Bosch presents electrification, fuel cell and software-based solutions at NAIAS 2022

Detroit – Future mobility concepts are being driven by the major trends of electrification and software, but also by new approaches to collaboration across the industry. At the 2022 North American International Auto Show (aka Detroit Auto Show), Bosch will present a number of solutions to support customers in areas including electrification, vehicle motion and software. It will also highlight collaborative initiatives such as the Detroit Smart Parking Lab.

“Our portfolio spans across many domains of the vehicle, including system-level and software-specific expertise,” said Paul Thomas, executive vice president of Mobility Solutions, Americas. “Our presence at NAIAS highlights the vast number of ways we work together with our customers and across the industry to help future mobility concepts become reality.”

Enabling electrification
Bosch has a rich history in powertrain and continues its leadership as more and more electrification solutions come to market. In 2021, the company’s orders related to electrification for passenger vehicles and light trucks surpassed ten billion euros for the first time. Already, more than five million vehicles around the world feature Bosch electrical powertrain components.

At NAIAS 2022, Bosch will showcase solutions that continue to enable electrification. The advanced driving module shows individual systems for propulsion, steering and braking integrated into a harmonized module. The result is reduced complexity for electric vehicle development and engineering.

A key part of the Bosch electrification portfolio is the eAxle, which provides manufacturers with a complete solution that optimizes cost and helps to reduce complexity. The eAxle city is a compact, light, and efficient drive solution where the electric motor, inverter and transmission are combined in one system housing. Its compact size means it is suitable for use in smaller vehicle classes. The power modules of the eAxle city are based on silicon carbide semiconductor technology for new generation of highly efficient and energy-saving silicon carbide inverters.

The eAxle performance, which also features silicon carbide technology for both 400V and 800V, achieves a technological leap thanks to the use of new semiconductor technology combined with a multi-objective, multi-domain development approach.

“OEMs must show that electrified trucks and SUVs will retain the same performance characteristics customers demand including ride & handling – on and off-road, torque, towing, range and maintenance costs,” Thomas said. “No other company can match Bosch for the diversity of our electromobility portfolio that enables our customers to deliver vehicles consumers demand.”

All in for hydrogen
Part of the broad electrification approach at Bosch is a strong investment to support the development of the hydrogen economy. The company recently announced it would be investing $200 million to produce fuel cell stacks in Anderson, S.C. And globally, Bosch announced it would invest more than $1 billion USD globally to develop mobile fuel cell technologies by 2024.

Bosch’s portfolio in mobile fuel cells offers a fuel cell system from one single source. The company offers a scalable fuel cell power module comprised of a fuel cell stack and submodules to generate electricity to power commercial vehicles. Bosch also offers the fuel cell stack independently.

Complementing the module and stack are components, also known as the balance of plant components, needed for fuel cell vehicles. This includes sensors, valves, electronic control units and electric air compressors.

New software-based solution for pickup trucks
Software-based solutions are found across the Bosch Mobility Solutions portfolio. In the area of driver assistance and vehicle motion, the company will debut a new software-based solution publicly for the first time at NAIAS 2022. Tailgate down view is a visualization software feature that allows a driver to see behind a vehicle when the tailgate is in the down position. This addresses the limitations of a traditional rear-view camera which does not allow a pickup truck driver to see behind their vehicle when the bed is loaded, and the tailgate is down. The solution is part of a full portfolio of trailering, parking, maneuvering and visualization solutions from Bosch.

“We have a deep understanding of truck and SUV end-users,” Thomas said. “Our team has developed a full portfolio of solutions that fit the North American market where the truck and SUV segments are in the lead.”

Connectivity enables new insights and features
Across its entire business, Bosch is reaping the benefits of connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT). As of the beginning of 2022, the company announced all its electronics product classes were connectable.

In the area of mobility, Bosch’s braking portfolio is now IoT-ready. At NAIAS, the company will highlight its connected braking systems, which enable both data-driven development for automakers and Bosch as well as data-driven service enablement for fleet owners and end consumers. Through continuous development enabled by data, specifications can be further defined, virtual updates sent to the system and development cycles shortened. For fleet owners and consumers, this benefit unlocks the ability to monitor component health information across braking systems, tires and other chassis components.

Detroit Smart Parking Lab demos highlight the value of industry collaboration
Beyond its NAIAS display at Huntington Place, Bosch will host demonstrations in the Detroit Smart Parking Lab. The Lab, which is a collaboration between the State of Michigan, Ford, Bedrock and Bosch, is a real-world test site for emerging technology that enables mobility and smart infrastructure pioneers, real-estate innovators and startups to test parking-related mobility, logistics and electric vehicle charging technologies.

During the Detroit Auto Show, the Detroit Smart Parking Lab will host demonstrations from startup organizations such as HEVO, WiTricity, Yoshi, Voltpost and It’s Electric covering topics such as wireless and curbside EV charging as well as remote vehicle charging and parking services.

“Collaboration is essential as we develop new technologies for the future of mobility,” Thomas said. “The Detroit Smart Parking Lab shows the possibilities when we bring together a broad range of perspectives from manufacturer, supplier, infrastructure, government and startups.”

Bosch will also demonstrate its own technology in the lab. RideCare helps mobility service providers and fleet managers run fleets more efficiently by detecting damages to the vehicle, smoking inside the vehicle, and hard driving maneuvers in real time.

Bosch will also showcase its automated and driverless parking system, automated valet parking. Here the vehicle interacts with infrastructure in the garage to autonomously navigate to a parking spot and park. Further interface between infrastructure and mobility concepts will be shown through Bosch video as a sensor technology where features such as artificial intelligence can power new use cases.