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AT&T, BMW and Tendril held a joint hackathon in New York on Nov. 16–18, 2012, focusing on application development around the intersection of electric vehicles (EVs), mobility services, sustainability and the connected smart home.
The event was part of the seven-city BMW i Born Electric Tour, which celebrates the unveiling of the hybrid-electric Concept BMW i8 and the fully electric Concept BMW i3.
“BMW i is about far more than just the cars,” said Dirk Rossberg, head of the BMW Group Technology Office USA. “It allows us to present a holistic view around how energy is viewed and used. A hackathon focused on developing new solutions that connect the smart car, the smart home and smart mobile devices is an exciting venture. By teaming with energy management software company Tendril and AT&T to open our collective technologies to joint third-party development, we’re ensuring that BMW i Brand vehicles and other products from BMW will seamlessly integrate to the grid and the home, while opening the doors to imaginative new mobile access and control applications.”
The event provided outreach to the developer community.
“Hackathons engage developers and provide a catalyst for rapid technological innovation, thereby fueling the development of solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Alex Donn, senior marketing manager, AT&T Developer Program. “As the adoption of EVs increases, events like the BMW i Born Electric Tour hackathon can help provide the tangible energy-efficient solutions consumers need to manage the increased electrical demands on the home or grid.”
This is not the first time BMW and Tendril have collaborated to demonstrate the power of engaging consumers through a connected home and EV environment. Earlier this year, the companies partnered on construction of a smart energy home in Mountain View, Calif., to prepare for the roll-out and integration of the BMW EV. The BMW Technology Office USA is using the smart energy home demonstration facility to help refine EV charging and monitoring.
“This event [showcased] the future of consumer engagement—providing consumers with real-time energy information through cutting-edge applications at home, on the road or anywhere in between,” said Adrian Tuck, CEO of Tendril.
