Lessons from CESA 2012

This second edition of CESA congress has been successful, with a large audience and top experts coming from BMW, PSA, Volkswagen, Bosch, Continental, NXP, Valeo and so many others. Through technical sessions, no less than eight round tables and an attractive exhibition, the congress has kept its promises.
But, what did we learn so far, after such intense discussions ?
First, electrication of the powertrain is really launched. In the future, we should see more mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug in hybrids, and later on pure EVs.
The second point is linked to the first one. Many OEMS and tier 1 suppliers converge on 48 volt, and not only in Germany.
Third, the architecture of the future will be for sure mainly based on Ethenet. It's not the only solution, however, and the automotive industry should find ways to simplify E/E architecture, instead of adding more and more embedded networks.
Fourth, if the connected car is on the way with apps and cloud-based services, nobody knows who will win at the end, between the OEMs, third party players, telecom carriers and giants such as Apple and Google.
Fifth, the automotive industry should work with new partners. The success of Autolib' in Paris, which celebrates its first birthday and which is the largest EV car sharing experience in the world, with nearly 2000 cars running in the streets, is there to show that it's possible to adress customers, even when you're outside of  this business.

The car of the future stops at CESA congress

Beside the round tables and technical sessions, CESA congress is an opportunity to discover high tech companies and nice vehicles. For instance, Renault is showcasing the famous Zoe. This first EV designed from scratch, which will be launched soon, illustrates the French know how in the field of electro mobility, as well as the VELV, an amazing concept from PSA Peugeot Citroen and also electric. It looks like a three wheeler, but it has four wheels. In the alleys of the exhibition, we also have seen an electric quad. It’s a demonstrator, from Bertrandt company, a german supplier expert of electric components.

Our favorite is however the connected and clean motorbike from NXP. On the basis of the a Zero motorcycle, the semiconductors company as added an NFC connection to start the engine with a smartphone, as well as emergency call and even digital radio.
Cleaner, safer and fully connected, here is the car of the future.

See the diaporama :

CESA conference : is there still a driver in the car ?

For this day 1 of CESA congress in Paris, one round table should be very popular. It's the one about autonomous cars with driving assistance systems. Many experts from PSA, Volkswagen, Bosch, Freescale, LAB (common safety lab to PSA and Renault), STMicroelectronics and TRW will discuss the evolution of ADAS.
As some OEMs (Mercedes, Volvo) announce traffic jam assistant systems and remote control in parking lots (BYD in China), in addition to innovations becoming mainstream (LDW, ACC, emergency braking), the question is : will the technology allow the car drive by itself in the future ?
The answer may be yes, but it's not only a technical issue. So, that's why you should attend to CESA 2012 and listen to top experts. For instance, Volkswagen will mention is expertise, thanks to its ERL (Electronics Research Lab) located in the Silicon Valley) with Google as a neighbour.

Automotive Smart Grid : Next generation Vehicle Architecture

CESA 2012 abstract

Automobile system is made of sensors and actuators that have to work in harmony in complex interactions. It can be seen as a networked energy grid that has to distribute energy in an ordered way so that vehicle functions are assured. This new vision, called ASG (Automotive Smart Grid), has been developed and prototyped.
The ASG solutions is based on synchronous parallel processing and distributed intelligence. Each ECU hosts part of, or, the whole functional process in relation to local sensors & actuators. It deals with instant power management functions in relation to its connected actuators. The data communication and exchange between ECUs is done real-time via PLC (Power Line Communication). The ASG implementation has been tested both in labs and on the road within the frame of the YO-mobile Russian project.
This paper will present the ASG solution and its physical architecture. It will explain and discuss the benefits obtained from this « True Mechatronics » architecture, as well as cost figures.

Presented by Philippe Briot (B&A) and Finprom (company from Russia).

