CLEPA TECHNOLOGY DAY
27 JUNE 2007
CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. Its headquarters are located at the Boulevard Brand Whitlock in Brussels, close to the various offices of the European Commission. CLEPA is co-ordinating campaigns and study groups with participants from the European automotive suppliers and the directorates of the E.C. which are involved in aspects like the competitive position of the European industry, traffic safety, environment and energy policies.
The Technology Day highlighted the prominent position of the automotive suppliers in all of these aspects. It is understood that the European motor industry can only provide its employees with a reasonable income if it is more innovative than industries in other parts of the world. That is not self-evident. Developing nations like Korea, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, to mention just a few have, both ambition, brains and a growing market to be very competitive. But they also face rising labour cost, market saturation and stricter rules to combat pollution and climate change.
Solutions
Eighteen companies displayed their solutions to real problems facing the European motor industry. They offered their latest products which are already incorporated in todays new cars, but sometimes only in expensive models, and sometimes at extra cost. Some solutions are so new that their application is a case for the future.
Particular problems concerning mobility with motor vehicles in Europe are:
- Traffic safety. Main concern is of course safety of driver and passengers, but accidents on the busy main roads cause immediate congestion if complete roads or lanes are blocked. The economic damage as a result of road blockages by accidents, is a growing problem.
- Vehicle safety, both active and passive. The rating according to EURO NCAP standards are important purchase motives in todays car market. On the Technology Day of 27 June it was published that the Chinese Brilliance was retired by Benelux distributor Cardoen because of the extremely low rates (one-and-a-half star) in the German EuroNCAP test. Cardoen took the already sold seven Brilliance cars back. Every new car model must aim at the maximum five stars and the automotive suppliers at the Technology Day offered their solutions to make this possible. It is important to know that because of these high Euro NCAP requirements, new cars on the European market are probably the best in the world, and enhance the competitive power of the European motor industry.
- Fuel economy. The high oil price and high excise are a major part of running a motor car. But the political instability of the countries supplying oil forces Western Countries to look for alternative fuels. Engines have to be adapted to the use of bio-fuels and natural gas. LPG remains an interesting alternative to petrol and diesel.
- Air pollution. Both CO2 and particulates are hot items in the public discussions, and subject to ever more stringent regulations. How to achieve ambitious goals gives different opinions. Diesel engines produce less CO2 but more particulates. OEM and retrofit particulate filters can cure that. The Dutch government subsidises retrofit filters. By cashing this subsidy Bosal fits their particulate filter free of charge for the vehicle owner. A Dutch law proposal to make particulate filters obligatory for new and old diesel engines was held up by the European Community because other member states could not comply. Some engineering companies claim they can reduce exhaust pollution of petrol engines without filters, such as downsizing and the use of a turbo/compressor.
- Driver comfort. Various means of making driving easier and less tiring should enhance road safety. A lot of accidents occur as a result of human mistakes caused by fatigue.
The companies taking part in the Technology Day, and introduced by CLEPA as Leaders in Safety, Environment and Future Automotive Innovations, were, in alphabetical order:
Advanced Labels Technologies (ALT), Autoliv, Bosal, Bosch, Britax Rφmer, Continental, Delphi, Emitec, Faurecia, Gates Corporation, Honeywell, Light Sight Safety, Schaeffler Group Automotive, Tenneco, ThyssenKrupp Technologies,
TRW, Valeo, ZF
Choose ESC
A central theme of this day was to encourage consumers to ask for the various solutions which make driving safer, such as Electronic Stability Control. Increasing the awareness of the importance of ESP is an effort of Euro NCAP, established in 1997, which provides motoring consumers with an independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Through its stringent vehicle crash testing, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety improvements to new car design. Euro NCAP is backed by five European governments, the European Commission as well as motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country.
Not too long ago ABS brakes were a novelty on expensive cars. Nowadays there is hardly one new car without. Bosch listed an overview of ESP value-added functions which are offered by the company but also by competitors present at the event:
- Brake and Boost Control. BDW Brake Disc Wiping; EBP Electronic Brake Pre-fill; HBA Hydraulic Brake Assist; HBB Hydraulic Brake Boost; HBC Hydraulic Boost Failure Compensation; HFC Hydraulic Fading Compensation; SST Soft Stop; TJA Traffic Jam Assist; PMA Pedal Misuse Avoidance.
- Special Stability Support. AOL Anti Oscillation Logic; CSC Corner Stability Control; EUC Extended Understeer Control; LAC Load-Adaptive Control Mode for LCV/Vans; RMI Roll Movement Intervention; ROM Roll Over Mitigation; SLS Straight Line Stability Control; TSM Trailer Sway Mitigation.
- Standstill and Speed Control. AVH Automatic Vehicle Hold; AVR Automatric Vehicle Release; CDP Controlled Deceleration for Parking Brake; ECC Extended Cruise Control; HHC Hill Hold Control.
- Surround Sensing Support. ABA Adaptive Brake Assist; ABP Automatic Brake pre-fill; AEB Automatic Emergency Brake; Automatic Warning Brake; CDD Controlled Deceleration for DAS.
- Special Torque Control. AMR Drive Torque Control; CCC Center Coupling Control; DTC Drag Torque Control; OCD Open Center Differential; ORD Off-Road Detection and Measures; TDS Torsen Drive Support (Torsen); VCS Visco Clutch Support (Visco).
- Monitoring and Information. BTM Brake Temperature Models; HAZ Hazard Warning; MSL Mini Spare Logic; TIMS Tire Inflation Monitoring System; VSO Vehicle Speed Output.
Many of these functions are already in series production; other will soon be introduced.
Light.Sight.Safety
This is a CLEPA initiative, created in May 2006 with the object to create more awareness and understanding of the safety, comfort and environmental aspects of good quality car lighting at car drivers and decision-makers. The seven members are Automotive Lighting Reutlingen GmbH, GE Consumer & Industrial Lighting, Hella KgaA Hueck & Co, Osram HmbH, Philips Automotive Lighting; Valeo S.A. and Visteon Corporation. They are committed to bring new lighting advancements to the market, supporting the continuous effort to reduce fatalities and to lower power consumption as well as air pollution.
At their stand it was announced that research was going on to give substance to the claim that good lighting leads to less accidents during night time.
Hybrid, light hybrid with overnight battery loading or full electric drive?
Several exhibitors displayed their solutions to these alternative drive systems, but some expressed the opinion that the lithium battery technology is not advanced enough to offset the weight and volume of drive batteries in todays hybrid vehicles. The same results in low fuel consumption and air pollution can be achieved with diesel and petrol engines, applying the latest technologies, and even improving on them, with the advantage of lower production cost, lower vehicle weight and better utilisation of the vehicle dimensions for driver, passengers and other loads.
Pim van der Veer
(to be continued)
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