COPENHAGEN
2 days / 15 talks
Awesome and great blog
January 25-27
Visitors to Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates can get a taste of what a performance electric car can offer after the Polestar and Al-Futtaim Trading Enterprises opened the new Polestar Space located in the mall’s ‘Store of the Future’.
Situated on Level 1 of the mall, Store of the Future is promoted as a high-tech retail environment incorporating the latest advances in technology, combining physical and digital elements to create a unique shopping experience tailored to each visitor.
Dropping the Polestar 2 into the coveted spot means that drivers can see the car up close, book a test drive and, if they are keen, purchase the $44,000-plus vehicle.
“The positive reaction to Polestar 2 in the UAE so far has been amazing, and we’re excited to give customers the exclusive opportunity to engage with Polestar in the unique setting of the Store of the Future,” said Jonathan Pollock, regional managing director Emerging Brands at Al-Futtaim Trading Enterprises.
“Offering a truly exceptional experience, the Polestar Space is the perfect setting to showcase the cutting-edge, sustainable design and advanced technologies of Polestar 2.
The opening of the Polestar Space follows a busy few months for the Polestar brand since its UAE debut in February 2022. A visibility campaign which recently concluded with the temporary ‘pop-up’ Polestar Space activation at City Walk Dubai.
According to the Swedish brand and its local partner, the activities “generated intense interest in the Polestar 2, demonstrating the UAE’s readiness for sustainable mobility in a truly premium EV”.
Pollock stated that as an EV brand which has set a target to reach climate neutrality across its value chain by 2040, “offering Polestar in the UAE aligns with the government’s strategic target of Net Zero emissions by 2050. Al-Futtaim is proud to partner with Polestar and demonstrate our commitment to the UAE’s sustainability objectives.”
Source: TFME
Goodyear, Swaidan Trading Co LLC and Tires.ae have opened a brand-new tyre and services outlet in Mussafah.
The trio says that the facility marks an expansion of operations in the UAE for the global tyre manufacturer, and reinforces “the commitment of Goodyear and its partners to offer quality mobility products and services to drivers across the United Arab Emirates (UAE).”
The new distribution centre will provide a comprehensive choice of passenger car tyres and a full suite of services, including fitting, inspection, replacement and wheel balancing, to serve the UAE’s goal of enabling safer driving on the roads.
“Goodyear grows in our commitment to deliver best-in-class mobility technology and driving experience for all UAE drivers,” said Khaled Arafa, general manager, Goodyear Middle East & Africa.
“This partnership is another testament to our confidence in our local partners and reflects our joint mission to ensure that all drivers in the UAE are availed the opportunity of a safer and smoother driving experience for themselves and their passengers.”
Tires.ae, an established automobile service enterprise in the UAE, claims that the new centre will give car owners in the nation’s capital and beyond the optimum tyre choice for higher performance.
“As an established tire retail seller in the UAE, this collaboration with Goodyear and Swaidan Trading has unearthed a great opportunity for our business expansion in the UAE,” said Rouhalla Rezaei, owner and group CEO, Tires.ae.
The new, state-of-the-art facility allows greater convenience to car owners for the purchase of high-quality tires and other automotive services.
Long-time Goodyear partner, Swaidan Trading, believes that the new distribution centre reinforces its own commitment to customers who prioritise quality drives and road safety.
“Throughout our partnership with Goodyear, there has been a strong commitment to all our drivers – safer and smoother drives,” said Ajit Kumar, COO of Swaidan Trading and Al Naboodah Commercial Group.
“With the opening of the new distribution center, there is an opportunity to double down on this promise and expand our reach by offering increased convenience.”
Source: TFME
The transportation of people and goods is changing at a rapid pace in the region – the organisers of the first-ever Fleet Mobility Summit on the 21st September, 2022.
Brought to you by the team at Truck and Fleet Middle East magazine and its associated conferences and awards events, expert speakers and panellists are being sought to join the discussion on stage.
A Pre-Agenda list of topics will soon be available on the event website and we are inviting proposals for presentations, panellists, and ideas as the programme takes shape.
From the rise of on-demand passenger services to last mile deliveries, I also believe that by bringing key stakeholders and professionals together we can extend each other’s expertise and shape the mobility sector for years to come.
The regional market has seen some remarkable changes to the fleet and mobility sectors in the past half-decade.
The rise of e-commerce and digitalisation means these sectors have been among the few beneficiaries of the Covid pandemic with both private and end-user clients accessing services in unprecedented. Likewise, technology is powering a revolution in how sectors such as hospitality, F&B and retail can directly serve homes and offices via their own fleet or third-party service providers. Mobility is also opening up possibilities in adopting on-demand, leasing and rental services to keep costs down and protect your opeation’s flexibility.
Important dates:
Submission of paper proposals – 9th July
Panellist confirmations – 9th August
Fleet Mobility Summit – 21st September
If you would like to participate or suggest a fellow professional you feel will enhance the event, please contact Stephen White, head of content, Fleet Mobility Summit 2022 stephen.white@cpitrademedia.com
Source: TFME
This year, General Motors (GM) believes it will disrupt the pick-up segment with the launch of the new 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and the new 2022 GMC Sierra.
The new Silverado and Sierra line-ups will be headlined by two all-new trims: the all-new 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, Chevy’s new flagship off-road truck, and the first-ever 2022 GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate, the most advanced and luxuriously Sierra ever. Ahead of launch, GM has put both pick-up trucks through rigorous local evaluation, across scenic driving routes winding through the UAE’s deserts and inner-city roads and highways, to ensure that when the highly anticipated all-new trucks are officially launched, they meet the customer demands.