Telewatt : an innovative way to recharge EVs with public lighting

During CESA congress, at the energy management round table, the french agency for energy (Ademe) will present R&D projects on charging infrastructure.
One of them is called Telewatt project. It's one of the most innovative, because the puropose is to offer juice coming from the public lighting. It's an answer to the difficulty to build charging stations in the streets. Located in the south of France, in Aix-en-Provence, this project is led by Citelum company. The project is based on a global information system, as well as plug & play plugs (with IP identification to allow acess to users) and a smartphone application.
The Telewatt project, and six others, will be presented by Patrick Coroller from Ademe in a keynote speech.

Power distribution solutions towards more efficiency

CESA 2012 abstract

The well established 12V automotive power distribution system is facing some major changes. The main drivers for these changes are better energy efficiency and CO2-reduction. 12V Start-stop and 48V Mild-Hybrid solutions are seen as enablers for better efficiency.
With the innovative 12V start-stop functions, there are two new upcoming challenges to be solved, powernet stabilization and increased activation cycles.
The presentation will show semiconductor solutions for powernet stabilization, like dual battery switches, as well as solutions for replacing mechanical relays. Special interest is here also given to electronic fuse function, weight reduction by improved wire harness and a more flexible power distribution partitioning, as well as a reduction of electric power losses.
Finally the presentation will cover the 48V powernet requirements for semiconductors in Mild-Hybrid systems. Different system architectures will be discussed with their specific application needs and first 48V semiconductor families like MOSFETs, driver ICs, Voltage regulators and transceiver devices will be proposed.

By Dr. Alfons Graf, Principal System Architect for Body Electronic at Infineon.

Trends and Innovations in Safety Domain Architecture

CESA 2012 abstract

Since years the demand for Driver Assistant Systems is continuously growing. Forward looking camera and radar applications are gaining popularity. Not only in the luxury car segment, but also in mid end car segments and migrating further into low end cars. In addition the merge of active and passive safety applications towards cognitive safety is progressing rapidly, supported by upcoming changes in the safety rating of cars. Additional radar and camera sensors are going to be equipped around the car for side and rear looking applications migrating towards 360 degree environmental sensing. Taking advanced development programs at vehicle manufacturer into consideration first semi autonomous driving applications can be expected within this decade.
All these trends will lead to a change in the safety electronic architecture.

More and more sensor data need to be processed, data fusion has to be done on a much higher level and software functions to align and arbitrate chassis actuators need to be integrated. Furthermore, vehicle manufacturer have identified DAS function software as an important vehicle brand related selling point and started to develop this SW on their own, which has to be integrated by tier 1 supplier as black box or gray box SW.
Beside these new electronic systems, which are entering the car, we will see a lot of new technologies enabling the way towards cognitive safety. Safety systems are going to have open, Autosar based SW architectures according to ISO26262, need to support various network communications like CAN, FlexRay and in the next step Ethernet and have to provide very flexible and scalable micro processor architecture.
While flexibility and scalability do have in general an impact on the cost of the electronic systems - standard safety systems with high fitment rates are meanwhile much cost driven - a simple integration of the above mentioned functions and technologies would lead to a not acceptable cost burden in standard systems. Safety domain controller which acts as flexible, open integration hubs being additionally equipped to the car as optional electronic systems, hosting DAS or vehicle dynamic functions are ideal solutions to follow the rapidly changing market as long as above mentioned market requirements are linked to fitment rates below 30-40%. With such a controller the functions can be integrated and added very easily by allowing the standard electronic systems to stay cost optimized. TRW has developed a safety domain controller which enables the integration of a number of chassis, safety and DAS control functions. Using open, ISO262626 compliant Autosar architecture, the Saftey Domain ECU (SDE) has the flexibility to include software from vehicle manufacturers and third party suppliers and its first generation is scheduled for launch in 2013.
For its second generation SDE, TRW is exploring the application and benefits of Ethernet as a network technology – offering considerably higher data throughput speeds than current communication protocols.

By Dr. Hans-Gerd Krekels, Global Director Technology Strategy & Core Electronics, TRW Automotive

Developing embedded user experiences - challenges and success factors in automotive environment.

