• Test programmes undertaken amidst strict Covid precautions
• Reduction in testing time, cost and risk
• Approach could permanently change future testing, says MAHLE Powertrain
-1200x712.webp "MAHLE negates COVID restrictions to OEM test programmes 1")
Tag: Product launches and PR
Demonstrating the future of transport entertainment and connectivity software, industry pioneer VNC Automotive has selected specialist automotive agency loop to handle its media engagement and PR activity.
Working across the entire transportation industry, including consumer, commercial, emergency services, as well as mobility, VNC Automotive’s work lies at the heart of countless vehicles’ entertainment, navigation and telematics systems. Allowing manufacturers and OEMs to enrich the experience of both drivers and passengers, through connectivity, multimedia and productivity, it creates intuitive, market-leading, innovative products for the vehicles of tomorrow.
Headquartered in one of the world’s largest technology clusters, in Cambridge UK, VNC automotive offers an end to end service, from proof-of-concept, technology delivery and through into production. Each project is tailored to the client’s needs but draws upon the company’s expertise of working with the world leading equipment providers and automotive manufactures.
As the company approaches the third anniversary of its founding, loop will work to demonstrate how the company will truly power connected mobility going forward. “A connected, and ultimately seamless and immersive, multimedia experience when people are in transit is what we are working towards,” explains Tom Blackie, Founder and CEO, VNC Automotive. “The team here are behind some of the most exciting advancements in automotive connectivity and in-vehicle entertainment on the market today, and indeed tomorrow. We are delighted to be working with loop to engage more widely on this important topic.”
About VNC Automotive
VNC Automotive is a pioneer in car connectivity and telematics software, and its work is currently in use in over 25 million vehicles, across 20 of the world’s largest automotive OEMs, including VW Group, Toyota, Honda, PSA. VNC Automotive develops and supplies software across the automotive ecosystem to equipment suppliers such as Bosch, Panasonic, Clarion, Pioneer and device vendors such as Sony, HTC, LG, and Huawei.
Covering everything from In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) connectivity and telematics concepts, through to embedded production-grade deployments, its platform-agnostic software supports all popular vehicle connectivity standards Android Auto, CarPlay, CarLife, MirrorLink and SDL. In addition to its industry leading proprietary solutions.
Its industry accredited software is recognised for its high quality and leading performance, and project delivery has been optimised and packaged to allow turn-key integration, minimising time to market, but allowing the customer to fully customise branding and user experience.
• How do legacy manufacturers switch existing facilities from ICE to EV production? An independent viewpoint on the future of car production
• Innovative, automated paint process which capitalises on the move towards individualisation/customisation while reducing Health & Safety risks
• The road to automation – Only 5% of Final Trim Assembly is currently automated meaning there is significant scope to improve build quality, expand interior trim options, reduce cost and improve worker safety
loop has been appointed to manage worldwide media relations on behalf of ABB – a leading global supplier of industrial robots, robot software, equipment and complete applications solutions – for its Automotive Robotics division.
Supporting B2B and B2C PR activity for ABB’s Automotive Robotics division, loop will cover the provision of robot-based automation solutions for automotive manufacturers around the world. ABB, a pioneer in this field, has already installed more than 400,000 robots globally, encompassing pressing and Body-in-White processes through to innovative solutions for automated paint application, EV and ICE powertrains and Machine Tool Tending processes.
ABB’s vast Automotive Robotics offering and experience mean it is expertly positioned to advise on all aspects of automotive production, spanning what start-ups need to consider when establishing the most cost-effective production facilities to how existing volume manufacturers can transition their existing plants from the manufacture of ICE vehicles to the production of EVs and everything in between.
For more information please contact:
Christian Tilbury
Christian.Tilbury@loopagency.co.uk
SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, is proud to continue its role as title sponsor of TAS Racing for the 2021 British Superbike Championship season, under the banner of SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad.
