Automotive innovation

Wolfsburg, 27 June 2008 -- Volkswagen has won the international competition "Golden Drop of Oil 2008" for its innovative engine-gearbox combination, the powerful 90 kW TSI engine and the new 7-speed DSG gearbox. The energy and environment prize is awarded annually by the German automobile club "Kraftfahrer-Schutz e. V. (KS)". The club awards this prize for technical developments in passenger cars which make a significant contribution towards reducing fuel consumption and safeguarding the environment.

The jurors honoured the two new technical developments from Volkswagen as an intelligent combination which, together, achieve noticeable savings in fuel and emissions. It was emphasised that this technology is used in numerous models from the compact class through the small car segment.

Opel Cars Can See

Rüsselsheim, 2008-06-18 -- Opel introduces a first: A camera that aids drivers in two different ways. The Traffic Sign Recognition function reads speed limit and no-passing signs and displays them on the instrument panel. The Lane Departure Warning alerts drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their lane. Together, these two systems improve driving safety, reduce stress and can even prevent costly speeding tickets.

Opel Eye

Highlights:
* Leading Technology: Two-in-one system available early 2009
* Opel Eye informs drivers about speed limits; warns when they veer out of their lane
* First in Opel Insignia and soon in other models

PITTSBURGH, June 19, 2008 — General Motors Corp. (GM) and Carnegie Mellon University today announced a new Collaborative Research Lab (CRL) and a renewed commitment to work jointly on technologies that will accelerate the emerging field of autonomous driving — a family of electronics and software technologies that could influence the way drivers and their vehicles interact in the future.

The GM-Carnegie Mellon Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab is being established under the terms of a five-year, $5 million agreement. The lab will operate as an extension of GM's Global Research & Development network and will be located at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. Faculty from the university’s School of Computer Science and College of Engineering will participate.

June 2008 -- Transmission technology specialist Xtrac says the flywheel kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) currently being developed for Formula One could be applied to road vehicles in a number of ways.

By providing an additional boost of power, the F1 technology is particularly relevant to the trend to fit cars with smaller engines in pursuit of better fuel efficiency and lower CO2 output. The technical challenge with engine downsizing is compensating for the loss of engine torque and driveability, which could be restored by applying flywheel technology. It is also possible that a mechanical KERS system could be used as a range extender in a battery electric hybrid vehicle or even to power vehicle auxiliaries.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ, June 16, 2008 -- In recognition of its innovative developments in automotive technology, German automaker BMW received the Best Telematics Component Solution and Global Car Manufacturer Innovation awards during a dinner reception at Telematics Update’s 2008 International Telematics Awards, which took place in Detroit, MI last month.

Lotus Engineering Invests in Low Carbon Vehicle Programmes

June 16, 2008 -- Lotus Engineering, the world renowned automotive consultancy division of Lotus has won two contracts as part of winning project consortia announced by the UK Government Technology Strategy Board. These two project consortia will be allocated part of a total £23 million for 16 innovative low carbon vehicle development programmes. Including investments from companies such as Lotus, these projects collectively represent a total value of £52 million.

Zero Emission London Taxi Commercialisation

Challenging established concepts, hazarding visions.

06/10/2008 -- Successful design arouses desire. In order to achieve this, it is more crucial than ever before that car manufacturers create the conditions that allow customers to establish a close relationship with their cars. Therefore, designers seek ways to promote and intensify people's identification with their car that reach beyond pure aesthetics. In the premium segment in particular, customers demand cars that stir emotions and allow them to express their individuality.

BMW GINA Light Visionary Model

Dynamic partnership between the Volkswagen Group and Sanyo

Wolfsburg, 28 May 2008 - Agreement has been reached on a co-operation which sees Volkswagen joining forces with Sanyo, one of the world’s leading developers of rechargeable batteries, to work on new and extremely efficient high-performance storage systems based on lithium-ion technology.

The Ohio State University awarded third place for its power-split hybrid electric vehicle

Washington, D.C., 2008-05-21 - Mississippi State University, for the second consecutive year, has earned top honors in General Motors (GM) and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Challenge X student engineering competition. Over the past nine months, the 2008 Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainability competition challenged 17 university teams from the U.S. and Canada to reengineer a Chevrolet Equinox that employs advanced powertrain technologies.

LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2008 – A century after the Model T put the world on wheels, Ford continues building on its tradition with industry-leading, high-volume technologies including SYNC and EcoBoost engines, a new fuel-efficient powertrain lineup, a new small car for the world as well as America’s most head-turning crossover and most-capable pickup.