CESA 2012 abstract

Automotive product development is based on proven processes and development time that allows carmakers to respond to drivers needs in regards to quality, feature availability and look and feel of the device in the car.
When talking about user experience, driver’s expectations are influenced by consumer electronic devices, from interaction point of view (speech and/or gesture recognition) as well as content (graphic attractiveness, apps). Drivers are expecting the same seamless, simple, easy to use phone and tablet features in their car, while still requiring automotive quality in term of system stability, low driver distraction and updateability during automotive life-time.
With over a decade of experience in developing multimodal HMI, EB GUIDE – industry recognized HMI development products suite and speech dialog platform - has been proved reliable in more than a million vehicles on the road and in the upcoming year more vehicles will come to market using the EB GUIDE HMI technology.
During the presentation, you will learn about market trends in HMI, the market interest for a modelbased approach, quick UI simulation for user-acceptance evaluation, how to easily enable early and agile development, as well as integrating latest technologies to handle gesture/speech recognition and graphics challenges into the vehicle.

By Bruno Abou, director Elektrobit France SAS

Join the CESA Congress VIP Business Tour

In partnership with the SIA, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency is organising the CESA Congress VIP Business Tour of 3 of the Paris region's most innovative locations for new mobility. The tour is scheduled on Monday, December 3rd.
Here is the agenda :
- 11.30 am to 1 pm : Welcome lunch at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport.
- 2 pm to 3.15 pm : Visit of the Autolib operational centre.
Autolib is the first public-private service plan with more than 1,700 electric vehicles to be developed in a large European metropolis. It enables Paris Region inhabitants to rent electric cars for a few hours from interactive terminals located in the streets. Thanks to the VIP Business Tour, you will have the unique opportunity to visit Autolib's hub in Vaucresson and to experiment the electric Blue cars !
- 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm : Visit of the command post of the recently completed A86 motorway tunnel.
This location demonstrates how an information technology software system is used to manage France’s largest road tunnel.
- 5.15 pm to 6.15 pm: Discover the INRIA Research Centre in Rocquencourt. INRIA is a public research organization, dedicated to science and digital technologies. Its experts will present you their research on the autonomous vehicle with demonstrations of autonomous driving cars.
- 7.30 pm: Evening buffet with the CESA operational committee in central Paris.

Link : http://fr.amiando.com/KOKOTIG

The thermal management of electrified vehicles

CESA abstract

When running on pure electric mode, electrified vehicles offer a very efficient energy conversion. Less than 3 kW in average is needed to drive an EV over an urban cruise. Consequently, the management of additional power demands of thermal functions, e.g. the cooling or the heating of the vehicle passenger cabin, or that of battery and power electronics, has a major impact on the overall vehicle power balance. A new system approach for thermal management, combining an innovative architecture, dedicated technologies and relevant control strategy, becomes decisive to offer a significant cruising range, secure the battery life time and also ensure quick engine response.
Within the scope of Vega/Thop, a cooperative project including six partners (Valeo, Renault, Saint Gobain Sekurit, Hutchinson, INSA/Cethil, LINC) funded by Ademe, a new thermal architecture was designed, prototyped and tested on benches and lab cars in order to assess the potential of such innovative thermal concept.

This paper outlines the main challenges and the outputs of this project:
- the review of thermal needs, with a focus on the passenger cabin requirements for comfort, and their associated impact on vehicle performances at system level;
- the way to drastically reduce the cabin thermal needs with same perceived comfort, combining cabin treatment, advanced air management and alternative comfort strategy;
- the setting up of a new thermal architecture that combines heat networking, recovery and storage capabilities, looking for synergies between thermal needs and heat losses so as to minimize consumption.
- the implementation of a heat pump to leverage “free” low temperature heat sources, such as ambient air or internal heat inertia and losses
- the benefit of a transient control strategy, in order to manage different operating modes and related “ramp up” or cycling phases, according to the vehicle usage profile.
As a conclusion, typical power savings compared to current serial EV will be presented on different scenarii, based on the results from tests campaigns and simulations analyses.

By Daniel Neveu (R&D program manager, Valeo Thermal Systems) and Osoko Shonda (Innovation Project Leader, Renault).

