The Lightweight ALLIANCE attended the Aachen Body Engineering Days, to promote the upcoming launch of the Lightweight Open Innovation Challenge, on October 1st.
The ALLIANCE joined 250 attendees from around the world for presentations and demonstrations of new automotive body engineering technologies, designs and materials. Most notably, the presentation of several new vehicle bodies and technologies including the BMW 5 series Sedan and Touring, Rolls Royce Phantom VIII, Porsche Cayenne, Land Rover Discovery 2017, Mazda MX5 and the Opel Insignia and Ampera e.
A need for lightweighting in electric vehicles
Lightweight ALLIANCE representative, Marcos Ierides said “It was interesting to see a significant focus on electric vehicles, by both suppliers and OEMs.” Many suppliers presented battery housing and other components for EVs, whilst OEMs presented adaptations in their platforms to accommodate for EVs. Lightweight solutions are particularly important for EVs, as they can enable travelling longer distances on a single charge.
An opportunity to co-develop innovative lightweight solutions
On the Lightweight Open Innovation Challenge, Ierides said “manufacturers showed enthusiasm towards the challenge, as it will give them the opportunity to co-develop their solutions with the OEMs.”
The ALLIANCE Lightweight Open Innovation Challenge will launch on October 1st through our website