Highlights:

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, April 15, 2008 – Xanavi Informatics Corporation, and Sony Corporation　were jointly awarded 2008 Automotive News PACE （Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence）Award (Product category) for the development and commercialization of the Around View Monitor.

The prestigious PACE Awards recognize automotive suppliers for their innovation and technological achievements.

In addition, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Awarded 2008 Automotive News PACE "Collaborator Award" together with Xanavi and Sony for excellent technology innovation as well as the collaboration with their suppliers.

Displays part of “The Science of Survival – Your Planet Needs You!”
five-year traveling exhibition

TOKYO, April 2, 2008 – A scale model of Nissan’s highly distinctive Pivo electric concept and several other of the company’s environmental technologies will be showcased at the "The Science of Survival" exhibition which opens Saturday April 5 at the prestigious Science Museum in London.

The thought-provoking and interactive exhibition explores how our lives could be affected by environmental changes and resource availability by 2050. The exhibition was developed in consultation with scientists and researchers and is co-sponsored by Nissan.

Lotus Engineering unveils its latest development towards carbon neutral road transport at the 78th Geneva International Motor Show

March 2008 -- Lotus Engineering, the world renowned automotive consultancy division of Lotus, unveils its latest development towards carbon neutral road transport at the 78th Geneva International Motor Show.

The Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel is the most powerful road version yet of the Exige (0-60 mph / 96 kph in 3.88 seconds, a top speed of 158 mph (255 km/h), 270 hp (201 kW / 273 PS at 8000 rpm) and it runs on any mixture of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol. Emerging technologies will allow alcohol fuels such as methanol, already a proven internal combustion fuel, to be made synthetically from CO2 extracted from the atmosphere.

2/25/2008, Stuttgart -- Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany, has plans at this year’s Geneva Auto Salon to show off an environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient range of automobiles. The show, staged this year between March 6 and March 16, is traditionally used to reveal the most significant trends for the automobile season ahead.

Feb 4, 2007, KARIYA, Japan -- DENSO Corporation announced today that it will begin tests of vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems on public roads in Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan in April. The Japanese government's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) approved this project as one of the special deregulation zone projects for ubiquitous Internet networking.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication allows vehicles to interact with each other via radio waves by sending and receiving information. This technology is expected to improve traffic safety, such as in the prevention of vehicle collisions.

2008-01-24, WARREN, Mich. - In another step aimed at bringing the electrification of vehicles into the mainstream development process more quickly, General Motors has formed a new engineering organization especially dedicated to implementing hybrid and extended- range electric vehicles (E-REV) and advanced battery technology. The global team will be led by Robert Kruse, executive director of vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicle and batteries. In North America, the team will be based in Warren and Milford, Mich. In Europe, the team will be based in Mainz-Kastel, Germany and in Asia-Pacific they will be located in Shanghai, China.

Award for environmentally friendly technology:
· CO2 sensor in air-conditioning systems saves fuel and CO2 emissions

New Technologies Available on Nissan Fuga in December

TOKYO, Dec. 13, 2007 -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will introduce two pioneering technologies with its new Nissan Fuga, set for release in Japan this month - the world's first Distance Control Assist and navigation-enabled Intelligent Cruise Control systems.

Nissan's pioneering Distance Control Assist system helps control the distance between two vehicles under various traffic conditions, from congested urban roads to high-speed expressways. The improved Intelligent Cruise Control system integrates route-information via the on-board navigation system to monitor the vehicle's cruising speed to match actual road conditions i.e. the sharpness of the next curve on the road.

1. World's First Distance Control Assist

· NASA Glenn Research Center and Goodyear granted Seed Funding
· Step Change Technology required for "Universal" Mobility
· Joint Lunar, Mars project capability could yield "Earthly" rewards

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2007 – Goodyear, the innovator of run-flat tire technology on Earth, is working with NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to significantly evolve the technology and take its capabilities to the rest of the universe.

Part of a funded program by NASA’s Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) to develop non-pneumatic tires for use first on the moon, and eventually on Mars, the IPP Seed Fund was established to advance key technologies to meet critical needs for NASA’s missions.

Two Million Dollars for Robotic Vehicle “Boss”

Hanover, November 2007 – In a high-tech triumph for Continental, “Boss”, a self-driving Chevrolet Tahoe, won the DARPA Urban Challenge 2007 equipped with Continental technology. With the help of a dozen sensors and the international automotive supplier’s know-how in the domain of sensor data fusion, the vehicle computer was fed optimally prepared data on its surroundings. The “Boss” development team came away with the top prize – two million dollars.