• According to regulatory filings that came out Tuesday night after US markets closed, Tesla’s CEO sold about USD 7.92 Million shares on August 5.
• With the current sale, the total stock sales by Musk stand at USD 32 billion in less than one year.

Elon Musk completed the largest sale ever completed by a billionaire, the sale of USD 6.9 Billion worth of stock in Tesla Inc. Musk stated that he wanted to avoid a last-minute selloff of the electric-car maker’s shares if he would have gone ahead with his abandoned plan to purchase Twitter Inc.

According to regulatory filings filed after the closure of US markets, Tesla’s CEO sold about USD 7.92 Million shares on August 5. As people tried to figure out why Musk sold the stock, he said in a series of late-night tweets that he didn’t want to sell stock quickly if he had to complete the USD 44 Billion takeover of Twitter.

When asked Musk if he was done selling Tesla shares and if he would repurchase Tesla stock if the deal didn’t go through. Musk said, “Yes.”

The sale comes just four months after Musk sold USD 8.5 Billion worth of stock in April and said he had no plans to sell more shares in the near future. Since then, Tesla’s shares have come back from the lows they hit in May, thanks to gains in US stocks.

Charu Chanana, strategist at Saxo Capital Markets Pte in Singapore, said, “He certainly is clarifying that he is cashing up for Twitter.” “The timing of the sale – just ahead of the US CPI release – does say something, though. The bear market rally has started to falter, and further repricing of Fed expectations could mean more pain for equities ahead, especially in tech.”

With the current sale, the total stock sales by Musk stand at USD 32 billion in less than one year. Also, the firm’s shares have risen about 35% from this year’s lows. They are still down about 20% this year.

Since Musk’s surprise offer to buy Twitter earlier this year, Tesla’s stock price has been tied to how well the deal does.

Musk tweeted over the weekend that if Twitter shows how it picks accounts to find out the number of bots on its platform and how they know they are authentic, “the deal should proceed on original terms.”

If there is a specific situation wherein the Twitter deal falls apart, the party that broke the agreement would have to pay a USD 1 billion fee to get out of it.

Gene Munster, the managing partner of Loup Ventures, said that there was a 75% chance that Musk would buy Twitter before he tweeted the reason for the sale.

Munster said he was shocked. “This is going to be a headwind for Tesla in the near term. In the long term, all that matters is deliveries and gross margin.”

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk’s wealth of USD 250.2 billion is the world’s most extraordinary. However, his wealth has dropped by about USD 20 Billion this year as Tesla shares have gone down.

Last week, the carmaker’s shareholders agreed to a three-for-one stock split. This attracted even more retail investors now that the shares had gone up. The fact that Tesla’s earnings for the second quarter were better than expected and that the US passed a landmark climate change law that aims to increase the use of clean energy by giving tax breaks, has helped the company.

• Automated long-haul trucking will help the trucking businesses to save a substantial amount of money on labor.
• Researchers are exploring the opportunities of Automated short-haul trucking and its impact on businesses.

With automated truck technology evolving in the US, multiple queries about the deployment of this technology and its potential impact on the long-haul trucking market remain.

A research team at the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University conducted a study to assess how and where automation might replace operator hours in long-haul trucking.

They found that about 94% of the operator hours could be impacted if the automated trucking technology enhances to operate in all-weather conditions across the United States of America. At present, automated trucking is being tested in the Sun Belt region.

“Our results suggest that the impact of automation may not happen all at once. If automation is restricted to Sun Belt states (including Florida, Texas, and Arizona) — because the technology may not initially work well in rough weather — about 10% of the operator hours will be affected,” said Parth Vaishnav, study co-author, assistant professor of sustainable systems at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability.

The researchers used data from the 2017 Commodity Flow Survey, released by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. Department of Commerce, to collect data on trucking shipments and the operator hours used to fulfill those shipments.

Additionally, they explored various automated trucking deployment scenarios, such as deployment in southern, deployment in sunny states; in spring and summer season; deployment for more than 500 miles; and deployment across the USA.

“Our study is the first to combine a geospatial analysis based on shipment data with an explicit consideration of the specific capabilities of automation and how those might evolve over time,” said Aniruddh Mohan, co-author, a doctoral candidate in engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon.

The researchers published their research online in the Humanities and Social Sciences Communication on March 15.

The logistics journeys that go beyond 150 miles categorize under long-haul trucking. Multiple companies are trying to develop automation for long-haul trucking that is designed to work as a “transfer hub” model.

The process includes an automated truck accomplishing the highway leg of the route and manual drivers undertaking the most complex suburban-urban parts at both the starting and endpoints of the journey.

Implementing automated technologies will be a perfect solution for trucking businesses to save money because labor charges account for up to two-fifths of the cost of trucking, added Vaishnav. However, implementing automated technologies might become a threat to job loss for the workers.

“Because trucking is viewed as one of the few jobs that give folks with a high school education the chance to make a decent living, there is a concern that automation will eliminate these jobs. Some people worry that all or most of the million or more trucking jobs might be lost,” he added.