For the second successive season, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad will be the official BMW team in the race series. With top rider Andrew Irwin having joined fellow track star Danny Buchan on the team at the end of 2020, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad is taking to the track in 2021 with a fresh livery, top riders and an eye on pole position.
As part of a wide-reaching program of support and sponsorship across different forms of motorsport, the headline sponsorship of a leading team in the British Super Bike Championship will see SYNETIQ put its ethos of leading through excellence into action yet again, on two wheels as well as four.
Commenting on the renewed support of the team, Richard Martin, Chairman of SYNETIQ, said: “We are proud to be the headline sponsor of this great team for the second season in a row. With the backing of the hard work, dedication and support of the wider SYNETIQ BMW team, I can’t wait to see what Andrew Irwin and Danny Buchan can achieve on the track 2021.”
As the largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, formed to create the most innovative and trusted business in the industry, SYNETIQ is proud to have major household names in its portfolio. These include insurers, accident management companies, fleets, police forces, logistics companies, vehicle repair bodyshops, and remanufacturers. In 2021, its name will be found at the sharp end of the grid.
Team Principal of SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad, Philip Neill explained: “We pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with our partners and we are naturally delighted to retain SYNETIQ as our title partner for the second year in 2021, which will also be our seventh consecutive year together with BMW Motorrad. 2020 was a difficult year for everyone in many ways and we are excited at the prospects of the 2021 BSB season with two very exciting young riders and the new BMW M1000 RR.”
• SYNETIQ celebrated in Yorkshire Business Insider’s list as one of the 50 Most Exciting Companies in the region
• Follows 12 months of investment and growth for the UK largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company
• SYNETIQ now leading its sector from its Doncaster head office
SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest UK-integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, is delighted to have been included in the prestigious Yorkshire Business Insider list of the 50 Most Exciting Companies in the region.
Celebrating the companies that display outstanding initiative, ingenuity, and innovation, those lauded are the businesses ‘primed to make a big difference in the near future’ and destined to become household names.
Headquartered in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, SYNETIQ has recently made headlines with significant investment in its sites and infrastructure. In December the business announced a 25-acre expansion of two of its Doncaster sites, integrating them to create one new industry-leading operation.
The company is also innovating, in line with the Government’s announcement of a ban on conventionally powered cars by 2030, with plans for a new centre of excellence for electric vehicle recycling at its Winsford site. The first of its kind in the country, it will form an invaluable resource as the UK gears up for a shift to zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.
Speaking of the news, SYNETIQ’s recently appointed CEO, Tom Rumboll, said: “We’re immensely proud to have made the Yorkshire Business Insider 50 Most Exciting Companies list. It is a reflection of the progress we have made since SYNETIQ was created and the focus we place on not only the company, but also our people . . 2020 presented challenges, but we’ve emerged stronger and ready to seize the opportunities that 2021 presents. we have deep and broad roots in Yorkshire, and we see our home a vital part of who we are.”
In addition to the Yorkshire Business Insider announcement, SYNETIQ is also currently a finalist in three categories for Doncaster Business Awards 2020/21, which will be unveiled as part of a ground-breaking digital event in March.
.webp "SYNETIQ innovates with introduction of HSBC Open Payments 6")
- SYNETIQ is the first in its sector to implement HSBC’s new Open Payments platform
- HSBC has ensured process is perfectly tailored to industry’s needs
- Secure money transfers will improve efficiency for SYNETIQ and its customers
New platform integrates with SYNETIQ’s Auction
The UK’s largest vehicle salvage and recycling company is the first in its sector to introduce the new platform, marking the latest improvement in customer experience for vehicle buyers.
