Valeo technologies honored by the Automotive News PACE awards

Since 2005, Valeo has won fourteen PACE Awards, which are the international reference for the automotive industry as a whole. Through these distinctions, the professional community has acknowledged the innovation that is a constituent part of Valeo’s identity. It rewards the hard work carried out by the R&D teams and underscores Valeo’s ability to imagine, design, develop and produce cutting-edge technologies that are at the epicenter of the three revolutions taking place in the automotive industry: powertrain electrification, the development of automated driving and digital mobility.

AN AWARD OF WORLDWIDE RENOWN

The PACE (Premier Automotive suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) Awards, organized by the US weekly Automotive News for over 22 years, rewards automobile innovations displaying the highest level of performance. The jury, made up of automobile professionals, researchers, engineers and industrialists, honors decisive technological advances capable of creating new industrial models and new driving habits. Every year, 10 technologies offered by the world’s leading automotive suppliers win this supreme award, which carries a worldwide aura in automotive circles.

PACE Awards 2018

SINCE 2005, VALEO WON 14 PRIZES

2021

Valeo 48V eAccess. The all-in-one system contains an electric motor, transmission and inverter (the brain of the system). Vehicles equipped with the technology can reach speeds of 45 to 100 km/h (depending on the automaker) and enjoy a range of 100 km without emitting any CO₂. This affordable solution is easy to fit and is especially suited for urban and suburban use. The Valeo 48V eAccess is already on the market, featuring in the Citroën AMI. This 2021 PACE Award-winning innovation aims to make mobility greener and, thanks to its affordability, more widely available.

2020

Valeo XtraVue^(TM) Trailer. It is the world’s first system enabling drivers to “see through” the trailer or caravan they are towing. This unique and innovative driving assistance technology makes towing objects simpler and safer for drivers. Valeo XtraVue^(TM) Trailer uses cameras and software developed by Valeo and combines the data recorded by the vehicle and trailer cameras into a single, homogenous image. The image is displayed on screen in front of the driver, enabling them to see what’s going on behind their vehicle as if they could see right through the trailer or caravan. Driving and maneuvering becomes easier than ever, whatever the size of the vehicle being towed. Drivers can change lanes, reverse and park, all with complete control over their environment.

Unveiled as a world first at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Valeo XtraVue^(TM) Trailer was brought to the US market for the first time at the end of the same year.

Find out more

2018

SCALA™ is the only mass-produced laser scanner on the automotive market today. Already available on a first vehicle model, it is a key enabler for highly automated driving. It offers a wide field of vision (145°) and the ability to detect stationary as well as moving objects up to a distance of 150 meters in any weather, both day and night.

Find out more

The Valeo R-744 air-conditioning system which works without chemical refrigerants. This natural refrigerant air-conditioning solution is a world first. The technology is already being offered as an option on two vehicle models. Compared with traditional systems, Valeo’s natural refrigerant solution can extend electric vehicle autonomy by up to 30%, in temperatures as low as -20°C.

The Electric Supercharger

The Electric Supercharger is driven by an electric motor that allows faster response time and eliminates the lag effect associated with turbocharging. It is the first electric-driven compressor that will be in mass production and it is designed for 12-volt and 48-volt systems. This strengthens engine torque at low revolutions, eliminates turbo lag and improves the vehicle’s acceleration.

Find out more

2015

The high-efficiency alternator

The alternator turns the engine’s mechanical energy into electric current. The more efficient the alternator is, the less mechanical energy is required from the engine, and the less fuel consume
d by the latter. With the high-efficiency EG alternator, Valeo has created a breakthrough technology by replacing traditional diodes with new-generation transistors. These MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) help to increase the alternator’s efficiency by 10%, and to reduce Co? by 2.5g/km.

Find out more (in French)

2014

Innovative back-over protection system

This new-generation back-over protection system associates traditional ultrasonic sensors with an intelligent rear camera for the first time. The camera, which is fitted with a megapixel HDR sensor, shares its information with the ultrasonic sensors. The system, which is housed in a single compact box, detects obstacles within a four-meter radius, i.e. twice the radius of traditional ultrasonic systems. The back-over protection system is faster, more accurate and more efficient, especially at night; it is also lighter and more economical.

2013

Air intake module

To reduce their vehicles’ CO? emissions, automakers have reduced their engine sizes, while maintaining the power thanks to the turbo. A turbo requires systems to be installed to cool the compressed gases before they are injected into the cylinder. Valeo has revolutionized this cooling technology by using water as a complement to air. This innovation also makes it possible to reduce the exhaust gases’ toxicity and to reduce turbo lag during acceleration, for added driving comfort. This technology has already been adopted by the Volkswagen group, and will become widespread in the forthcoming years.

2012

Aquablade wiper system

The PACE Awards professionals were won over by this wiping system, in which the liquid arrives directly in front of the wiper blade through a series of channels and holes integrated within the blades. One decisive advantage compared to the traditional system is that during the washing process, visibility is uninterrupted: vision remains perfect and the quantity of liquid required is halved. The size of the reservoir is also reduced by 50%, which makes it possible to gain up to 2kg on the weight of the vehicle. In addition, washing performance is not affected by any increase on speed.

2008

Park4U® parking assistance system

Park4U®, which was adopted by Volkswagen as soon as it was created in 2007, and then by five more automakers in 2008, has revolutionized the way drivers approach parking. Thanks to a set of ultrasonic sensors, the vehicle automatically makes the maneuvers as soon as it is alongside a free space. The driver takes their hand off the wheel and concentrates only on accelerating and braking. With Park4U®, it is possible to park in restricted spaces and to leave the space automatically, for reinforced comfort and safety.

2007

Blind spot detection system

By rewarding this innovation in 2007, the PACE Awards acknowledged the Valeo Group’s capacity to position itself at the vanguard of new safety systems. The radars offer 360° surveillance of the vehicle’s immediate environment. The position, distance, relative speed and direction of travel of any object which appears in the surveillance zone are analyzed instantaneously, so that the driver is alerted in real time through an icon displayed in the side view mirror. The driver can then change lanes in complete safety.

2006

StARS micro-hybrid system

The Stop-Start system is based on a simple idea: stopping the engine when the vehicle is at a temporary standstill, and starting it up again automatically to continue your journey. This way the driver consumes less fuel and helps preserve the environment. The system developed by Valeo and rewarded by the PACE Awards is notable for its reversible belt which acts as starter and alternator at the same time. In alternator mode, StARS integrates a new technology which increases its electrical output, to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.

2005

LaneVue™ lane departure warning system

This system uses a miniature video sensor which permanently surveys the lane markings in front of the vehicle. When the vehicle changes lane without indicating, LaneVue™ warns the driver, who can then alter its trajectory. This innovation constitutes a major advance for road safety. In the USA, drowsiness and carelessness cause nearly 40% of accidents. Nissan was the first automaker to adopt the system, and it has since been joined by some of the other leading automobile brands, including Renault.