“In terms of numbers, our analysis showed that automation could eliminate a few hundred thousand jobs (as opposed to a million or more), but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that for most people, these are fleeting, poorly paid, and unpleasant jobs. We think that it is possible that the number of operator hours lost at truck stops, because automated trucks will have no drivers who need to be served at truck stops, could be compensated by new employment opportunities at transfer hub ports.”

Furthermore, the researchers also evaluated if automated trucking might result in a spike in short-haul driving jobs, which involves trucking shipments within the 150-mile radius. They also determined that operator hours of work lost due to automation of long-haul trucking will not be compensated in terms of quality and quantity by short-haul driving trucks. The study also suggests that short-haul trucking jobs pay less than long-haul trucking jobs, which results in minimized livelihood opportunities for workers.

As a part of their research, the researchers interacted with trucking businesses stakeholders, including tractor-trailer operators, to understand the feasibility of automated truck deployment.

Experts’ view:

“We found that an increase in short-haul operation is unlikely to compensate for the loss in long-haul operator-hours, despite public claims to this effect by the developers of the technology. As a result of these conflicting claims, as well as the uncertainty over the technology itself and its limitations, there is little clarity on how automated trucking will be deployed and its economic and political ramifications, such as the impact on the long-haul trucking labor market. We hope to help resolve these controversies,” Vaishnav said.

“A key finding was just how economically attractive this technology would be and the fact that everyone, including truckers, agreed that the interstate part of the job could be automated. Ultimately, societal and political choices can determine the mode of deployment of automated tracking capabilities, as well as the winners and losers of any shift to automation of long-haul trucking,” Vaishnav added.

• A micro-mobility solutions leader, Helbiz has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YOLO Group to boost the digital transformation for the insurance segment.

Helbiz signed MoU

A micro-mobility solutions leader, Helbiz, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YOLO Group. Helbiz is a business combination target of GreenVision Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: GRNV), and YOLO Group is Italy’s first digital insurance brokerage group. Helbiz signed an agreement to develop the integrated mobility and insurance service.

If finalized, the partnership would allow Helbiz to buy accident insurance for shared vehicles for the leasing period on the Helbiz mobile app.

The primary intention for YOLO to work with Helbiz is to incorporate protection solutions within Helbiz’s mobile sharing platform. Eventually, two companies will collaborate to offer insurance solutions beyond the rental of individual rides via Helbiz’s digital properties. The collaboration intends to boost the digital transformation for the insurance sector.

Offerings are anticipated to comprise on-demand insurance solutions dedicated to various non-Helbiz related businesses that will be part of a more significant annual accident policy with liability and personal assistance coverage.

Expert’s take

Ruggero Cipriani Foresio, Chief Marketing Officer at Helbiz, commented: “Our innovative collaboration with YOLO Group, when completed, will allow us to be the first operator in the world to offer in-app insurance coverage for micro-mobility services and beyond.”

He further added, “YOLO Group shares our mission to enable innovative solutions that improve the quality of people’s lives worldwide. This service has the potential to support consumers using our products and those outside of the Helbiz spectrum. This partnership is part of Helbiz’s long-term vision to continue building customer-friendly services that aim to increase the level of rider trust and safety.”

Roberta Pazzini, Head of Marketing & Communication at YOLO Group, commented: “We are witnessing a gradual transition towards alternative and sustainable forms of transport.”
She further added, “The ecosystem of mobility that is emerging is also creating interesting opportunities for the insurance sector, and this future partnership will enable new digital customers to take advantage of YOLO’s innovative services.”

• South Korea’s Kakao Mobility secured a strategic investment from Google.
• Both companies are planning for expansion in foreign and domestic markets.
• Kakao Mobility has expanded its portfolio after the launch of Kakao T.
• Carlyle Group in February agreed to invest about USD 200 million in Kakao Mobility.
• Expert’s view.

Secured strategic investment

South Korea’s Kakao Mobility secured a strategic investment of about USD 50.1 million (56.5 billion Korean won) from Google. Both companies are planning expansion in foreign and domestic markets as well as will discover new business prospects.

On April 1, 2021, during regulatory filing, a South Korean firm disclosed that Google International LLC would acquire approximately 970,848 new stocks to control a 1.69% stake in Kakao Mobility.

What has Google and Kakao Mobility decided?

Google and Kakao Mobility will update cloud-based AI (artificial intelligence) technology by giving it a modern touch and will also collaborate in internet-of-things (IoT) and cloud services. Together, both companies are finding ways to collaborate on Google services and Kakao Mobility’s platform and cooperate on several operating system software.

Kakao T – a mobile-based app

Kakao Mobility has expanded its portfolio after Kakao T’s launch, a smartphone-based app for taxi-hailing service in 2015. Kakao T offers a car park reservation service, driver service, public transport information service, and a taxi-hailing service. As per the company’s report, there are about 28 million users registered with Kakao T. Also, in 2020 recorded 5.8 million Kakao T monthly users.

Extra pointers

In February, Carlyle Group, an international investment firm, agreed to invest about USD 200 million in Kakao Mobility.

