'Clean Is a Reality' With New Faurecia Products Destined to Move to Highways From the 2010 LA Auto Show

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- For many years the auto industry has pursued the goal of Clean, and now Faurecia (http://www.faurecialaautoshow.com) is proclaiming that "Clean is a reality" with the production-ready products it will display at the 2010 LA Auto Show press days, Nov. 17-18.

Faurecia innovations are focused sharply on helping vehicles become cleaner by making them lighter and therefore more fuel efficient. This year, Faurecia–the world's sixth-largest auto supplier–brings lightweight engineering to new areas inside, outside and under the car and incorporates even more environmentally sustainable materials and natural fibers within the vehicle.

Faurecia's exhibit, in the South Hall, Upper Level Lobby, of the Los Angeles Convention Center, is expected to fuel interest in 20 new or next-generation products–along with several groundbreaking new concepts. They will be described at a news conference on Faurecia Clean, Nov. 18 at 1 pm PST in West Hall room 515, immediately preceding the Design Los Angeles event.

Most of the new products in Faurecia's exhibit, innovations that can provide weight savings as high as 20 to 40 percent, are expected to be integrated into American, European and Asian vehicles between 2011 and 2014.

The latest developments and new concepts that Faurecia will display include:

• SmartFit™ – An application that uses a smartphone to automatically adjust vehicle seats to each individual for the perfect seating experience. SmartFit™ reduces the complexity of seat controls to optimize comfort and safety, interfacing via Bluetooth with traditional seat electronics. SmartFit™ takes advantage of a device that drivers already bring into their vehicles every day.

• A new generation of super-thin seatbacks and cushions that use new materials to replace traditional steel and foam components with lighter and more easily recyclable materials.

• Exhaust-heat recovery (EHRS) technology for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles that extracts heat quickly from the internal-combustion exhaust gases to reduce the amount of time that engines must run to sufficiently heat the cabin, improving fuel economy and lowering emissions.

• A thermoelectric generator that converts heat from exhaust gases to electricity to power vehicle systems, reducing demands on the alternator and improving fuel economy.

• Low-weight covering premium (LOCOP) instrument panel skin, a cut-and-sew solution that offers the soft-touch feel of polyurethane covering material yet is much lighter in weight and more easily recycled than the traditional fabric.

• Lightweight approaches and natural materials that bring Clean benefits to more areas of the vehicle, from trim to tailgate. Faurecia's thermoplastic liftgate, for example, has elevated ease of use and slashed the weight of the tailgate.

"Once, some observers questioned whether the auto industry could be both successful and Clean. Now we know that it can be successful because it is Clean," said Faurecia North America President Michael Heneka. "In advancing this success, Faurecia's Clean vision is to continue to develop new approaches, materials and devices, from the front end to the tailgate, from the front seat to the tailpipe, to make vehicles lighter, cleaner, safer and roomier."

New systems and approaches will be exhibited by each of Faurecia's four world-class business groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors. Together, these groups are laying the groundwork for the future course of an auto industry that will thrive with environmentally responsible and economical vehicles.

"With contributions to many aspects of today's vehicles, Faurecia recognizes its special responsibility toward the future of automotive engineering and design," said Faurecia Vice President of Product

Planning & Innovation, Philippe Aumont. "Our global network of R&D and innovation teams is at work everyday to satisfy tomorrow's requirements for customers, consumers and citizens. By helping to make cleaner vehicles without compromising safety, comfort or quality, Faurecia is providing solutions that bring greater added value to the automotive industry."

Visit the Faurecia booth at the LA Auto Show to get a firsthand look at these innovations and other Faurecia products. Or download the press kit and images of Faurecia's products at http://www.faurecialaautoshow.com. For the latest updates on Faurecia activities in LA and beyond, visit http://www.facebook.com/FaureciaNA and http://www.twitter.com/Faurecia_NA.

To view Faurecia's social media press release, featuring pictures and videos of Faurecia's Clean innovations, visit: http://pitch.pe/101635

About Faurecia

Faurecia is the world's sixth largest automotive equipment supplier, with four key business groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors. In 2009, the Group posted pro-forma sales of $16 billion*. The company is headquartered in Nanterre, France with North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. It operates in 32 countries at 200 sites and 33 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange. For more information, visit: http://www.faurecia.com.

*Pro-forma sales including EMCON Technologies and Plastal.

SOURCE Faurecia