Valeo will unveil six innovations – including a series of technologies that can create a “health shield” within the interior of a vehicle and charging stations suitable for all electric vehicles – at IAA Mobility in September. The technologies underscore Valeo’s ongoing commitment to develop safer, cleaner and more diverse mobility.
The IAA, for the first time in the show’s history, will be held in Munich. It has been renamed IAA Mobility for the occasion. No longer promoted as just the annual forum for the global automotive industry, the IAA is also the place where the future of mobility takes shape.
The Valeo innovations to be presented from Sept. 7 through Sept. 12include:
Automated Valet Parking: The feature – developed in collaboration with BMW – allows a vehicle to park itself in a parking lot.
Valeo Drive4U: The Valeo Drive4U is a prototype autonomous car. It will drive in automated mode on open roads in and outside the city of Munich (on the Blue Lane) reaching Level 4 autonomy. It is exclusively equipped with Valeo sensors that are already in series production (LiDARs, cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors etc.). This vehicle can handle urban and suburban traffic, traffic jams, intersections, traffic circles, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and construction zones. It is equipped with two other safety-enhancing features: The Valeo Drive4U Locate system pinpoints the vehicle’s location on the road with centimeter-level precision compared with a standard GPS system where the margin of error is as much as five meters. The Valeo MovePredict.ai system uses artificial intelligence to anticipate the movements of vulnerable people around the vehicle and brakes before they have even moved.
This year has been historic for mobility with the launch of the first car in the world to reach Level 3 autonomy – equipped with Valeo’s LiDAR technology. Level 3 autonomy can only be achieved using 3D LiDAR technology combined with a series of sensors. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are transforming mobility. Valeo is the world leader in this field with one-in-four new vehicles worldwide equipped with its technologies.
Vital Signs Monitoring: Valeo takes a holistic approach to the challenge of safer mobility. The company is developing products to help the vehicle assess and avoid potential life-threatening situations while ensuring passengers travel in a healthy cabin environment.
Valeo will present a series of technologies that will transform vehicles into a “health shield.” Valeo also will demonstrate a new system for monitoring vital signs which can be used to assess health risks (suspected Covid-19).* This technology has been adapted for use in the medical field using Valeo’s automotive expertise.
Charging Stations: IAA Mobility also will feature the world premiere of Valeo’s new charging stations suitable for all types of electric vehicles, regardless of their voltage. The chargers offer intelligent, energy-management features such as charging when electricity is cheapest or when the power is generated by a green source like solar or wind. Innovation is at the heart of Valeo’s strategy. In 2020, 94% of Valeo’s original equipment sales were generated by technologies that reduce CO2 emissions and increase road safety, while 56% of the orders received were for technologies.
Smart Automotive Lighting Systems: Visibility systems such as lighting and wiper systems are areas in which Valeo is a world leader. Valeo’s new smart lighting systems are becoming valuable driving assistance features. These headlamps are capable of tracing the shape of the road and indicating upcoming turns in the driver’s field of vision. The feature makes driving at night or in the rain safe and easy. The rear lamps, which are connected to the vehicle’s cameras and surroundings via the 5G network, signal hazards by displaying safety messages visible to all road users.
Electric Vehicle Powered by Valeo Components: The IAA Mobility 2021 will feature a flagship electric vehicle from a premium German automaker, which will be entirely powered by a Valeo-Siemens eAutomotive system (motors, transmission and inverter). The car’s thermal system, which includes batteries and air conditioning, also comes from Valeo.
Separately, the challenge of mobility also is protecting the environment. The reduction of CO2 and protecting the environment are part of Valeo’s DNA. As a pioneer in vehicle electrification, Valeo has invested more than 10 billion euros in this field over the past 10 years, to become the world’s leader.
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 also will demonstrate its ability to electrify a variety of different vehicles – bikes, scooters, delivery droids etc. – at IAA Mobility and in the streets of Munich.
* The reliability of the assessment was validated with the help of several health organizations: the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (Belgium), which has been a Valeo partner for five years with a Research Chair in “Health and Well-being in Transportation”; mobile Covid detection centers at the Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau – France), 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).
