New WABCO Partnerships to Advance Autonomous Vehicle Systems

WABCO Holdings Inc., a leading global supplier of technologies that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles, announces that it is working with Peloton Technology to advance an innovative solution for truck platooning, integrating commercial vehicle-to-vehicle communication and other automation technologies that further improve safety and fuel efficiency. Based in Mountain View, CA, U.S.A., privately held Peloton is an industry-leading provider of connected and automated vehicle solutions.

By electronically linking two or more tractor-trailers to form virtual road-trains on highways, platooning increases fuel economy by more than 7%, namely up to 4.5% for the lead truck and up to 10% for following trucks due to improved aerodynamics, according to independent evaluation by the North American Council on Freight Efficiency and further validation by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Transportation.

WABCO will contribute to work with its industry-leading portfolio of braking, advanced stability and emergency braking systems, including predictive cruise control. Peloton will bring its proprietary platooning technologies, which are currently under testing on U.S. highways.

WABCO’s OnGuardACTIVE collision mitigation system, with its superior 77GHz radar sensor, is a key enabler of the platoon’s trucks. When necessary, it provides active braking to avoid or mitigate impending rear-end collisions.

Peloton’s systems enable platooning through advanced vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication, enabling tractor-trailers to accelerate and brake together and safely operate at closer distances to gain aerodynamic efficiencies. Peloton’s Network Operations Center supervises the platooning trucks, allowing platooning only where, when and how it is safe to do so.

Peloton’s system also processes real-time data gathered from sensors linked to other vehicle active safety and automation systems, including WABCO’s OnGuard emergency braking system and from WABCO’s rich source of instant digital information about the vehicle’s systems and their performance.

“WABCO shares our mission of increasing safety and efficiency for fleets and other transport customers. Today’s announcement builds on our past work together, and we continue to be excited about the synergy with WABCO, a global technology leader in advanced driver assistance and active safety systems,” says Josh Switkes, Peloton Chief Executive Officer and Founder. “Working with WABCO we can make trucks and drivers safer on highways whether in platoon or operating individually.”

“We are excited to expand WABCO’s strategy to offer differentiated solutions and services that empower tomorrow’s fleets, and working with industry-leading Peloton Technology demonstrates how WABCO is mobilizing vehicle intelligence to support driving automation,” says Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, WABCO reports that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a global tier-one automotive industry supplier headquartered in Asia to bring active steering and other technologies to the commercial industry through a new joint venture (JV). The MoU sets a framework to establish a JV agreement for a new business that will develop, manufacture and sell electronically controlled active steering systems for the global truck and bus market.

The JV will leverage WABCO’s industry-leading braking, vehicle control and advanced driver assistance systems expertise with its partner’s world-class steering system technology and capabilities. This integration will result in significant innovation for advanced safety-enabling solutions that support automated driving through intelligent control of both the longitudinal and lateral movements of vehicles. Both partners are leaders in electronic and electro-mechanic systems.

Separately, WABCO has joined forces with Mobileye, a global leader in advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving technologies. They intend to develop solutions for commercial vehicles that will combine Mobileye’s leading vision system and mapping technology with the control and actuation technologies from WABCO’s industry-leading portfolio of electronic braking, stability and emergency braking systems in combination with capability for active steering control. The WABCO-Mobileye solution will benefit commercial vehicle manufacturers and operators through more advanced safety capability to help reduce the risk of accidents.

“As our industry converges toward autonomous driving, WABCO continues to advance on multiple fronts to help develop and deliver the essential technologies required to turn this vision into reality,” says Esculier. “Collaborating with Peloton, joining forces with Mobileye and pursuing our vision to bring active steering into WABCO’s vehicle control capabilities represent three major steps forward.”

WABCO at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016

WABCO will showcase at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016 industry-leading technologies and services that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles worldwide. This includes the latest technologies in braking, advanced driver assistance, fleet management solutions and aerodynamics.

WABCO in Hall 16 at Booth B10
Hanover Exhibition Center; Hanover, Germany
Press Days: September 21 and 22
Public Days: September 22 through 29

WABCO’s Live Demonstrations at IAA Innovation Stage 2016 

WABCO will demonstrate daily its latest aerodynamics technologies for commercial vehicles, as well as its fleet management security solution at the outdoor exhibition area, north of Hall 26.