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BMW and Mercedes join forces in car-sharing, the world’s largest yacht awaiting construction, LVMH is reviewing its crocodile leather supply standards and the other news of the day
Press review
BMW and Mercedes join forces in car-sharing
Mercedes and BMW will formalize their car-sharing partnership on February 22nd, with the creation of a specific joint venture that has been validated by the European authorities. Car2Go and DriveMe will therefore become one and will reach approximately 4 million people worldwide, in 31 major cities with a fleet of 20,000 vehicles.
For several months now, we have been hearing manufacturers wanting to diversify their activities to focus on car sharing and new forms of mobility. So far, BMW with DriveMe and Mercedes with Car2Go have gained some experience in this area, and their association should allow them to gain a competitive edge.
A common application should also give users access to a wide range of services that Mercedes and BMW will work on together, such as electric vehicle charging, infrastructure and parking: “This alliance goes far beyond car-sharing, since it integrates all the mobility services of both manufacturers. Among them: taxi reservation applications (mytaxi, Clever Taxi and Beat), the VTC Kapten platform (ex Private Driver), or applications such as ReachNow, moovel allowing to book all types of urban transport, to find a parking space or charging station for electric vehicles (ChargeNow and Digital Charging Solutions)“.
Le Valkyrie waiting for construction
During his thesis at the Royal College of Arts in London, Korean architect Chulhun Park imagined what could become the world’s largest yacht. At 229 metres long and 30 metres wide, the Valkyrie, whose hull has been developed and patented, is still waiting to be built.
What was originally only a thesis project at the Royal College of Arts in London quickly attracted the interest of the Monegasque shipbuilder Palmer Johnson Yachts, who hired him at the end of his studies.
Thus, it was at the Monaco shipyard that the Valkyrie hull was developed and patented. Since then, Chulhun Park has changed employers, and now works at Latitude Yachts. While he has already imagined the original shapes of the steel and aluminium hull and the grey carbon fibre structure, the design has not yet been finalised.
The architect wants his work to be more than just a toy for billionaires, and accessible to as many people as possible. For this purpose, he has designed spaces to accommodate a shopping centre, restaurants and bars, an exhibition centre, or a casino. A way of transforming the yacht into a real attraction. To get home, all you have to do is buy a ticket.
LVMH is reviewing its crocodile leather supply standards
The world’s leading luxury goods company LVMH has announced that it is strengthening its criteria to ensure a “responsible supply” of crocodile leather.
LVMH is launching a “new standard” for the supply of crocodile leather based on criteria that have been “developed and validated by a committee of technical experts“, the group states in a press release.
This new reference framework is based on several principles, including “the preservation of the species and respect for local communities“, “animal welfare”, “working conditions for men and women on farms” and “environmental protection“.
It “guarantees respect for animal welfare on these farms (handling, intervention of a veterinarian on site, quality of living space and food), beyond the traceability on the farm of 100% of the skins already in place“, he assures.
“About twenty farms” that supply this tannery “in Australia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, the Philippines and the United States will be certified by the end of 2020,” the statement said.
This initiative is part of a “global approach to animal husbandry and welfare conditions“, according to LVMH.
