Whether it’s reinventing the vehicle cabin, repackaging power products, or writing new software code, Valeo is focused on smarter mobility technologies. “When you put it all together, you see that the building blocks are there to not only support the electrification transformation but actually to accelerate the transformation,” Valeo North America’s President Jeffrey Shay told SAE Media at the company’s recent Innovation Days event in September.

Technology specialists from the 101-year-old global supplier gave details on several in-production products and in-development technologies at the firm’s North American headquarters in Troy, Michigan. Here are a few highlights.

Immersive display
Valeo’s Panovision is a pillar-to-pillar infotainment and navigation immersive display comprised of three 15.9-in (404 mm), liquid crystal display screens. The three panels, which seamlessly appear as one in-dashboard screen, are illuminated from the backside. “There are no optics creating the projection, it’s just the mechanical location of the panels and a black stripe on the windscreen that’s coated to enhance the reflectivity,” said Valeo senior technology opto-electronics expert Gus McDonald. Typical windscreen reflectivity, McDonald said, is 15-20% compared to the Panovision’s 40% reflectivity.

Infotainment data appears to float approximately 4.9 ft (1.5 m) in front of the driver. “That distance is due to the optical path length of the reflection to the driver,” McDonald said. Panovision’s software code for controlling the dimming of the digital display’s 288 zones as well as how the backlight function is packaged were key tasks handled by Valeo engineers. “Valeo’s patented method of LED heat sink dissipates heat efficiently, minimizing the need for continuous active cooling,” McDonald said. Valeo’s Panovision is not yet in production.

Bundled power package
Valeo’s Smart eDrive 6-in-1 plug-and-play unit is three steps beyond today’s state-of-the-art 3-in-1 system that features a motor, gearbox, and inverter. The 6-in-1 power package adds an onboard charger, DC-DC converter, and power distribution unit. “By adding those electronics, we’re able to reduce the packaging and weight by approximately 15%,” said Jonathan Rost, customer chief engineer for the Valeo Power Division.

The 6-in-1 unit doesn’t require additional water lines or a larger radiator to cool it. “We have an internal oil cooling system, so there’s an electric oil pump that pumps oil through the motor, the gearbox and the power electronics. It’s all self-contained, and it’s cooled by the air,” Rost said. Because the motor and the gearbox share the same oil, appropriate flow geometry for the cooling fluid’s path was necessary “to make sure that the oil doesn’t become contaminated and then damage something,” Rost said.

Power output for the 6-in-1 eDrive is 80 kW. “We’re testing parts now for continuous power output, and so far, the result is more favorable than what was shown with simulations,” Rost said. The eDrive unit is slated to start production in 2026 for the first vehicle application, a Chinese automaker’s small electric car. According to Rost, the power unit could also be used as a secondary e-axle. “The secondary axle usually has less power and is used less often for all-wheel drive. It’s also sometimes possible to disconnect the secondary axle to save on battery electricity due to rotating drag losses,” Rost said.  

Battery charging schedule 
In addition to writing software code to control different electric vehicle thermal modes, Valeo engineers are developing algorithms to help maximize the energy efficiency of an electrified vehicle during a daily commute while maintaining optimal battery and cabin conditions, according to Dominik Sporna, chief engineer for the Valeo Power Division. One source of energy optimization is via pre-conditioning the battery. “We want to charge the battery but still leave a percentage of the charge to be done just before departure,” said Sporna, noting that pre-conditioning the battery can reduce the amount of energy used during a commute.

By taking into account information about the departure date, weather conditions, traffic and other factors, software algorithms become a conduit to the pre-conditioning of the battery and the vehicle cabin. This is especially relevant for travel on intensely cold or hot days. Valeo’s new thermal management algorithm, referred to as Predict4Range, is currently in the proof-of-concept stage. “This is an additional feature for our standard software, boosting even further the efficiency of the battery’s thermal management system, offering an up to 24% range increase compared to traditional control systems,” Sporna said.

Gaming on the road
Valeo Racer is expected to be the first video game to use live images of the vehicle’s surroundings and can be played while the vehicle is in motion. “We’re pulling in the data from ADAS (advanced driver assist system) sensors, Valeo cameras, and machine learning algorithms and incorporating that for game play. We’re able to stream real-time video data and real-world perception data to the game itself,” said Anthony Amos, the game’s developer.

SAE Media played Valeo Racer during a vehicle demonstration drive on a two-lane boulevard that included other motorists, traffic lights, and buildings. Played on a mobile device, players drove a race car along the same route as the demonstrator vehicle to collect gold coins and try to avoid hovering tires. “A lot of in-vehicle gaming systems are limited to treating the infotainment system as a gaming console while the vehicle is parked. With this system, passengers can enjoy the game during the drive,” Amos said. The game, which won’t be sold directly to consumers by Valeo, could debut in a production vehicle as early as 2025.

Dozens of Valeo products were shown as either static or dynamic displays. “We all recognize that the automotive industry is going through a significant transformation. Our strategy is, very simply, to support the electrification transformation while being as agnostic as we can with as much of our business as we can to support the whole industry,” Shay said.