Bosch, AVL and ACCESS Team Take Top Honors at Department of Energy's Annual Merit Review

PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AVL announced today that they were part of a team of technological and academic leaders that earned top honors at the 2012 Department of Energy Merit Review. The team, led by Robert Bosch LLC and composed of experts from AVL, Stanford, the University of Michigan and Emitec, has an objective of achieving more than a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency in a commercially viable light-duty vehicle by 2014. The review characterized ACCESS as "an exceptionally strong team" that was carrying through "an excellent collaborative program."

"This is an example of teamwork at its best," said Don Manvel, AVL's North American Chairman. "It demonstrates the power of innovative thinking when institutions apply their best minds and work together to solve a particularly challenging problem."

The project, funded in part by the DOE, is currently concluding phase two of three phases. Phase one lasted one-and-a-half years and covered the initial concept and fundamental research. The year-long phase two covered technological development. Phase three, which began March 1, covers implementation and vehicle demonstration, and is scheduled to conclude at the end of September 2014.

"What makes this especially gratifying," said Hakan Yilmaz, Vice President – Engineering, Gasoline Systems NA, Robert Bosch LLC, "is how the various university and industry partners joined forces, shared ideas and produced results for the common good." The review also noted the team's diversity, which was characterized as having "a good mixture of industry and academia members with an excellent definition of their individual roles."

About AVL
Founded in 1948, AVL is the world's largest independent company for development, simulation and testing technology of powertrains (hybrid, combustion engines, transmission, electric drive, batteries and software) for passenger cars, trucks and large engines. AVL's North American Headquarters are located in the Detroit suburb of Plymouth, Michigan. For more information, contact Chris Barecki, AVL Americas Marketing Manager, at [email protected] or 734.738.8778. 

About Robert Bosch, LLC
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services, active in the fields of automotive technology, energy and building technology, industrial technology, and con­sumer goods. According to preliminary figures, more than 306,000 associates generated sales of 52.3 billion euros ($67.2 billion) in 2012. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent some 4.5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) for research and development in 2012, and applied for over 4,700 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group's products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is "Invented for life." Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com and www.bosch-press.com.

In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software solutions. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs over 22,500 associates in more than 100 locations, with sales of $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2011.  For more information, please visit www.boschusa.com, www.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca.

SOURCE AVL