Individual E-Mobility Solutions for Automotive and Off-Highway Applications – A System View by Bosch

CESA 2012 abstract

Only a couple of years ago there were many doubts on a possible implementation and realization of hybrid and electric vehicles as an alternative for vehicles with an ICE powertrain.
Today we are in the position to see this differently. “The future automotive powertrain will be electric” is a prognosis of Bosch. The conversion of the powertrain to be electric assisted or become all electric was pushed through significant development effort over the last couple of years.
Today we see the hybrid technology being used in many different platforms of almost any OEM and the first all electric vehicles are available from series production. But the electric powertrain is not only revolutionizing the automotive industry.
At Bosch Engineering we are getting more and more requests for hybrid and electric powertrain solutions for off-highway applications. This includes for example fork lift trucks, municipal multi-purpose carriers, and also marine applications. These applications could benefit from the system and sub-system development efforts for automotive solutions and from the mature and high quality of powertrain components.

For any application it is important to make sure, that the requirements and the duty cycle are well understood and that the system, sub-system and the components are very well fitted together for their individual usage. High efficiency plays an important role, especially for the electric powertrain, since energy storage systems are still very cost effective. High performance simulation tools are used to support the effort of finding an overall optimized solution. Safe and environmental friendly solutions are a must for Bosch. However cost, efficiency, function, weight and packaging are also important requirements. Often, the first system development solution found is not the best to meet all these criteria. Iterations have to be made using simulation tools and measurements in order to find out what is best for each individual system layout.
What has to be kept in mind: “The optimum of each subsystem and component is not necessarily the overall optimum of the entire system“.


By Heiko Weller, Bosch.

High performance magnets: which properties? which prospects?

CESA 2012 abstract

High performance permanent magnets are a vital component of today’s clean energy technologies (e.g. hybrid vehicles, wind turbines) as well as many consumer appliances and accessories. The recent pricing pressure on the raw materials of rare earth based magnets, owing to the near monopoly of Chinese production of rare earth metals, has driven renewed interest in the study of permanent magnets.
In this paper we will recall the fundamentals of permanent magnetism, and outline the essential link between extrinsic properties and microstructure. We will describe the evolution in the properties of permanent magnets over the last century, linking the spectacular improvements achieved with the discovery of new phases and the development of improved processing.
We will explain the present dependence on the use of heavy rare earth elements such as Dy and Tb, in the production of Nd-Fe-B based magnets suitable for operation at the relatively high working temperatures of the motors and generators used in clean energy conversion (below 180°C).
We will discuss prospects for the development of heavy rare earth free Nd-Fe-B magnets, based on recent results from literature, and our own work on model thick film structures.
Finally, we will outline expected future developments of both rare earth containing and rare earth free high performance permanent magnets.

By Dr. Nora Dempsey, CNRS Grenoble.

The exhibition almost completed at CESA 2012

CESA 2012 will also be the opportunity to showcase the know how of french and european companies, in the field of electronics.

Here is the list :

Advancy, Applus IDIADA, Bertrandt, Continental, dSPACE, ESG Group, Henkel, IPG, MathWorks, Methodpark, NXP Semiconductors, Robert Bosch, STMicroelectronics, TE Connectivity and Vector.

Last but not least - Advantage Austria will be there too with high tech companies.
If you want to be there too, please hurry : there is only one booth left.

PSA Peugeot Citroën and Renault will present outside demo vehicles.

Faurecia will talk about the smart seat at CESA 2012

CESA 2012 abstract

Many comfort functions can be embedded in an automotive seat. These include basic postural comfort (cushion length, height, and tilt), advanced comfort (lumbar support, headrest adjustment, shoulder adjustment), climatic management (heating and ventilation), and wellness features (e.g. customized massage therapies or dynamic adjustments according to occupant status or to driving conditions). All those functions represent a huge amount of possible combinations of configurations and command executions, while they are not at all customizable along the time by the users (generally, just a few have programmable fixed alternatives by default).
In order to reduce the complexity of seat control for the end-user, and enable the possibility of customization, Faurecia has developed a new concept for automated seat adjustment, positioning and comfort features settings that takes out the guesswork to properly adjust the seat, while providing the end-user a powerful tool to personalize its comfort.
Utilizing a smartphone application, the SmartFit™ system automatically adjusts the vehicle’s seat wirelessly via Bluetooth, creating the ideal fit and position for each occupant. The system also allows the seat to be updated and enhanced over its lifetime. In order to control these new functions, the seat E/E system (HW/SW) has to be modular and connected to fit with customers’ expectations, and to be able to integrate future features and functions.

