Valeo and the CEA announced on September 13 that they had signed an agreement to collaborate on the next generation of power electronics, which are at the heart of the challenges of tomorrow’s electric mobility. Their teams will work together on innovative electronic technologies to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles (increased range), optimize the powertrain and reduce the weight of onboard power electronics.

Valeo, an automotive supplier, has 103,300 employees, 64 R&D centers including Valeo.ai, a research center dedicated to artificial intelligence for automotive applications located in Paris, and is present in 31 countries.

It is a technology and industry leader in electrification, driver assistance, reinventing the automotive experience and lighting, and intends to be a leader in the mobility of tomorrow.

On February 25, Christophe Périllat, Valeo’s CEO, launched the Move Up plan, which covers the period 2022-2025 and is part of a long-term vision of cleaner and safer mobility. He declared:

“Move Up is about building a technologically stronger and ideally positioned Group that accelerates in electrification, ADAS, reinventing life on board and lighting all around and inside the vehicle. Move Up is about taking advantage of tomorrow’s mobility today.”

Valeo-CEA cooperation

In an electric vehicle, power electronics play a key role in controlling the motor, managing the vehicle’s energy and charging speed. Within this cooperation, Valeo is contributing its expertise in power electronics.

Xavier Dupont, President of Valeo’s Powertrain Systems Business Group, said:

“The world of mobility is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, resulting in a considerable acceleration of electrification. Valeo is at the heart of these transformations, and this new cooperation with the CEA in the field of power electronics will enable us to further accelerate electrification by offering the best technologies while meeting the challenge of carbon neutrality.

The CEA is contributing its expertise in the fields of microelectronics and materials, as well as its skills in defining and designing a digital twin to optimize the conversion systems under study.

Sébastien Dauvé, Director of CEA-Leti, said:

“This agreement confirms the mobilization of CEA’s teams on the important issues related to vehicle electrification. This partnership is completely in line with our mission to support industry, which ranges from the design of innovative power components to the development of high-performance conversion systems. We are delighted to support Valeo in its strategy and our teams are highly motivated by the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This agreement is part of the IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) dedicated to electronics, which aims to promote innovation in strategic and forward-looking industrial fields (France 2030) through transnational European projects.

Translated from Mobilité électrique : Valeo et le CEA désormais partenaires dans la recherche avancée sur l’électronique de puissance