This weekend, Shell, HERE Technologies, and Smartcar are hosting HackMobilty 2019 - the first mobility hackathon ever organized in the Bay Area. Here’s why mobility is the perfect topic for a hackathon, and what you can expect from the event.
Why mobility matters
We’re at the brink of a massive shift in the mobility landscape. From autonomous cars to vehicle voice assistants and electric fleets, cars can do more today than we could have imagined just a few years ago. While those new developments are exciting, the mobility industry is also facing unprecedented challenges.
When cars were first invented, they were hailed as a great equalizer - a means for families to move towards better futures, a way for children to get to schools, for employees to get to new jobs, for patients to get to hospitals. Today, however, even with the advent of services like Uber and Lyft, the equalizing power of transportation hasn’t permeated society strongly enough, and environmental concerns have exacerbated the problem.
Transportation has reached a point of diminishing returns for the common (wo)man. From food deserts scattered across urban landscapes, to traffic congestion and roadblocks to the expansion of EV charging networks, we’re simply not moving fast enough.
While traditional industry incumbents are trying to rise to the challenge, a window has opened for a new set of players: developers. With software being the primary driver of progress for many industries, developers possess more and more sophisticated tools to make an impact in the mobility space. From granular location-based car sharing to concerted investments in new energies, developers are building an ecosystem of apps and services, bringing a novel approach to an industry that is undergoing tremendous change.
What to expect at HackMobility 2019
That’s why we’re so excited to co-host HackMobility 2019 with two companies that are as committed to empowering developers as we are. Together with Shell and HERE Technologies, we’re hoping to give developers the space, time, and tools to make transportation more equitable, more sustainable, and more efficient. We’re joined in that mission by Goodyear and eBay, who will sponsor prizes for the best hacks related to their respective industries.
At HackMobility, you can expect vibrant discussions around innovation in the automotive space, engaging workshops and panels, and of course, the company of some of the very best developers in the Bay Area.
Time & place
HackMobility will take place at Galvanize San Francisco on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21, 2019.
Co-hosts
With a diverse range of expertise, our companies are bringing a number of tools and perspectives to the table:
- Shell brings decades of experience in the energy industry, with an increased focus on new energies and EV charging.
- Smartcar allows developers to build innovative mobility experiences, using an API that lets apps locate, unlock, and read the odometer from vehicles.
- HERE Technologies offers their expertise as a location platform with more than 20 different APIs for routing, geocoding, traffic, and many more.
Hackathon tracks
HackMobility offers hackers three different prize tracks. Developers are invited to build hacks that make mobility:
- Greener: develop solutions that reduce the mobility industry's impact on climate change
- More Equitable: make transportation more accessible to everyone in society
- More Efficient: develop a mobility ecosystem that is as lean and well-designed as possible
Prizes
Teams can submit projects to up to two tracks. Cash prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to the best hack in each of the three tracks by our three sponsors: HERE Technlogies (green track), Goodyear (efficient track), and eBay Motors (equitable track). Additionally, Smartcar will award a prize to the team that demonstrates the best use of Smartcar’s API.
The Shell Grand Final Prize will give the winning team the opportunity to pitch their product directly to the Shell Digital Ventures team.
For further event details and a detailed agenda, feel free to check out our Eventbrite page.
Don’t forget to book your free ticket today, or reach out to us with any questions!