Expert take

Ryu Gung-seon, Co-CEO of Kakao Mobility, commented: “We will maximize synergy to grow into a global key player through long-term cooperation with Google and play a role as a hub to help competent Korean companies realize innovative services.”

• Scania AB has selected BlackBerry QNX for enhancing next-generation heavy goods vehicles.
• Scania will be utilizing BlackBerry QNX software in three Electronic Control Units (ECU).
• Expert’s view on the selection of BlackBerry QNX.
• Reasons why Scania selected BlackBerry QNX.

Scania AB chooses BlackBerry QNX

Blackberry Limited publicized that it has been selected by Scania AB to enhance next-generation heavy goods vehicles by developing a high-performance backbone on a single software base.

Scania is a leading Swedish provider of transport solutions worldwide. It will be working with BlackBerry QNX to deliver a time-tested real-time operating system (RTOS) and hypervisor for developing its computing platforms.

Scania will be utilizing BlackBerry QNX software in three Electronic Control Units (ECU), including its central high-performance coordinator platform, digital cockpit, and telematics, to deliver a safer environment for software to be developed upon.

Expert’s views

Mikael Adelsberg, Senior Vice President, Connected, Autonomous and Embedded Systems at Scania Group, commented: “Using a single OS and hypervisor for high performance systems in the truck has huge economical and technical benefits to our operations and allows us to bring customer value to market quicker and more efficiently.”

He further said, “We chose BlackBerry QNX due to the company’s history in safety certified embedded software, combined with its cybersecurity expertise.”

John Wall, Senior Vice President, Head of Operations, BTS (QNX, Certicom and Jarvis) at BlackBerry, commented: “The commitment from Scania to take on increased responsibility of its vehicles’ software content is commendable, and we’re excited to see this replicated across the market.”

He further added, “This deal showcases why BlackBerry QNX is the OS of choice for OEMs and how our software and expertise are helping them design the safest, most secure, and reliable software for their vehicles. We are helping clients around the world accelerate innovation as the electronic architecture of the vehicle evolves and the complexity of the software operating on our software increases.”

Reasons why Scania selected BlackBerry QNX:

• Safety
• Security
• Scalability
• Reliability
• Mobility

As per BlackBerry resources, 175 million-plus vehicles have adopted BlackBerry QNX worldwide.

• HMD Global has been financing to develop their own services business.
• HMD Global has applied for the “HMD Enable Pro” trademark and is trying to protect the name in a trademark application at EUIPO.
• The trademark suits the category of “software as a service (SaaS)” product.

HMD Global to apply for the “HMD Enable Pro” trademark

HMD Global, the Nokia brand’s licensee for smartphones, has been financing to develop its own services business. Earlier, it began with HMD Connect, a global roaming service aimed at travel, right at the outbreak of the pandemic. Further, it expanded to companies with HMD Connect Pro that provides businesses a path to link their employees and IoT devices using HMD’s service.

HMD Global has applied for the “HMD Enable Pro” trademark and is trying to protect the name in a trademark application at European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The trademark suits the category of “software as a service (SaaS)” product and, among other things, enterprise mobility management (EMM) software. The date of receipt was March 18, 2021, with the application being “under examination.”

A quick search online reveals a login page for the upcoming service, with the page title being “EMM from HMD Global.” This proves that Enable Pro would be an extension of the Connect services, possibly offering some extra features to business consumers in handling their wireless devices.

About HMD Global

HMD Global is an independent Finnish start-up that believes mobile technology could enhance everyday lives. Therefore, HMD is expanding its software services.

• algoWatt will collaborate with GeTUP research.
• The total GeTUP project is worth about EUR 2 million.
• EUR 1 million was funded to get customized and accessible travel planning solutions and a low environmental impact.

Sustainable mobility in urban areas

A GreenTech Solutions Company, algoWatt S.p.A. listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (MTA), will collaborate with GeTUP research. The project is based on sustainable mobility and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solutions in the urban environment.

algoWatt offers management and control systems that integrate devices, software, networks, and services with a clear sector focus on smart cities and enterprises, digital energy and utilities, and green mobility.

Investment pattern and funding

The GeTUP project is worth about EUR 2 million, and it received funding of about EUR 1 million from POR FESR 2014-2020 – Axis 1 – Action 1.2.4 – Poles of Research and Innovation of the Liguria Region. Further approved by Finanziaria Ligure per lo Sviluppo Economico – FI.L.S.E. S.p.A., a technical entity that assists the Liguria Region and other Ligurian territorial entities.

The project was funded based on the design, definition, and implementation of policies and interventions supporting the Ligurian economic system.

Work in collaboration

The algoWatt Research and Innovation team will coordinate for the project work and focus on the MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) system in collaboration with Genoa public transport operator research bodies and five SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). The development of MaaS is a part of the funding of approximately EUR 0.28 million.

As per advanced profiling systems, “The GeTUP project will study, realize at prototype level and experimentally validate in the Genoa area a MaaS platform model for trip planning with reduced environmental impact, personalized and accessible, adapting to the user’s characteristics, offering incentives to stimulate behavioural changes.”