TAKING ON THE VALEO INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Nearly 1000 university teams from 55 countries around the globe entered the first Valeo Innovation Challenge, the goal of which was to ‘design the product or system that will make the cars of 2030 smarter and more intuitive.’

THE UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS OF BRAZIL TOOK FIRST PRIZE, and a cash award of €100,000, in the first Valeo Innovation Challenge. Tying for second place and taking home €10,000 each were Canadian teams: the University of Ottawa and the University of Waterloo.

The Brazilian team's project aims to reinvent the mechanical transmission system by coupling together the pump and the hydraulic motor. This innovation would enable the transmission to adjust to engine rpm continuously and automatically, thereby improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions.