Porsche Engineering is highlighting its development role in the production of ultra-light steel concept vehicles and plans to step up its development work for vehicle makers and suppliers.
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Porsche Engineering Group, the customer engineering development company of German sports car maker Porsche, through its U.S.-based Porsche Engineering Services, Inc., has played a leading part in the steel industry’s Ultra Light Steel Auto Body-Advanced Vehicle Concepts (ULSAB-AVC) project initiated three years ago and resulted in two design concepts.
It is claimed that the two resulting vehicles, a compact, 2,000 lbs. 2-door hatchback and a mid-size, 2,200 lbs. 4-door sedan, can achieve combined driving cycles of significantly better than 50 mpg, according to computer simulation testing. At the same time, both cars are said to have tested safe enough to potentially qualify for five-star crash ratings, the highest possible in Europe and the US. Feasibility studies confirm that the designs would cost no more to build than current comparable vehicles.
“It has been a tough, complex assignment, but thanks to our very good and close cooperation with the steel consortium and its industry material experts we were able to deliver important results,” states Dr. Ulrich Schiefer, Porsche Engineering’s Managing Director. Alluding to the Company’s increased focus on the North American market Schiefer adds, “the advanced vehicle concepts will be a very convincing calling card in our efforts to increase development work for the U.S. auto industry.”
Started in 1999, ULSAB-AVC is the most recent in the global steel industry’s series of initiatives to develop steel solutions for vehicle makers worldwide. These initiatives have sought to further the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the automobile by improving its safety, performance and affordability, while reducing its environmental footprint through better fuel efficiency, source reduction and recyclability.
A consortium of 33 of the world’s steel companies directed and funded the ULSAB-AVC study. Porsche Engineering Services, Inc., Troy, Mich., (PES) conducted the engineering work and managed the technical aspects of the program.
A full discussion of technical details of ULSAB-AVC is available in the ULSAB-AVC Overview Report, on http://www.ULSAB-AVC.org.
