L
INNOVATION
SMR Automotive Mirrors UK Ltd., Motherson Group
L-R: Steve Horne, EVP Engineering, and Craig O’Connell, Managing Director of SMR UK
Motherson’s EcoMirror design principle on a Volvo Polestar 2
highlighted at the public launch of the car in Shanghai in 2019. Since then, the market interest has been remarkable. SMR UK already had a long-lasting supplier relationship and innovation partnership with Volvo. A few years earlier, it developed and industrialised the world’s first mirror-integrated camera-based intelligent blind spot detection system for Volvo, which helps to avoid collisions in traffic. The list of innovative solutions developed and produced by the SMR Portchester team for the global automotive mirror market is extensive. The entity, established in 1935, has a strong focus on advanced solutions. You will find its products on many vehicles such as Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, Nissan and now Polestar. “We are delighted that Volvo had given us the opportunity to industrialise the EcoMirror for their iconic Polestar vehicle,” says Craig O’Connell, Managing Director of SMR UK. “We are honoured that our joint efforts have been recognised with the prestigious King’s Award for Innovation. We know this Award will provide us with more visibility and opportunities as a technology hub for the UK and beyond.” SMR AUTOMOTIVE MIRRORS UK LTD Castle Trading Estate, East Street, Portchester, Hampshire PO16 9SD craig.oconnell@motherson.com www.smr-automotive.com and www.motherson.com The EcoMirror offers a 30% reduction in size and weight compared to conventional mirrors
SMR UK, a part of Motherson, has numerous first- to-market accolades. It is proud to announce its latest innovation, the EcoMirror, as the winner in the Innovation category. With a history of supplying rear vision systems, SMR UK challenges established industry norms with its products, embracing sustainability without compromising performance. Its award-winning EcoMirror is complementary to the performance of both electric and combustion vehicles, and it thanks its engineering team, who continually challenge tradition and re-invent products to provide more sustainable solutions. Motherson is one of the largest automotive tier 1 suppliers with a broad product range, supporting numerous industries in 41 countries, such as Rolling Stock, Aerospace, Health & Medical and IT. Its operation in Portchester is registered as SMR Automotive Mirrors UK Ltd.
Design breakthrough This Award began with SMR UK’s idea of moving the entire head of a rearview mirror to adjust the viewing angle, rather than moving the mirror glass inside the housing. This principle reduces the mirror’s size and weight by as much as 30% compared to conventional mirrors, with no associated loss of vision. It also reduces material consumption in production and wind drag when driving – making it ideal for electric vehicles, saving energy and increasing range. Additionally, it contributes to CO2 reduction in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The breakthrough for EcoMirror came with the lift off in electric mobility and the resulting increase in demand for solutions for energy-efficient driving around 2017. This was enough reason for SMR UK Engineering to overcome the last remaining technical challenges to make the EcoMirror feasible for the market. At the same time, Volvo was working on its electric vehicle Polestar 2 and signaled interest in the EcoMirror. “In such moments, we feel the energy of a win-win situation for both partners that we don’t want to miss,”says Steve Horne, Executive Vice President of Engineering at SMR.“We instantly created a taskforce team and intensified engineering collaboration with Volvo, who were productive with their part of project development.” First of its kind Within 18 months, the EcoMirror was brought to market on the Polestar 2 as the first mirror of its kind in the world. Its unique design was
SMR’s plant in Portchester
King’s Awards Magazine 2023
89
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker