Focus: Automotive
success stor y
France has a unique position when it comes to the electric vehicle market. It leads the way in Europe with sales of 14,807 pure electric vehicles, ahead of Denmark and Germany. With 90% of its electricity coming from nuclear energy or hydro-electricity, it makes sense for France to develop this mode of transportation. In 2013, the RenaultNissan alliance sold 66,809 electric vehicles worldwide, up 52% from the previous year. Renault was the leader in Europe, with a 38.6% market share. With a growing trend towards the electrification of vehicles, French companies are in the forefront developing innovative technologies in the fields of EV and hybrid vehicles. French companies produce revolutionary products such as Exoès rankine technologies used to recover waste heat and transform it into electricity. With the U.S. government mandate for cars and light trucks to reach an average 54.5 Mpg by 2025, the North American market is hungry for these innovative technologies. French companies such as Bolloré, Saft, Schneider Electric, IES and Exoès are introducing their new technologies and products to the North American market with great success.
Exoès is a French Manufacturer which has designed an innovative energy conversion system
for vehicles. Last year, the company embarked on a partnership with Tenneco, one of the world’s largest suppliers of clean air and ride components for the automotive industry. Their aim is to develop and commercialize their technology for the North American market. Arnaud Desrentes is the CEO of Exoès and Molly Swart is the UBIFRANCE trade advisor who helped them prepare for this market.
Arnaud Desrentes, can you please tell us more about your company? A.Desrentes: Our company was created in 2009 after two years of research. Carbon reduction has been an important topic in Europe in the past few years, and will be even more of a concern in the upcoming decades. Our original idea was to convert the energy lost in vehicles’ exhaust system into energy that can be used again. We have developed expertise and unique products for any vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine that allow them to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions in a very efficient way. How did you get in contact with Tenneco and what convinced them to work with you? M.Swart: In 2013, Exoès took part in several automotive and commercial vehicle missions organized by UBIFFRANCE, and through the various events, met Tenneco. The company showed great interest in their technology because it was innovative and technically sound. A.Desrentes: And it went very quickly. We signed a partnership with Tenneco in November 2013, and are currently developing new solutions with them. Our latest product, the EVE system for Energy Via Exhaust, has potential to enter the global market, but we will first focus on the most promising markets for this technology: Europe and North America. Promising? Would you define the EVE system as an advanced technology? A.Desrentes: Yes, it is the most efficient and cost
effective system developed so far. Our exclusive module converts the energy lost in exhaust gas into useful power, and back into energy. Based on a Rankine principle, this disruptive product reduces the internal combustion engine consumption up to 15%, and thanks to its small size, it does not require any modification to the original factory engine. The EVE system is adaptable to any engine equipped with a thermic motor – farm engines, trains or even aeronautic engines in the future – and works with any type of fuel: gas, oil or biofuel. M.Swart: Definitely. As the U.S. government rules concerning fuel consumption become more and more stringent, automakers are turning to hybrid and full electric vehicle solutions. The EVE system works with hybrid systems, and also complements other fuel saving technologies on the market like the Start-Stop solutions offered by Valeo. Its adaptability to multiple powertrains makes it attractive – not only to the North American automakers, but also those operating in different markets.
clients are equipment suppliers and the biggest companies in the field are to be found in the US. Do you take advantage of carbon reduction policies? A.Desrentes: Yes we do. The Environmental Protection Agency announced new policies to reduce carbon pollution, and new standards will be applied in 2016. All the truck manufacturers and drivers will have to reduce sharply their fuel consumption. M.Swart: The Exoès technology is coming onto the market at the right time and is poised perfectly to help automakers achieve better fuel consumption.
With that said, why are you particularly interested in the North American market, more than the Asian ones? A.Desrentes: We wanted to confront our technology to a mature market where it could impact the performance of vehicles. The main segment on this market is that of heavy trucks. Average speed and fuel consumption for these trucks are higher in the US; that represents a lot of fuel… Our solution should help customers to reduce their consumption. Besides, our main UBIFRANCE North America 2013 Report - 13