The triple forces of change now stirring the auto industry — electrification, autonomous technology and digitalization — are generating innovations in how vehicles are designed, engineered, manufactured, sold and operated.
Last week, 14 of those new ideas earned Automotive News PACE Awards, which recognize suppliers for developing innovations and successfully moving them into commercial application.
The annual awards, now in their 27th year, went to a spectrum of new products and components, ranging from a turbocharger for hybrid vehicles and an advanced lidar system that requires fewer components, to an online-only retail platform and a super-light thermoplastic replacement for steel roof brackets.
“This year’s class of award winners and honorees reflect the big changes that are coming at us,” said Steve Schmith, director of PACE judging. “In our 27th year of the PACE program, it’s striking to see how innovation is continuing to improve the auto industry.”
The PACE Awards were announced in an online presentation.
The awards are determined by an independent panel of PACE judges, who spend months reviewing applications from around the industry, analyzing the achievement of each idea.