From creating iconic nameplates such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban to the GMC Yukon and Terrain, GM says it has “consistently demonstrated the ability to revolutionise mobility and technology, and plan to be leader in re-envisioning the landscape for years to come.”
This success spans the globe and part of this is rooted in the brands’ deep understanding of the unique environment and terrain, as well as the nuanced needs of customers, wherever in the world they are. Before launching a vehicle in this region, GM Africa and Middle East put it through extensive and rigorous evaluation to ensure that the vehicle performs as expected against the Middle East’s conditions. Be it terrain or climate, the local evaluation process ensures that GM and its vehicle brands continue to earn the badge of engineering excellence.
“We are proud of our portfolio across the globe and while our vehicles are thoroughly tested in the US, the unique Middle East terrain is different. For example, desert sand in the region tends to be softer and looser, providing a different off-road experience than in California or Arizona,” said Daniel Oden, Regional Quality Manager, GM Africa and Middle East. “Before we launch a vehicle in market, we execute a program tailored around each vehicle, with on-road and off-road evaluation, where relevant, covering thousands of kilometers to ensure that our vehicles not only meet but surpass our local customers’ expectations. The all-new Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and the all-new GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate have accumulated over 100,000 KM of road test each, to be certain they are primed for launch later this year.”
From A to ZR2 – how Chevy evaluates off-road mastery
The first-ever Silverado ZR2 drives into the flagship position of Chevy Trucks’ factory-lifted off-road lineup, offering race-proven off-road performance. The all-new ZR2’s off-road prowess has been tested thoroughly: from the sand dunes and tracks in Michigan to the challenging rock crawl trails in Utah and mountains of Tennessee, to the desert in Arizona and California and now in the challenging terrain of the Iftar Bowl, Dubai and other popular wadi and desert terrains of the UAE.
The all-new ZR2’s suspension upgrades, enhanced off-road technology and exterior enhancements were developed to optimize off-road performance and capability through key features, such as electrically locking differentials, increased approach angles, protective skid plates and Multimatic DSSV dampers, payload, and towing capacity.
The local GM Quality Team ensure a thorough review of all the new Silverado ZR2 features across a three month, in-country evaluation program, to ensure they perform well in the Middle East. The Quality Team ensure that the protective skid plate defends the underbody from inevitable bumps and scrapes from off-road adventures and that the dual exhaust, which has been tucked into the rear bumper, is properly protected against local terrain. Likewise, the impressive 31.8-degree approach angle is evaluated across sand dunes and wadi beds.
Critical requirements for an off-road vehicle are A/C performance and powertrain cooling due to the extreme temperatures in the Middle East. During local quality drives and off-road evaluations, the GM Quality Team records, tracks and analyses A/C and engine cooling data via thermocouples and vehicle software. This data is then analyzed, and any issues are identified reported back to engineering teams in the US.
New peak in premium capability – The All-New GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate
The first-ever Sierra Denali Ultimate trim is the most advanced and most luxurious Sierra ever, taking the popular Denali sub-brand to an even higher threshold of capable luxury.
Unique exterior styling cues and exclusive interior trim and features are complemented with more standard equipment — including the segment exclusive CarbonPro composite cargo box, offering one of the best-in-class short-bed cargo volume — to set a new standard for premium truck buyers who want to reward themselves. To ensure a smooth and comfortable ride, the GM Quality Team use NVH and Road Compliance to evaluate the suspension compliance to ensure a smooth ride on tarmac and over speedbumps.
During the evaluation, the GM Quality Team ensure that the interior enhancements go beyond aesthetics, to provide a 360 premium driver experience. Using NVH and Road Compliance tests, the team evaluate the noise produced by the pick-up, looking for squeaks, rattles and road feedback, to ensure the luxurious interior is not drowned out by loud noises in the cabin.
One of the most important evaluations to deliver a premium and capable experience is streamlined tech integration. The all-new GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate will launch with Google built-in, offering Voice Assistant, Embedded Navigation and in-vehicle applications, to enhance the overall customer experience and make it easier than ever for customers to bring their digital lives into future connected vehicles. During evaluation, the GM Quality Team ensure that the features are fully integrated, allowing seamless use of Google technology such as apps, connected maps and navigation, voice assistant, but also with the vehicle’s features such as articulated running boards, Head-Up Display and more. Tech advancements such as Google Built-In are designed to enhance the customer experience and therefore lags, or incomplete circuits will impact the premium experience.
Ensuring that the Google Built-In system is localized to the market and communicates clearly in Arabic for an optimized performance is an essential evaluation to do in the region. Poor localization of touchpoints, especially in Arabic, undermine the premium experience that General Motors Is committed to providing for drivers in the region and therefore this is one of the essential tests the Quality Team runs ahead of launch.
General Motors has been pioneering the future of mobility for over a century, channeling innovation, and engineering excellence into every new project. Delivering against an ambidextrous regional business strategy, General Motors has consistently demonstrated ability to revolutionize mobility and technology, whilst growing and expanding its core business of delivering world-class cars, trucks, and SUVs.
Once the capabilities of these trucks have been proven beyond doubt, the new Chevrolet Silverado and new GMC Sierra line-ups will be available in showrooms July 2022. More details will be shared once the vehicles are official launched in market, so watch this space!
Source: TFME