By SEMA News Editors
Magna Introduces Impaired-Driving Prevention Technology
Magna, the automotive supplier based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, has introduced a breath and camera-based pre-development technology designed to combat impaired driving.
The new safety technology is designed to determine if drivers are "fit to drive" in a fast, reliable and affordable way. The integrated solution utilizes camera technology to detect driver distraction, drowsiness and intoxication through pupillary signals, with infrared sensor technology developed by Senseair.
Cockpit-embedded sensors, placed in proximity to the driver, measure and quantify the alcohol and carbon dioxide levels in diluted exhalations from the driver. The technology is intended to passively detect an intoxicated driver with a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit of 0.08% in all states except Utah, where the legal limit is 0.05%.
"As we continue to support the company's vision of advancing mobility for everyone, our team is focused on delivering active safety innovations that help reduce accidents and fatalities," said Bill Snider, president of electronics at Magna. "We are working with our customers and the industry to take a significant step forward in making the roads safer for all who share them."
For more information, visit the Magna announcement or magna.com.
Melling Engine Parts Acquires QualCast
Melling Engine Parts, a Jackson, Michigan-based manufacturer of oil pumps and other powertrain components, has acquired QualCast, a supplier of valvetrain automotive parts based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Qualcast offers valvetrain solutions for heavy-duty, industrial, light- and medium-duty, marine and performance applications.
Melling and QualCast will continue operating independently, the company said.
For more information, visit melling.com.
BorgWarner Forms Joint Venture for Chinese Electric Commercial Vehicle Market
BorgWarner is expanding its product portfolio for battery electric and hybrid commercial vehicles by agreeing to form a joint venture with Shaanxi Fast Auto Drive Group, a China-based commercial vehicle parts supplier specializing in transmission and drivetrain systems.
The company expects to finalize the establishment of the high-voltage inverter joint venture in the first quarter of 2024.
For more information, visit borgwarner.com.
Stellantis Partners With BlackBerry QNX, AWS to Launch Virtual Cockpit
Stellantis has launched a virtual cockpit as a component of the Stellantis Virtual Engineering Workbench.
The new platform uses the QNX Hypervisor in the cloud from BlackBerry via AWS Marketplace, and allows Stellantis to create realistic virtual versions of car controls and systems, accelerating the delivery of new infotainment technology to customers.
With the platform, Stellantis can accelerate customer feedback sessions, and with minimal effort and time, replicate the cockpit experience of a particular brand and vehicle, and make changes in real time to optimize the experience for the driver.
For more information, visit stellantis.com.
MBE Group Hires New Account Executive
Marx Buscemi Eisbrenner Group (MBE Group), a marketing communications agency serving the automotive, mobility, trucking, tech and consumer goods industries, has hired Sydney Croft as an account executive.
Croft will serve as the daily contact for accounts, leveraging brand strategy, digital marketing, media relations, social media marketing and event coordination, and will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Troy, Michigan.
In her previous position, Croft served as a senior analytics digital consultant for automotive OEMs and dealerships, including Jaguar Land Rover.
For more information, visit mbe.group.
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