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Ricardo Creates New Strategic Business Group to Focus on Hybrid Vehicle DevelopmentVAN BUREN TWP., Mich., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricardo, Inc., a leading independent provider of technology, product innovation and engineering solutions to the world's automotive, military, transport and new energy industries, today announced the formation of a dedicated global strategic business group to focus the company's state-of-the-art resources in technology, facilities and engineering skills on hybrid and electric vehicle development. The new organization, to be known as the Ricardo Global Hybrid Product Group, will consolidate the company's extensive capability into a single and highly focused unit, encompassing advanced skills and expertise in all aspects of hybrid vehicle engineering -- from system architecture definition, power electronics design and advanced energy management and control technologies, to the implementation of the numerous hybrid vehicle sub-systems and electrical ancillaries. It also will leverage the company's expertise in intelligent by-wire technologies for systems such as steering, braking and chassis control. Since 2000, Ricardo has been responsible for more than 100 hybrid powertrain and vehicle programs, ranging from simulation and strategy studies and concept developments to numerous product engineering programs. The company enjoys an extremely strong reputation in advanced hybrid technology research, based on significant and continuous investment. Ricardo is thus ideally placed to assist its customers with electrification of the architecture and propulsion systems of future high fuel-efficiency vehicles. In addition to providing a clear focus for these hybrid-related skills and technologies, the Global Hybrid Product Group also will be able to utilize the latest thinking in high fuel efficiency, low-emissions diesel and gasoline engines, transmission systems and vehicle engineering development methods using technologies drawn from across the global Ricardo organization. The group will have full access to Ricardo's advanced powertrain and vehicle testing infrastructure, including the Battery Systems Development Center currently under construction at the company's Detroit Technology Campus and scheduled to open later in 2008. The director of the Ricardo Global Hybrid Product Group will be Dr. During his period with Wavedriver, Thornton was involved in the successful implementation of multiple hybrid and electric vehicle demonstration programs and trials throughout the world. He joined Ricardo in 2006 as senior hybrids manager and has played a pivotal role in recent hybrid programs such as the recently announced Chery A5 BSG and ISG hybrids, 50 of which were used for transportation during the Beijing Olympics. Dr. "With the increasing focus on fuel economy and CO2 emissions reduction, automakers in all parts of the world aspire to include hybrid vehicles as a significant part of their future mainstream product portfolios," said Thornton. "In order to maximize the potential benefits of hybridization, we need to draw upon a much wider range of skills and technologies than for conventionally powered vehicles. We also need to focus these skills and technologies at a system level, ensuring that the new products fulfill their fuel economy and performance objectives while also delivering a robust, fun-to-drive product that can be manufactured efficiently and sold profitably. If we do this, the business case for hybridization can be extremely compelling." Ricardo, Inc. President About Ricardo Ricardo, the Eco-Innovation Technology Company, is a leading independent provider of technology, product innovation, engineering solutions and strategic consulting to the world's automotive, military, transport and new energy industries. The company's skill base represents the state-of-the-art in low emissions and fuel-efficient powertrain technology, and can be best summarized: "Ricardo is Fuel Economy." Ricardo offers TVFE(TM), its Total Vehicle Fuel Economy engineering service, to transportation manufacturers worldwide to provide objective evaluation of all available technologies to identify the most cost-effective strategies to optimize fuel economy and CO2 goals. For more information on TVFE, please visit www.totalvehiclefueleconomy.com. With technical centers and offices throughoutEurope, the U.S. andAsia,
Ricardo provides engineering expertise ranging from vehicle systems
integration, controls & electronics, hardware and software development, to the
latest driveline and transmission systems and gasoline, diesel, hybrid and
fuel cell powertrain technologies. Its customers include the world's major
automakers and suppliers as well as manufacturers in the military, commercial,
off-highway and clean energy sectors. The company also serves in advisory
roles to governmental and independent agencies. Ricardo's U.S. operation,
Ricardo, Inc., is headquartered inVan Buren Township, Michigan. Ricardo plc
posted sales of SOURCE Ricardo, Inc. Tags: ,AUT,ENV,OIL,RCY,MI-hybrid-development _ _Is your favorite bookmark site missing? Ask for it. |
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