EU Research Commissioner pays visit to EUCAR

Date: 19/7/2011

Advancements being made in the manufacture of automobiles were displayed to the European Union's (EU) Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science yesterday (July 18th).

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn visited EUCAR - the European Council for Automotive Research and Development - in Belgium, where she was able to see nine new vehicles first-hand.

Each had been built using advanced technologies and were provided by manufacturers from across the EU.

Among these were cars that run on alternative fuels and a heavy goods truck that benefits from the inclusion of Intelligent Transport Systems.

She was also shown a safety test and took a spin around the test track at Ford's Lommel Proving Grounds, both of which demonstrated the vigorous testing that the new vehicles must undergo at EUCAR.

Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn said: "These technologies demonstrate the societal gains in environment, safety and competitiveness that research should be aiming for."

EUCAR was established in 1994 and is made up of 14 members representing the major automobile manufacturers of Europe, including Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.

Posted by Mary Treen