International Experts to take part in first integral hybryd vehicle benchmarking

International Experts to take part in first integral hybryd vehicle benchmarking

TECNALIA and AIC organize event in tandem with ACICAE and MAVEL Pioneer project in Spain | 25/11/2009

Tecnalia technology corporation’s Automotive Unit and AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center have joined forces with French firm Mavel and Basque automotive cluster ACICAE to organize the first Integral Hybrid Vehicle Benchmarking forum. The formula conceived for the event is unique in Spain and involves completely taking apart the two most popular hybrid vehicles on the automotive market: the Toyota Prius III and the Honda Insight.

To be held at AIC headquarters just outside Bilbao, at the Amorebieta-Etxano Business Park, Vizcaya, on Thursday December 10, the event is the first of its kind in Spain. At the event, a number of international experts in the area will be looking to generate a new working methodology as a starting point for future technological developments.

The methodology for this encounter will offer attendees the opportunity to observe in detail, touch and photograph the cars’ systems and assemblies broken down into their separate parts, particularly the ones of special interest such as the electric engines, batteries and inverters.

Cooperation between the organizations involved means the two most important hybrid vehicles of the Mavel group (the Toyota Prius III and the Honda Insight) will be presented and on show after being completely taken apart. Analyses performed on them will also be available, with comparisons between technologies and product concepts such as technical features, weight and materials used.

But comparisons won’t be made just between these two vehicles. Experts will also be looking at other leading models from these marques. In particular, the Toyota `Prius´ will be analyzed and compared with the Avensis and the Honda Insight with Jazz, diesel version.

Both cars together account for more than 70% of the world hybrid vehicle market and are the very latest benchmarks, having been launched in 2009.

According to the organizers, the essential goal of this highly innovative initiative is to "get an insight into trends in hybrid vehicles and how they are evolving, what types of vehicles are around, how their sales figures stand up to diesel vehicles and cooperate on decision-making on the best position to take in the market with this substantial change."

At the event, technical representatives from Tecnalia, AIC, Mavel and Honda will be giving lectures on a range of issues, including the market for hybrid vehicles, research and the development of world strategies for electric vehicles, plus talks on the design of Toyota’s Prius III and the Honda Insight.

Tecnalia’s automotive unit is fast becoming a respected technological player in the industry. Its role as technology partner in a number of segments within the industry has not gone unnoticed either, as a result of the work done to provide solutions to the industry’s needs and requirements.

The unit specializes in technological lines covering smart fabrication systems, jointing, shaping, metals, plastics and composites and electronic product.

Unique in Europe, AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center generates value for the automotive industry, housing and working on knowledge, training, and the kind of technological and industrial developments facilitating improvements in the industry’s competitiveness through knowledge, research and B2B cooperation.