• AB Dynamics showcases capability to replicate simulated swarm testing in the real world and vice-versa
• Enables thousands of iterations of virtual tests to be accurately correlated in the real world
• AB Dynamics is the only company to use a common toolchain which enables complex scenario testing to be simply ‘copy and pasted’ saving time and cost
- The specialist engineering consultancy unveils plans for a second climatic test chamber to support electric vehicle development at its Northampton UK RDE facility
- Customer demand for the existing RDE Centre test facilities, opened in 2018, has driven further investment
- New chamber will support EV development with four-wheel drive dyno and battery emulator in a wide range of climatic conditions, plus safety measures to enable testing of hydrogen-powered vehicles
MAHLE Powertrain has unveiled plans to invest in a second test chamber at its Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Centre in Northampton UK. The chamber will be ideally suited to develop and validate electric vehicle performance under wide-ranging climatic conditions and will be equipped with a four-wheel drive dyno and a battery emulator, as well as safety measures to enable testing of vehicles powered by hydrogen. The latest investment comes as a result of unprecedented demand for the RDE Centre’s facilities, originally opened in 2018.
“This next phase of our on-going investment programme at the RDE Centre will provide vital extra facilities for our vehicle manufacturer and tier 1 customers,” says David Pates, Head of Engineering . “Since the original opening in July 2018, our hypobaric & climatic test chamber has been in virtually constant use. This was even the case during lock-down conditions last year, when we helped manufacturers to sign off whole vehicle test programmes despite Covid-19 travel restrictions. While avoiding costly delays at the time, it also points the way to a reliable, faster and more cost-effective way to undertake such programmes post-pandemic.”
MAHLE’s research estimates that in 2035, globally 73% of passenger cars will still make use of an internal combustion engine (ICE) as part of their propulsion system, while MAHLE Powertrain estimates this will still be over 50% by 2040, so demand for the existing test chamber is forecast to continue as ICE development refocuses on hybridised units. “Given that statistic, it therefore made perfect sense to have a second chamber with a battery emulator, suitable for EV development,” says David Pates. “This second chamber will have an operational temperature range of -20 oC to +40 oC with the ability to simulate solar loading. For hydrogen-fuelled vehicle development we are building-in safety measures such as blast walls and a domed chamber roof for stray H2 gas collection. We plan for the new chamber to be ready for customers by the end of Q1 2022.”
The £5.1m investment is being part-funded by a £1.5m grant from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), a public-private sector-led organisation tasked with promoting economic growth in the region. Judith Barker, Director of Programmes and Governance at SEMLEP, said “We are really pleased to be able to support MAHLE Powertrain’s continuing investment into EV development at Northampton. Enhancing technologies and decarbonising our transport choices is very much aligned to our Local Industrial Strategy priorities and the ambitions of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. We look forward to this further success and see this new facility as an important part in supporting the economic recovery of the South East Midlands post COVID-19.”
MAHLE Powertrain’s latest announcement comes after news of a number of recent investments for its facilities around the globe, including a new powertrain dyno at their US facility in Michigan and a new e-axle test facility in Fellbach, Germany. Following on from its investment in battery cell test facilities last year, the UK site in Northampton has also unveiled plans for a significant battery pack testing facility which will open later in 2021.
“Our heritage is founded on ICE development, dating back to the first Cosworth road car engines, and since those times we have some notable landmark engines to our credit. However, back in 2008 we could see the way the future of the automotive industry was developing and have been keenly focussed on our dual propulsion strategy of ICE and electrification for over a decade now,” concludes Pates. “There has never been a more technically challenging time in auto powertrain development and our aim is, as always, to help our customers develop the most effective powertrain possible within their budget and timescale. In that respect at least, nothing’s changed.”
https://www.mahle-powertrain.com
Calling on motoring nuts, engineering fans, closet collectors, and garagistas: Footman James wants to see the ‘sheds’ that house classic and collectable passions: be they compact or palatial, grand or grungy, clinical or chaotic.
Whether you’re looking for a replacement engine for your supercar, or that bit of bumper trim for a Renault, SYNETIQ, the UK’s leading vehicle salvage and recycling company, has you covered for used car and motorcycle spares.
