Valeo Unveils Rooftop AC System for Electric Buses

Valeo chose to unveil a highly innovative rooftop air-conditioning system for electric buses at the 67th IAA International Motor Show. During winter, an all-electric bus needs as much energy to heat the cabin as it does to drive. To minimize the use of energy, Valeo came up with a system that was inspired by heat pump technology.

The Valeo REVO-E pro air-conditioning system comprises a fully automatic de-icing mode that makes it possible for the heat pump to operate at temperatures that are as low as -15 deg C. The air-conditioning system is highly efficient when it comes to keeping temperatures up and also helps to increase the driving range of the electric bus.

Valeo gives great importance to innovation and the company allocated as much as 1.9 billion euros to R &D in 2017, which was nearly 12 percent of the Group’s OEM sales. Last year alone, Valeo filed more over 2,000 patents on a global basis, In 2017, for the second straight year, it received the top ranking in the in the intellectual property institute (INPI) ranking of French companies filing patents in France. Innovation has played a key role in driving Valeo’s growth, and 50 percent of the orders received in 2017 were for products launched less than three years ago.

Valeo takes a proactive approach to innovation and this starts with a detailed worldwide analysis of key trends in society with regard to aspects like demographics, population aging, urbanization, shifts in mobility needs over a timeframe of 30 to 50 years. The results of this analysis provide input for a detailed 10-year technology roadmap.

Valeo has as many as Valeo’s 20 research centres and 35 development centers across the globe staffed by professionals having highly advanced skills in areas like artificial intelligence, deep learning and big data, who work with an agile, flexible startup spirit to design and develop innovative new technological solutions.

Valeo also fields a network of 1,000 experts on key subjects, tasked with specifying and sharing best practices in innovation and design.

The company has partnerships with a wide range of organizations including universities, laboratories, companies in other industry sectors and startups. These partnerships serve as a means of using cooperative innovation to diversify its sources of inspiration and streamline its development cycles. The company estimates that there are around 30,000 startups whose work in relevant areas may hold particular interest.