Around the Industry

Opel/Vauxhall and Europcar have announced an agreement to introduce the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera as a rental car throughout Europe. With the market introduction of the electric Ampera by the end of 2011, Opel/Vauxhall is to create a new segment in the European automotive market and underline its role as a trendsetter for initiative mobility solutions. The two companies are joining forces to facilitate the introduction and expansion of electric mobility, broadening the range of people that will be able to enjoy the benefits of electric mobility from the Ampera's launch. The intention is to deploy the first vehicles in Europcar rental outlets in Germany in November of this year, followed soon afterwards by Belgium and the Netherlands. The Opel/Vauxhall Ampera will then be rolled out throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom from the beginning of 2012.

The new Peugeot 508 RXH: diesel-electric and distinctive high end appeal combine to offer an original view of the world of all road vehicles and enhanced driving pleasure.

Version 3 of the Automotive Industry Guideline on REACH (AIG) has been published by the automotive Task Force on REACH (TF-REACH) on 08/07/2011.

ISO 26262 and its Impact in the Automotive Industry for road vehicles: Effectively Managing the Safety Development Cycle

Innovative system for storing excess energy from solar panels by using end-of-life Nissan LEAF batteries Prototype solar power generation system installed at Nissan's Global HQ Total energy generated and stored equivalent to fully charging 1,800 LEAFs per year

Daimler AG and Robert Bosch GmbH have completed their negotiations and signed agreements on the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture for electric motors. These agreements are still subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities. The new company, which is to be set up under the name EM-motive GmbH, will develop and produce innovative electric motors – also known as traction motors – for electric vehicles. The company will have its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Hildesheim. The joint venture’s engineering site will be located close to the parent companies in the Stuttgart area. Some 100 employees are expected to start working for the joint venture in the fourth quarter of this year. EM-motive GmbH will be headed up by two directors of equal rank, one from each partner company.

Volvo Car Corporation is now taking the next step in the company's electrification strategy by producing test cars with Range Extenders - electric cars that are fitted with a combustion engine to increase their effective range. The projects, supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and the EU, encompass three potential technology combinations. Tests of the various concepts will get under way in the first quarter of 2012.

Scaleo chip announced today its entry into the automotive powertrain semiconductor market. The constant growth of vehicles in use raises increasingly key questions concerning environmental, health and dwindling energy resources. On a global scale, road transportation accounts for 16% of the total CO2 emissions and 50% of global oil consumption. In order to remain sustainable, our society urgently needs new mobility solutions to limit as much as possible the negative impacts on climate, health and the economy.

Change in the automotive industry remains as dynamic as ever. As a major automotive supplier, Bosch is one of the driving forces behind this change, for example developments in the area of electromobility. This was underlined by Dr. Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group at a media event at the Bosch Boxberg proving ground in Germany last week. As Bohr explained, the company is also developing at a dynamic pace – economically as well as technically. Automotive technology sales will pass the 30 billion euro threshold for the first time in 2011, and the company is expecting growth to be around 10 percent. The company is enjoying particular success with products and systems that promotes eco-friendly mobility and prevent accidents.

Axeon is one of six British companies to receive a share of nearly £500,000 funding from the Technology Strategy Board for feasibility studies into the recycling and re-use of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. As well as researching the recycling process, the project will look at how to determine end-of-life, which is still a major issue with automotive batteries for both manufacturers and consumers.