Christophe Perillat at the Car Symposium in Bochum: “Electric cars are the most efficient route to zero-carbon mobility”
At the Car Symposium 2023 (May 3-4, 2023) in Bochum, Germany, leading market participants discussed the key trends in the automotive industry. Christophe Périllat, Valeo Chief Executive Officer, was invited to give a keynote on the "Next Steps to the Green Car."
In his introduction, Christophe Perillat explained that “the world needs to be decarbonized. And of course our sector has an important role to play in this challenge.“
Valeo is strongly committed to providing solutions for greener mobility and has been one of the first companies of the automotive industry to bet on electrification. “We need solutions that are the right size for every need, from small city cars to premium sedans. That is why Valeo develops solutions for every area and every type of need. Electromobility cannot be the luxury of a few.” explained Christophe Perillat.
Today, 1 out 3 in the world cars are equipped with Valeo’s electrification technologies. Valeo is a world leader in both powertrains and thermal systems, the two fields that make efficient electromobility possible.
“We have already equipped more than 90 car models with our high-voltage powertrains. Our newly developed electric axle creates more than 5 percent more efficiency and more than 40 percent additional power density with the new 800 V inverter generation. Including the electric motor, inverter and reducer, it is 10 percent lighter and 20 percent more compact than the previous generation.“
But beyond the electrification of the powertrain, the adoption of electric vehicles relies heavily on the performance of the batteries. Valeo CEO explained how “the limiting factor of fast charging is no longer the cell chemistry but the cooling during charging to avoid thermal runaways.“. Valeo is working with Total Energy on a breakthrough immersive cooling technology that will be the key technology enabling ultra fast charging and securing battery aging. One in three electric vehicles in the world is already equipped with a battery cooled by Valeo, leader of this market.
And, as “good thermal management results in longer battery life while improving range without sacrificing comfort“, the Group has developed a smart heat pump that works twice as efficiently as classic electric heaters with 20% less weight and will be introduced in the market in October 2023. The smart heat pump ensures both the comfort of the passengers and increases the range significantly of the vehicle, especially when outside temperatures are low. A new variant relying on a green refrigerant combined with radiant panels will further improve efficiency and avoid any P-FAS in the car.
Everyday, Valeo’s 10,000 engineers around the world work on developing technologies and services to make electromobility more affordable and efficient, but also to save valuable resources. “We ensure that each of our technologies is designed with a robust design for high durability, repairability, remanufacturing and recycling” explained Christophe Périllat before presenting an example: “just a year ago it was considered impossible but in 2022 we used 100 percent recycled polycarbonate in headlights and 100 percent recycled polypropylene in HVAC systems.” Valeo will also extend remanufacturing to answer to the growing electronization of the cars driven by EV and ADAS.
For new products, Valeo is also mindful of preserving natural resources “Together with Renault, we are developing an electric motor that does not require any rare earths at all,” says Christophe Perillat, “we aim to be the first to mass-produce a 200kW, 800V, rare earth-free motor by 2027.“
At the end of his keynotes, he concluded that : “Our industry has a unique opportunity – and we all have an enormous responsibility for the success of this transformation. At Valeo, we are proud to make green mobility a reality.“
