• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Faurecia To Present Weight Savings Innovations From Its 'Light Attitude' Concept Interior at Ward's Auto Interiors Conference May 21

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 May 2009, 09:10 CDT

Rob Huber, Vice President, Design and Marketing, will address the balance between weight savings and safety, comfort, cost and design

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- As stricter fuel-economy regulations become more eminent and consumers look to more eco-friendly options in purchasing their vehicles, automakers and suppliers are striving to deliver lighter, smaller vehicles that improve fuel efficiency without compromising space and flexibility. Faurecia North America Vice President of Design and Marketing Rob Huber and other industry thought leaders will discuss vehicle weight savings and space during the Ward's Auto Interiors Conference at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Mich., on May 21, 2009.

Huber will highlight Faurecia's "Light Attitude" innovations during the 11:00 a.m. breakout session "The Interior's Role in Fuel Efficiency: Saving Weight and Space." Light Attitude brings together more than 10 ingenious, eco-friendly ways to lighten a vehicle inside and out, from ultra-thin and comfortable seats to cloth-covered instrument panels, a significantly lighter front-end carrier that allows automakers to reduce the front overhang of a vehicle to gain extra space, and an exceptionally lightweight muffler.

"Vehicle weight is a core issue for automakers and consumers as it directly impacts mileage and emissions," Huber said. "A challenge in today's automotive industry is to reduce weight while maintaining cost competitiveness and fulfilling consumers' key interests. Faurecia's Light Attitude is a complete example of our capabilities in managing weight reduction from design to manufacturing, from components to modules, from raw materials to architecture and more."

Faurecia's Light Attitude concepts were first unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, 2008, where Faurecia innovation experts demonstrated how each concept within Light Attitude can help speed the light-weighting process that the auto industry is urgently pursuing, without compromising safety, comfort, functionality or design. Faurecia is positioned to assume a leadership role in developing the revolutionary concepts required to make the industry's vehicles lighter and more environmentally sound.

Combined, Light Attitude's innovations:

• Can remove as much as 66 lbs. (30 kg) from a vehicle's weight;
• Can save an estimated 11 million barrels of imported oil (when implemented across all the vehicles of a single platform - 1 million vehicles annually); and
• Provide more than 750 kilograms of carbon reduction over the lifecycle of a single vehicle - the equivalent of driving that car coast to coast, carbon free.

Light Attitude is the third in a series of Attitudes presented to the automotive world by Faurecia. Each Attitude developed has been an opportunity for Faurecia to give a vision to the market regarding how the company manages the constant evolution that takes place within the auto industry. Its Happy Attitude concept changed the meaning of flexibility with interchangeable interiors. Premium Attitude changed the perception of design innovation. Now, Light Attitude is changing the speed of light-weighting.

About Faurecia www.faurecia.com

Faurecia North America had sales of $2.6 billion in 2008. The Group has 27 sites in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and employs more than 8,000 people in the region. It has four technical and development centers, situated in Auburn Hills, Holland and Troy, Mich., and Toledo, Ohio.

Faurecia is a world-leading automotive supplier specializing in four major activities: seats, vehicle interiors, front ends and exhaust systems. In 2008 the Group posted sales of 12 billion euros. The company is headquartered in Nanterre, France, with its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. It operates in 29 countries and employs 58,000 people at 190 sites and 28 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange. For more information, visit www.faurecia.com.

SOURCE Faurecia

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category