By Dr. Ignacio Alvarez, Seat Electronics Director at Faurecia.

Austria comes to Paris for CESA 2012 : discover the full list of exhibitors

At CESA 2012, visitors will have the opportunity to discover an austrian pavilion. For the first time in Paris, Austrian companies will showcase their cutting-edge technology and high-quality products in the field of automotive electronics.

Here is the list of the exhibitors :
- ACstyria Autocluster GmbH (Automotive Industry, Space & Rail Systems, Innovations) - Adopt SMT Europe GmbH (Tools, Spare and Wear Parts)
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology - Mobility Department (Development Center for electric drives : modelling, simulation, prototyping, testing, validation)
- AVL List GmbH (Electrical engineering and electronics, Automotive Industries)
- EGSTON Automotive Eggenburg GmbH (Automotive Solutions, Cable Systems, Power Supplies)
- Gebauer & Griller Kabelwerke GesmbH (Components and parts, Cables, wires, battery harnesses, customer specific cable development)
- Kiska GmbH (Brand Consultancy, Digital&Corporate Design, Innovation)
- Magna International Europe (Design, engineering, testing and manufacture of automotive interior systems metal body & chassis systems, exterior systems, electronic systems, powertrain systems as well as complete vehicle engineering and assembly)
- Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG (Vehicle Engineering & Contract, Manufacturing, Roof Systems & Fuel Systems)
- NextSense Mess-und Prüfsysteme GmbH (Surface Inspection and Measuring)
- Obrist Engineering GmbH (Vehicle Fuel Cell Engineering, Vapor Systems)
- Voestalpine Stahl GmbH (Steel, Metal Engineering and Metal Forming)

Paris gets electrified at the Motor Show

Every two years, the french capital welcomes the "Mondial de l'Automobile". This Motor Show, which is the most attended in the world (1,5 million visitors), is once more focused on EVs. OEMS are showing new models and a test track is welcoming visitors for a ride and drive. An electric village also welcomes plug suppliers.
Here is our guide of Paris Motor Show.




For Renault, this 2012 edition is the opportunity to launch the Zoe. This model has been homologated with an NEDC cycle range of 210 km. It also features the “Range OptimiZEr” to improve the real-world range, depending on driving conditions (between 100 and 150 km). Zoe can be charged at any level of power -taking between 30 minutes and nine hours - due to the “Caméléon” charger.
It is also the first Renault vehicle to be presented with R-Link, a multimedia system featuring a seven-inch touch screen tablet, navigation and connected services.

PSA is much focused on Hybrid4 technology. However, Peugeot makes the buzz with Onyx concept car. It is powered by a V8 hybrid engine.

Citroen is also introducing a concept car. DS3 Electrum is powered by two electric motors at the front.

Bolloré Group, which supplies Autolib' car sharing service with electric cars, is now ready to offer a version of the Bluecar for private customers. The 250 km range has been validated by intensive driving in Paris.

Small is beautiful, says Toyota. Here is the IQ EV model serie.

German OEMS are also electrifying Paris. Mercedes impresses with the amazing SLS AMG E-Cell. Daimler also exhibits the future B-Class (powered by Tesla) and the Brabus version of the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.

BMW is showing a Spyder version of the i8 concept, as well as naked version of the i3 revealing the Life Drive structure. The other highight is the Active Tourer concept (a plug in hybrid).

Audi is also introducing a concept car. The Crosslane, which is a A1 based crossover, is a plug in hybrid.

