fine wine.Some Questions I Ask:How did the idea of the Monarch Tractor come about? (02:24)What’s the meaning of the farmer-first mentality? (12:42)Do you have a lot of competitors? (21:43)How did your grandfather’s influence help you get to where you are today? (24:28)Where did the name RAEN come from? (35:01)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:The origin of the name ‘Monarch Challenge’ (03:27)The problems that the Monarch Tractor is meant to solve (14:39)How the autonomous tractor is able to save on cost and time (18:47)The impact that stainless steel has on the taste of the wine (30:24)What prompted the idea of skincare products made from grapes (33:32)Connect with Carlo Mondavi:LinkedInMonarch TractorRAEN WineryConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

The EV market is growing at a very fast pace.As the demand for electric cars continues to grow and more companies join the industry, the EV market is becoming more competitive than ever before. Despite the presence of big companies with deep pockets, smaller start-ups are playing a critical role in moving the industry forward through disruptive innovations.It’s not just the hunger to get a game-changing car that is pushing startups. It’s also the freedom to explore new features and new ways of doing things with little fear of failure. They’ve extended the competition field from speed and acceleration to other aspects such as comfort, safety, cost, and environmental friendliness.In this episode, the second part out of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Will Graylin, a seasoned innovator who is the CEO of both an electric vehicles company Indigo, and a digital wallet company OV Loop. He’ll help us understand what sets their car apart from other EVs and conventional cars. He’ll also share with us what he thinks the future holds for the EV industry.Some Questions I Ask:What makes your electric car unique? (01:05)Why should one buy your car? (07:46)Why does a Project Alpha car only have 3 wheels? (11:39)How does an Indigo car compare to conventional vehicles in terms of speed and acceleration? (13:26)How do you incorporate safety and still get a lot of room on the inside of the vehicle? (17:10)Do you think that once autonomy matures, it will play a role in some of the vehicles? (24:56)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:How the robotic wheel and passive spring work to keep the vehicle stable (04:53)The importance of the robotic wheel system (06:59)Comparison between a Bravo car’s operating cost against that of other cars such as Tesla (09:45)The meaning of primary and secondary safety when evaluating cars (14:48)How the company utilizes composite materials to keep the cost down (19:32)The company’s view and approach to autonomy (22:17)Connect with Will Graylin:LinkedInIndigoOv LoopConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

Electric vehicles are the future but we are still miles away from mass adoption.One of the biggest constraints facing the EV market is the cost of acquisition. The best ones are just too expensive. No wonder a significant percentage of the population views them as luxury vehicles!Most investments in the field of EVs have been directed towards increasing both the battery capacity and charging speed. However, the game-changing innovation in this industry will have to address the two main challenges: cost and single-charge distance. Whoever manages to kill these two birds with one stone will be well on their way to considerable industry disruption.In this episode, the first part out of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Will Graylin, a seasoned innovator who is the CEO of both an electric vehicles company Indigo, and a digital wallet company OV Loop. He’ll help understand the state of the EV industry and the impact they expect to make with the two companies. He’ll also share his entrepreneurial journey with us and the lessons learned along the way.Some Questions I Ask:Why do we need a class of vehicles that's so much smaller than the typical ones? (06:13)What makes you believe that Indigo is going to be successful? (12:56)How has being an immigrant impacted you in your career so far? (17:17)What drove you to join the Navy and get on a submarine? (21:05)What are the synergies between a car company and a digital wallet company? (38:10)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:What goes into making a lightweight vehicle become stable (03:09)The technology and innovations that makes Indigo cars affordable (09:30)The difference between innovations and inventions (24:49)The path from invention to innovation (25:41)How the mobile wallet idea that was later acquired by Samsung came about (30:12)Connect with Will Graylin:LinkedInIndigoOv LoopConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

