Valeo Presents Six Major Innovations at IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich

Valeo features technologies for safer, cleaner and more diverse mobility

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Sep 07, 2021, 13:57 ET

MUNICH, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Six Valeo technology innovations presented at IAA Mobility in Munich (September 7-12) address the need for safer, cleaner and more diverse mobility.

The Covid-19 crisis has raised awareness for the importance of health and safety. Valeo is responding to these concerns with innovations that are aligned with today's needs. One example is Valeo's development of an ultraviolet-ray air purifier for buses and coaches that 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 to complete. Presented for the first time 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 technology focus. As a result, one in four new vehicles produced worldwide now is fitted with one of Valeo's 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 central electronic control units that merge the data collected – and software, which plays an increasingly important role in vehicles.

Among other Valeo innovations presented at the show is the company's Automated Valet Parking system, which allows a car to park autonomously in parking lots. A natural extension of onboard driving assistance systems, Valeo cameras and software installed in car parks play a key role in enabling vehicles to perform these autonomous maneuvers.

IAA Mobility also gives Valeo an opportunity to demonstrate its prototype 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. The prototype's 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 a 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. 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.

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. These developments are being demonstrated at 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.

IAA Mobility 2021 also features 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 would not 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 that are being shown for the first time 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 also can 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.

As the IAA Mobility 2021 show in Munich clearly demonstrates, 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.

* The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (Belgium); mobile Covid detection centers at the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau (France) and in Breves and Huy (Belgium); the APHP Henri Mondor university hospital in Créteil (France); the Rabin Medical Center in Jerusalem (Israel); and Hôpital Régional Dr Mohamed Ben Salah de Moknine (Tunisia).

Valeo is an automotive supplier, partner to all automakers worldwide. As a technology company, Valeo proposes innovative products and systems that contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to the development of intuitive driving. In 2020, the Group generated sales of 16.4 billion euros and invested 12% of its original equipment sales in research and development. On December 31, 2020, Valeo had 187 plants, 20 research centers, 43 development centers and 15 distribution platforms, and employed 110,300 people in 33 countries worldwide. Valeo is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. More information is available at www.valeo.com.

SOURCE Valeo