Valeo announces winners for its first inovation challenge for the automobile of 2030

Now, we know who won this international contest, open to engineering and university students from all over the world.

Nearly 1,000 teams from 55 countries signed up, but only three wining teams have been selected by a jury chaired by Valeo Chief Executive Officer, Jacques Aschenbroich, and comprising eminent figures from the world of science as well as Valeo executives.

The First Prize, with a cash award of € 100,000, was presented to the Brazilian team from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, whose project reinvents the mechanical transmission system by coupling together the pump and the hydraulic motor. This innovation would enable the transmission to adjust to engine RPM continuously and automatically, thereby improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.

The two Canadian teams, one from the University of Ottawa, the other from the University of Waterloo, tied for second place. Each one received a check for € 10,000.

The Canadian team from the University of Ottawa proposes to develop an end-to-end hybrid electric powertrain system combining onboard technology and connectivity. The innovation uses geolocation and traffic data to shift from city to highway mode, thereby optimizing fuel efficiency.

The Canadian team from the University of Waterloo whose project concerns an innovative, totally secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication system. It is based on the GPS and the time synchronization of data from each vehicle’s GPS sensors. Naturally, one of the initial applications would be to transmit road safety information, such as hazardous road conditions, emergency braking, accidents or rain.

Following the ceremony, Valeo kicked off the second edition of its global innovation contest, Valeo Innovation Challenge 2015. Students from around the world may now register on the Challenge’s dedicated website.

For more information, please visit : https://valeoinnovationchallenge.valeo.com/