Stellantis Announces 11 Investments to Empower Dare Forward 2030 Business Strategy
Every major automotive group is working on their next lineup of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and electrified variants of current models. Amongst them is Stellantis, the fourth-largest group in the bunch, and back in 2022, the group announced its Dare Forward 2030 business strategy. Planning to release more than 75 BEVs between now (2023) and 2030, Stellantis isn’t just sticking to in-house R&D (research and development). Not too long ago, Stellantis started Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of Stellantis N.V. to invest in startups that can help them push forward to three main goals: environmentally-friendly vehicles and carbon neutrality, advanced tech for BEVs and even virtual assistants (like artificial intelligence), and increasing the value of BEVs and electric mobility today.
“Transforming Stellantis into a mobility tech company means we need to have the mindset of a startup, focused on our customers and working with a dash of impatience…We are using the strength of Stellantis Ventures to connect with companies that are developing cutting-edge technology that we believe can transform the in-cabin experience and improve the mobility sector, for our customers and for society as a whole.” – Ned Curic, Stellantis chief technology officer
CARE
Three investments have been made into the movement towards a carbon neutral goal. 6K is known for is cutting-edge platform for producing domestic sustainable critical materials for EV batteries, enabling sustainable manufacturing to ensure clean, low-carbon emission, material production for multiple industries, not just the auto industry. It’s fast, clean, and all at a low cost.
The Beweelsociety actually has its roots inside Stellantis starting from the ground up with connected e-bikes. Expanding to provide services such as financing, insurance, facilitation and care services (maintenance, anti-theft), and consumers can control it all through a unique digital app. The first-ebike is already on the way to production with specialized cycling networks and technology-focused retailers in Europe this year.
Then there’s NetZero, an investment to really push long-term carbon removal from the atmosphere. NetZero accomplishes this by turning agriculture residue into a more stable form of carbon called “biochar”. Able to be mixed into agricultural soils, it’s kind of like mixed coffee grounds to improve crop yields and reduce the need for fertilizer, like cow manure.
TECH
Here’s where Stellantis is getting a little more involved with virtual assistants and artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology. Investing in Nauto, a company that has already deployed AI and computer vision technology to more than 800 commercial fleets. Its safety system is able to asses driver behavior risk and external road risk to help reduce distracted driving and prevent collisions in real time. Already a winner, Nauto A.I. be available this summer in the United States on Stellantis commercial fleet vehicles.
Trails Offroad reminds us a lot of the Jeep® Badge of Honor program. A digital library of more than 3,000 detailed off road trail guides throughout the United States and Canada, Jeepers and owners of Jeep vehicles with the Jeep Uconnect system can look up nearby trails and read their respective guides before heading off on a new adventure. With access to more than 200 notable trail guides, including the 62 Jeep Badge of Honor trails, consumers can get it all with a subscription.
Another A.I. platform is Viaduct, designed to improve vehicle analytics for quality and maintenance. A very important part of car care and ownership, Viaduct A.I. can identify anomalies in fault and sensor data, predict vehicle health, and identify maintenance routines to prevent issues in the near future. Just another way Stellantis wants to make its vehicles safer and more reliable.
Reliable navigation can be so hard to come by these days. Even Google Maps seems to be pointing in all the wrong directions on foot. Geoflex, a worldwide operator of satellite positioning augmentation technology is all about accuracy, integrity, and continuity of navigational operations via satellite. With its hyper geolocation services, consumers can find more accurate navigation in future Stellantis vehicles without the usual second-guessing.
We all love futuristic tech in our cars, and that’s why Stellantis invested in Envisics, a globally renowned pioneer of dynamic holographic technologies. Many consumers may be familiar with augmented reality head-up displays (AR-HUDs) in their cars. Coupled with advanced technology and automotive sensor systems, Envisics is here to transform automotive displays and the in-car consumer experience.
VALUE
Car value, not just price, is a large factor for car buying these days. When it comes to BEVs, many consumers may question the longevity and safety of a battery and an electric motor. Electra Vehicles is a leading provider of battery software solutions for electric mobility, providing companies with battery management systems and battery pack design software to build better BEV batteries. By using cloud-based artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) battery enhancement features, Electra aims to maximize the full potential of battery power for the future of electric mobility.
A recent investment, we covered the Stellantis investment in Lyten Inc. last week. This is a materials innovation and applications company known as the pioneer of the Lyten 3D Graphene materials platform. Lyten 3D Graphene is an electrically reactive material most known for its three-dimensional morphology. Utilizing this material can create a higher-performance battery with more than twice the energy density of normal BEV batteries today. Looking for more carbon-efficient solutions, Stellantis can make great use Lyten’s proprietary lithium-sulfur battery Lytcell, with an estimated 60-percent lower carbon footprint than best-in-class lithium-ion, and 40-percent lower than solid state batteries.
Stellantis is sure getting busy and moving its money around. Hopefully it’ll all pay off. Be sure to follow along with us for more information about Dare Forward 2030 and Stellantis Ventures when you follow us on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media.