Beside electric vehicles and plug in hybrids, fuel cell technology is well represented at Paris Motor Show. For instance, Nissan is displaying the TeRRA. This 4WD crossover has three electric motors, powered by a compact fuel cell.

Some other OEMS (Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes and Toyota) have also displayed a fuel cell car. During a European Road Tour, scandinavian organisation H2 Moves made a stop at Paris Motor Show.

As for EVs with charge points, a refuelling infrastructure has to be deployed. This what it will look like for an hydrogen station with Air Liquide.

Next, we will discuss connected cars.

CESA 2012 updated programme now on line

The full programme is now on line !

As we told you already, the 2012 edition of the congress has chosen a top level roundtable discussion format, enhanced by more in depth sessions, detailed presentations and discussions of technical papers.




8 topics will be covered:
- Market of Automotive Electronics
- New mobility for Everyone
- Driver Assistance Systems
- Energy Management
- Smart infotainment
- Electrification & Mechatronics
- Vehicule Systems and Architecture Approach for New Mobility
- New Materials

Here is the link : http://www.sia.fr/evenement_detail_cesa_automotive_electronics_2012_programme_1128.htm

ESG new automotive boss to come at CESA 2012

Executive Vice President for the Automotive Division, Hans-Georg Frischkorn will be one of the speakers of CESA 2012. He will participate to the panel session "Vehicle systems and architecture, approach for a new mobility", on december 5th in the afternoon.
Expert in technology, with high-level jobs at BMW and GM, he joined ESG in January 2012 and is a member of the Executive Board.
This is his resume :
- Diplom Informatiker (Computer Science), University of Stuttgart
- 1978-1994 IBM Corp. (Product development, systems engineering, business development, IBM management consulting)
- 1995-1996 McKinsey and Company
- 1997-2005 BMW (Project leader of the vehicle project Z4, Senior VP Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Senior VP Architecture and Systems Integration) - 2006-2009 General Motors Executive Director Global Electrical Systems, Controls, and Vehicle Software - 2010-2011 Managing Director for Technology and Environmental Affairs in the Verband der Automobilindustrudie e.V. (VDA)

CLEPA CEO at CESA 2012

Chief Executive Officer of CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, Jean-Marc Gales will make a keynote speech at CESA 2012 on day 2.
After studying at Imperial College London and the University of Karlsruhe, Jean-Marc joined BMW in 1990 and held various positions in strategic planning, group co-ordination and organisation.
Following executive positions at Rolls Royce and Volkswagen, Jean-Marc took up the position of Managing Director, Light Commercial Vehicles at General Motors and this was followed by Managing Director, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service, Central Europe for Opel and Saab.
Between 2006 and 2009 Jean-Marc was Global Sales Director, Mercedes Benz.
In April 2009 he became Member of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën and Executive Vice President, Citroën.
In June 2009 Jean-Marc became Member of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën and Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Aftersales.
In April 2012 Jean-Marc joined CLEPA as Chief Executive Officer.

Dual voltage power supply system with 48 volts (BMW presentation)

As convened, here is a snapshot of Ottmar Sirch's presentation on 48 volt. This paper is scheduled during CESA 2012.
As an introduction, our expert from BMW reminds that the continuous increase of functionality for comfort, safety, driver assistance and infotainment systems as well as the insertion of innovations raise the requirements. In combination with the electrification of powertrain functions and ancillary units for CO2 reductions these requirements drive today´s vehicle power supply to its limits.

Then, Mr Sirch gives examples : Start-Stop-Function, Brake Energy Recuperation und electrification of mechanical driven systems as well as superpositioning of high power loads. The demand of electric energy and power as well as the cycling of accumulators have increased significantly.

In the future, OEMS will need High Power Recuperation (> 5 kW), Extended Start-Stop-Functions, E-Assist/E-Boost, eTurboCharge, as well as Electrification of ancillary units (electric climate compressor, electrification of chassis control systems) and new functions (front screen heating, electrohydraulic valve control)

As a conclusion, displacing all high power loads and implementation of new high power functions can reduce the requirements to the DC/DC converter and the 12-V-battery significantly.