Safety features at Paris Motor Show

Connected and electrified cars have made the show in Paris during two weeks, but new models displayed at the "Mondial de l'Automobile" had also some impressive safety features.
If you consider for instance the new A-Class from Mercedes, this car offers numerous driving assistance systems, from drowsiness detection with Attention Assist to proximity control with Distronic Plus. These assistance systems, which until now were reserved for higher vehicle segments, are based on state-of-the-art radar, camera and sensor technology. The Collision Prevention Assist system gives a visual and audible warning to alert a possibly distracted driver to identified obstacles, and prepares Brake Assist for the most precise braking response possible. This innovative solution aims to provide protection against typical rear-end collisions in hazardous driving situations at speeds above 30 km/h.

The new Golf from Volkswagen contains also a lot of innovations for a compact car. The german OEM has put in this model the adaptive cruise control system ACC plus Front Assist including the City Emergency Braking function, Lane Assist lane-keeping assistant, fatigue detection, traffic sign detection and the latest generation of the ParkAssist park steering assistant(including warning for obstacles in the vehicle’s surroundings with 360-degree display) as well as the automated light functions Light Assist and Dynamic Light Assist. An innovative new feature is the Golf’s multicollision brake system, which automatically brakes the vehicle when it is involved in an accident in order to significantly reduce its residual kinetic energy.

At Volvo, safety matters too. Adding several new high-tech features to a full deck of safety and support systems from larger models makes the all-new Volvo V40 the most intelligent and safe car in the segment. New features in all V40 versions, including the Cross Country and R-Design variants, comprise a world-first Pedestrian Airbag Technology, Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering, an ingenious Park Assist Pilot, automatic Road Sign Information, Active High Beam and a Cross Traffic Alert radar system at the rear. The all-new V40 also features the groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake - as well as the City Safety further developed low-speed collision avoidance system which now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h.

To conclude, french technology was displayed with the BiLED projector. This technology features on the full LED headlamps developed by Valeo for the new Ford Mondeo, which was making its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show. Equipped with a shatter resistant plastic lens, the module enables the headlamps to switch instantly from low to high beam. In addition, power use in the low beam position is just 26 watts. The BiLED module will be fitted on other automakers’ premium and mass market vehicles in the near future.

CESA 2012 interview : Rémi Bastien (Renault), second part

This is the second part of the interview of Rémi Bastien, Vice President for Research, Advanced Studies and Materials at Renault. The internal code name for this organisation is DREAM. So, let's dream of the future with our top expert.

"With this research organisation, we try to make our managers dream, and then our customers. More seriously, we drive half of the innovation at Renault. We are working on early stage on breakthrough innovations, whether it's on powertrain, or for the connected car.
To give an example, we have created the embedded charger on Zoe EV car, wich is called Cameleon and allows to charge more quickly. This device is compliant with power from 22 to 43 kW.
One of our challenges at the moment is to develop more affordable batteries, always for EVs. We expect to be ready in 2017, with next generation batteries which would allow the same range, from 150 to 200 km, but with a much lower price.
Another interesting topic is the driving assistance. Today, a car can park by itself. At low speed, the driver could handover to the car and let it manage acceleration, braking and changing lanes. All the components are ready and we have in France a remarkable  facility with VeDeCom Institute near Paris for further testings and developments. I think it should come earlier than people usually expect.
When innovation is mature enough, it's then transferred to production plans".

To be continued with statements on CESA congress.