Feb. 2, 2017—ClearMotion, Inc., an automotive technology company, received $100 million in investments for software-controlled suspensions systems it's developing for cars.
The technology has been dubbed “digital chassis,” and it’s caught the eye of J.P. Morgan, which advised several clients—New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Qualcomm Ventures, World Innovation Lab (WiL) and Eileses Capital—to invest in the system.
James Snider, a Ratchet+Wrench editorial advisory board member and owner of The Hamburg Garage and ArborMotion in Whitmore Lake, Mich., says he doesn't think the technology will negatively impact business, but that it is a technology shop owners should be aware of moving forward for training purposes.
"It does stress the importance for shops who plan on being in this industry for the next 10-20 years to continue ongoing education especially computer diagnostics," he says.
ClearMotion's digital chassis technology aims to replace traditional automotive shock absorbers with software-controlled actuators, allowing cars to interpret and react to road conditions in real time.
"Innovation in the car business is ramping dramatically, and we see an opportunity to make our mark upon it," said Shakeel Avadhany, CEO and co-founder of ClearMotion. "Self-driving functionality mandates a future in which cars afford not just driving pleasure, but the utility of a mobile office. We are focused about the quality of time in autos and how we transform it by digitizing our relationship to the road, allowing software to control the dynamics of the car."
