In 2009, research and development activities at Elasis ranged from light commercial vehicles to high-performance cars. Vehicles included the new Fiat Fiorino, the new Fiat Doblò, the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider and the Ferrari 458 Italia.
Elasis worked on the planning, design and production launch of a CNG fuel system for the Fiat Fiorino, including installation process.
Another important achievement was the new Fiat Doblò. Developed by a joint team from FGA, Elasis and Tofas, the new Doblò aims to offer best-in-class safety, use of space and ergonomics. This model will also be equipped with a Natural Power fuel system developed by Elasis.
For Alfa Romeo, Elasis successfully completed design and testing of the 8C Spider, an exclusive supercar whose production will be limited to 500 units.
For Ferrari, the centre was involved in the development and production launch of the 458 Italia, which is built with several innovative materials including lithium-magnesium alloys.
Lastly, the design of bodywork and internal components for the new AC four-door sedan has been brought forward to the approval stage. This will be the first car to bear the GAC (Guangzhou Automotive Corp.) brand and it was developed on the Alfa Romeo 166 platform, under licence from FGA.
Research and development in the area of road safety included a series of initiatives by Elasis such as innovative driver assist systems that alert drivers if they have exceeded the alcohol limit or are exhibiting signs of tiredness. As part of those initiatives, a number of partnerships were formed with medical component suppliers for the transfer of new medical technologies to the automotive sector.
For drink driving, a prototype for continuous monitoring of a driver’s blood alcohol level was created and a series of test conducted to compare the measurement data generated by that system against those recorded using official measuring instruments. Analyses and initial tests are also being conducted on devices to prevent drivers from “dozing off”.