HELLA manufactures 500 millionth accelerator pedal sensor
First series production started in 1996; today HELLA is global market leader with a share of more than 40 percent
Company-wide first customer project in fail-safe design underway; further growth expected due to new requirements for vehicle interiors
HELLA, the automotive supplier operating under the FORVIA umbrella brand, has surpassed the mark of 500 million electronic accelerator pedal sensors. The first accelerator pedal sensors rolled off the assembly line more than 25 years ago and now with a market share of more than 40 percent, HELLA is the worldwide market leader, supplying numerous international automotive manufacturers from a global network with nine production sites. In the summer of last year, HELLA also put an ASIL D fail-safe accelerator pedal into series production, which represents the highest safety standards in the automotive industry.
Accelerator pedal sensors detect the position of the pedal and transmit the corresponding command to accelerate or reduce engine power to the engine control unit. "Our pedal sensors are an excellent example of the many HELLA electronic components that contribute to safe and comfortable mobility in our everyday lives," says Marco Döbrich, who is responsible for the product segment sensors at HELLA. "The fact that we have earned our position as the global market leader in this field since we entered the market demonstrates our ability to bring sensors into production in a cost-efficient way that are not only robust, but highly precise. With a defect rate significantly below one part per million, they are also the industry benchmark in terms of quality and reliability.”
HELLA has been active in the market for accelerator pedal sensors since 1996 and was the first manufacturer in the world to have accelerator pedal sensors that transmit the driver's command to the engine control unit via purely electronic signals without the aid of mechanical elements (by wire), in series production. Accelerator pedal sensors are designed to combine the accelerator pedal, pedal force generation and signal generation in a compact, modular unit. This allows the design and feel of the pedal to be adapted to individual customer requirements. The heart of the module is the self-developed wear-free sensor concept CIPOS® (Contactless Inductive Position Sensor), which HELLA has launched on the market for the first time.
At the same time, HELLA is working on new pedal concepts that realise a new interior design with optimised and flexible footwell areas. "Automated vehicles will have new requirements in terms of design and comfort," Döbrich added. "The market for active safety technologies, which includes our pedal sensors, will therefore continue to grow. Our many years of experience and market leadership in the field enable us to supply our customers with high-performance, high-precision sensors and offer them customised solutions."