From Motorsport to "Green": Magneti Marelli Illustrates in Washington D.C. the Technological Transfer Aimed at "Sustainable" Automobiles

MILAN, October 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Magneti Marelli, the global automotive systems and components supplier, illustrated the possible "green" technological links between motorsport and "road" during the course of a workshop promoted in Washington D.C., organized by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Ministry for the Environment within the 2012 Global Cleantech 100. Aim of the event: to encourage the meeting between Italian companies active in the "green economy" and American investors.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121002/567109 )

An unusual combination until recently, high performances and eco-sustainability today are travelling on increasingly converging paths, driven by the growing need to reduce costs, fuel consumption and emissions, making the "bridge" between the motorsport world and the "road cars" world even more strategic, in a technological osmosis capable of adding value to both areas.

Motorsport represents for Magneti Marelli a technological laboratory for the development of new competences and technologies that also feed and inspire new solutions for sustainable mobility.

The example of the KERS was illustrated during the workshop. KERS is a system for the recovery of kinetic energy under braking developed for Formula 1, which then generated technological spin-offs for mass-produced hybrid and electric engine systems.

In view of the new 2014 F1 regulations, Magneti Marelli is already working on developing the ERS system, which combines the recovery of kinetic energy and the energy coming from exhaust gases, both aimed at feeding electric motor-generators.

Thus new scenarios are opening up to hybrid solutions in motorsport, with important opportunities in terms of engine performance, consumption and efficiency even as regards mass production.  

An opposite journey - from mass production to competitions - was traveled by the GDI high-pressure injection technology, which has been adopted for some time now on mass-production vehicles for engine downsizing purposes (less fuel consumption, same performances): today, it is also used on the racetrack and during rallies and, starting in 2014, it will make its debut in Formula 1. At present, Magneti Marelli Motorsport is already testing GDI injectors and pumps with gasoline pressure values of up to 500 bar.

Moreover, Magneti Marelli is already working on developing a two-way WI-FI data transmission system from vehicle to infrastructure (for example: machine-pits) that allows the exchange of a large volume of data at high speeds.

These technologies have an important spin-off in the area of connectivity, of infotainment systems for mass-produced automobiles, and of smart traffic and vehicle management.

These three examples of technologies illustrated in Washington D.C. may allow up to a 35% reduction in fuel consumption, performances being equal, in the motorsport area, and consequently to create systems capable of significantly reducing consumption and emissions on standard vehicles too.

Magneti Marelli  designs and produces advanced systems and components for the automotive industry. With its 83 production units, 12 R&D centres and 26 application centres in 18 countries, over 34,000 employees and a turnover of 5.9 billion Euros in 2011, the group supplies all leading carmakers in Europe, North and South America and the Far East. Its business areas include: Electronic Systems, Lighting; Powertrain, Suspension Systems and Shock Absorbers, Exhaust Systems, Aftermarket Parts & Services, Plastic Components and Modules, Motorsport. Magneti Marelli is part of Fiat Spa.

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SOURCE Magneti Marelli