SIX MAJOR VALEO INNOVATIONS FOR SAFER, CLEANER AND MORE DIVERSE MOBILITY TO BE PRESENTED AT IAA MOBILITY 2021
The Valeo innovations presented at the IAA Mobility addressed the need for safer, cleaner and more diverse mobility.
Safer mobility: The Covid-19 crisis has raised awareness of the importance of health and safety. Valeo is responding to these expectations through innovations that are aligned with today’s needs. One example is Valeo’s development of an ultraviolet ray air purifier for buses and coaches, which eliminates more than 95% of viruses, microbes and bacteria while the vehicle is on the move with passengers on board. For cars, Valeo has developed highly effective air filters that block 96% of allergens and 99.4% of viruses, including coronaviruses. One in two new models will be fitted with such a filter within the next five years.
Valeo’s technologies are so efficient that they now go beyond vehicles. In collaboration with several hospitals and research institutes, Valeo has developed a vital sign detector that can evaluate a patient’s health risks and, in particular, assess whether they are likely to have Covid or not, using a contactless process that takes less than two minutes. Presented to the world for the first time ever at the IAA Mobility show, the device is based on Valeo’s Driver Monitoring System (DMS), which will soon be integrated into series-produced cars.
For safer mobility, Valeo has made advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) a key focus of its innovations. As a result, one in four new vehicles produced worldwide is fitted with one of its ADAS solutions, making Valeo the world leader in this area. Valeo’s expertise covers the entire system from A to Z. This includes both hardware – with the most extensive portfolio of sensors in the automotive industry, as well as the central electronic control units that merge the data collected – and software, which plays an increasingly important role in vehicles.
Among the innovations to be presented at the show is Valeo’s Automated Valet Parking system, which allows a car to park autonomously in a parking lot. A natural extension of onboard driving assistance systems, the Valeo cameras and software installed in car parks play a key part in enabling vehicles to perform these autonomous maneuvers.
The show also gives Valeo an opportunity to display its prototype of the Valeo Drive4U autonomous car. Equipped exclusively with sensors that are already series produced by Valeo (LiDARs, cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors, etc.), the prototype will travel on the open road in Munich, reaching level 4 autonomy. Its safety-enhancing features include Valeo Drive4U Locate technology, which pinpoints the vehicle’s location with centimeter-level precision, and the Valeo MovePredict.ai system, which detects vulnerable people around the car and brakes before they move.
Visibility solutions such as lighting and wiper systems – areas in which Valeo is world leader – are also a powerful driver of improved safety. Valeo’s new smart lighting systems are becoming valuable driving assistance features. These systems include headlamps that trace the shape of the road and indicate upcoming turns in the driver’s field of vision. The rear lamps, which are connected to the vehicle’s cameras and surroundings via the 5G network, will signal hazards by displaying safety messages visible to all road users.
Cleaner and more diverse mobility: As the European Commission formalizes new measures to further reduce carbon emissions and mark a radical transformation in mobility, Valeo is already in the starting blocks. Valeo can electrify all types of vehicles, including cars, as well as all kinds of new urban mobility solutions: bikes, scooters, delivery droids etc. This will be demonstrated at the IAA Mobility as well as on the streets of Munich.
Valeo’s technological electrification platforms cover all segments and uses, from affordable 48V solutions to the most powerful systems – thanks to the products it has developed as part of the Valeo-Siemens eAutomotive joint venture.
The IAA Mobility 2021 will also feature the flagship vehicle from a premium German automaker’s electrified range, powered entirely by a Valeo-Siemens eAutomotive electric system (motors, transmission and inverter – the brains of the electric powertrain system). By 2023, more than 90 vehicle models will be fitted with the joint venture’s technologies.
In addition to its portfolio of electric technologies, Valeo also tackles thermal management. Without it, the electrification revolution wouldn’t be possible. Valeo plays a key role in the development of the electric vehicle through its comprehensive expertise covering battery cooling, heat pumps and electric compressors, as well as optimized management of in-vehicle thermal comfort.
Today, Valeo is branching out even further in the electrification ecosystem with new charging stations presented in a world first at the Munich show. Suitable for all types of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, they can be used for charging when electricity is cheapest or when it comes from a green source such as solar panels or wind power. They can also redistribute electricity not used by the vehicle, either to the power grid or to a specific electric device. Valeo’s charging stations are a natural extension of the onboard chargers Valeo designs and produces for electric vehicles.
The IAA Mobility 2021 show in Munich clearly demonstrated, mobility is no longer just about vehicles; today, it also includes the ecosystem surrounding them. Valeo – which has made innovation central to its strategy – is perfectly positioned for this change. Its automotive technologies are now being used not only in vehicles, but also in infrastructure. This helps to ensure technical continuity between vehicles and their surroundings. It also enables mobility operators and users to benefit from the cost savings and quality standards of series-produced automotive products.