Electric cars powered by clean energy are an essential piece in reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality!This sounds perfect, so why don’t we already have many awesome EVs? Well, the shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles (EVs) has introduced unique challenges to vehicle manufacturers. It has even necessitated a change in how the design and development process has been approached for decades. However, these changes have sparked a lot of innovations around individual components as well as in how components work together.I’m your host, Conor Peick, and today I’m joined by Nand Kochhar, VP of Automotive and Transportation Industries for Siemens Digital Industries Software. He’ll help us understand the current state of EVs and the changes we can expect to see in the near future. You’ll also learn about what is driving the growth of the EVs market and how manufacturers are adjusting to it. We’ll also discuss the advancements being made to make batteries that last longer and charge faster.Some Questions I Ask:What are manufacturers doing to keep up with the growing demand for EVs? (03:39)What are the biggest challenges to EVs today and in the near future? (05:57)What are the interior design challenges that come with EVs? (21:28)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:The driving factors behind the growth of EVs’ market (01:49)Some of the elements that manufacturers need to consider when designing or developing the EVs of today (08:16)The factors affecting the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle (15:11)What solid-state batteries are and the benefits they offer (19:42)Connect with Nand Kochhar:LinkedInConnect with Conor Peick:LinkedIn

Are we ready to trust AI with our lives?To most people, the answer is not yet. Well, this is exactly what autonomous cars will ask us to do when full autonomy is achieved. This journey is well on course despite the significant challenges it has faced in the past.How can we safely achieve or advance this goal? This is a question that most players in the industry have been pondering.In this episode, Ed Bernardon interviews Matt Peak, Managing Director at Energy Systems Network (ESN), an organization focused on the development of advanced technology for both the energy and the transportation sectors. Today, he’ll talk to us about the Indy Autonomous Challenge, an autonomous car race comprised of 9 university teams that will race wheel to wheel for $1.5 million in prize money at the Indianapolis Motor speedway. He’ll help us understand how this race came about and the goals they are seeking to achieve from this unique competition.Some Questions I Ask:What is Indy Autonomous Challenge and how did it all come about? (02:54)What will the winner of the final race get? (07:03)What makes the AV21 the most autonomous car ever built? (22:52)What is ESN and what does it do? (41:21)How does this race compare to Roborace? (52:50)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:The key distinction between Indy Autonomous Challenge and DAPRA. (08:14)How the race overcame the car cost hurdle. (18:37)The array of sensors that are fitted into the AV21 race car (25:06)How the race will be structured (33:57)The role that Indy Autonomous Challenge has in advancing mobility (47:46)Connect with Matt Peak:LinkedInIndy Autonomous ChallengeConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software

You are not stuck in traffic, you are traffic!Isn’t it funny how most of the time we’ll feel like victims and not accomplices whenever we get stuck in traffic? If you live in some of the big cities, the only concern bigger than safety is a traffic jam. It makes you feel like you are wasting away. Sometimes you’ll even be thinking that the people in charge are actively trying to stop you from getting home faster.Could shared transport and multiple options of transport modes be the ultimate solution to this? This is a question that cities and mobility organizations have been grappling with for decades now.In this episode, part 2 of 2 episodes, Ed Bernardon interviews Onika Miller, Acting Secretary-General of the FIA Mobility Division, and Head of the FIA Innovation Fund. Her job involves creating a safer and sustainable transportation ecosystem for the future. She’ll help us understand the innovations taking place in the area of mobility and the benefits we stand to gain from them. We’ll also discuss the importance of safety as well as steps being taken to promote gender equality in motorsports.Some Questions I Ask:When do you think the City Trips app will become available in many cities? (05:40)Do you see clubs using advanced traffic simulation tools such as the Siemens platform to help their cities solve traffic problems? (10:57)What is Smart Cities Initiative about and what are its goals? (15:18)What is the goal of a drone Academy? (23:05)What You’ll Learn in this Episode:How City Trips app works (02:40)How Siemens helps the urban mobility platforms compile and analyze their data (07:21)How FIA is promoting gender equality and inclusion in motorsports (16:42)Why safety has to be at the center of current and future modes of mobility (29:32)Connect with Onika Miller:LinkedInFIAConnect with Ed Bernardon:LinkedInFuture Car: Driving a Lifestyle RevolutionMotorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobilitySiemens Digital Industries Software