For the second year in a row, Magneti Marelli is a partner of the EcoPatente project, sponsored by Legambiente in cooperation with the Italian confederation of driving schools and consultants Confarca (Confederazione Autoscuole Riunite e Consulenti Automobilistici).
Creating awareness on the topic of sustainable mobility, spreading information on smart and eco-friendly” vehicle use and on “green” technologies and solutions for automobiles: this is the main goal of the initiative which directly addresses young people about to get their driver’s licence. The first edition of EcoPatente was a huge success: from October 2009 until February 2010, 700 driving schools participated in the initiatives and 11,000 EcoPatenti were awarded. For this edition (June 2010- February 2011), all participating driving schools will once again receive a teaching kit on driving rules respectful of the environment. At the end of the course, new drivers who correctly answer a questionnaire on this specific topic will receive their EcoPatente and have the opportunity to take part in a prize drawing.
Magneti Marelli’s support to the EcoPatente project is part of the company’s commitment and activities aimed at environmental and social sustainability: Magneti Marelli calls this mission “GREEN ENGAGEMENT”. To Magneti Marelli, GREEN ENGAGEMENT means developing smart systems and solutions capable of contributing to the evolution of mobility. It means providing better technological answers to automobile-related challenges in the upcoming years: environmental sustainability, safety, “smart” car connected to communication networks, “affordable mobility”. It also translates into pointing processes, behaviour and daily habits within the company towards a “green” attitude. And it certainly means contributing to the spread of road regulations and of a culture aimed at responsibility and proper conduct behind the wheel, promoting a path of cultural evolution towards smart, eco-sustainable use of the automobile, especially by young people about to become members of the motorists community. «Only through a close union and interdependence between technology, individual responsibility and education – commented Michele Bellone, Magneti Marelli’s Marketing and Communication Director – can we speed up the evolution towards a new sustainable mobility. For this reason, we believe that a project such as EcoPatente is an effective opportunity to make young people aware of this goal and, at the same time, the natural outlet for Magneti Marelli's “Green Engagement”».
Part of the EcoPatente training programme consists in illustrating certain technologies fitted on automobiles thanks to which consumptions and emissions are reduced. In this sense, Magneti Marelli’s engagement has constantly increased over the years, focusing on areas such as powertrain (direct injection stop and start systems, multi-fuel and hybrid/electrical engines), transmissions and exhaust systems, but also dealing with the topic of smart traffic management through info-telematic and smart navigation instruments.
Specifically, Magneti Marelli’s “Freechoice” automated transmission is a technology that already provides an extremely effective answer to the challenges associated with environmental sustainability and affordable mobility: by automating a simple manual transmission thanks to a hydraulic mechanism managed by the electronics, this solution guarantees comfortable use, reduced consumptions and, consequently, reduced emissions.
With regards to infomobility and telematic, on the other hand, EcoPatente is a chance to make people aware of technologies that allow automobiles to be connected to the huge world of communication networks, Internet and services, especially in order to regulate and monitor vehicle use and traffic flows, optimising operating costs and emissions, promoting smart navigation and making it possible for value-added information and entertainment to reach the vehicle.