Wolfgang Huhn, head of light and vision at Audi, and Automotive Lighting’s Kamislav Fadel, have won the prestigious Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize 2011 from the Technical University of Vienna.
| Wolfgang Huhn and Kamislav Fadel |
The award was bestowed last week for the development and use of new LED technology in automobiles. Automotive LED light technology helps to save fuel—up to 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres. The prize of €50,000 is awarded every two years.
Wolfgang Huhn is also DrivingVisionNews’ “Man of the Decade”.
This 12th Porsche Prize was awarded the presence of Dr. F. Piech, Dr. Winterkorn, VW, Dr. Göschel, BMW, Dürheimer. Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Lenz, of the University of Vienna, presented the award.
 Michael Dick, Audi CTO – Wolfgang Porsche – Wolfgang Huhn – Kamislav Fadel – Michael Piech,,Martin Winterkorn, VW CEO – Matthias Müller, Porsche CEO |
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Geringer , head of the Institute for Vehicle Automotive Engineering at TU Vienna and chairman of the jury, explained in his speech the significance of this development, which represents the application of advanced LED lighting for the automotive sector, thanks to three advantages:
– Significant energy savings.
– Massive increase in life.
– High degree of design freedom for vehicle design.
Porsche CEO Matthias Müller , showed the technological advantage, which was completed by the action of the two winners. “Thanks to their persistent development work, it is now possible to use LED as a light source in production vehicles.” Compared to the best halogen and xenon headlights, LED technology brings a much better lighting, with night driving safety benefits. In addition, LED lights come closer to natural daylight. Threats are detected earlier and the glare to oncoming traffic can significantly be reduced. Matthias Muller, as Prof. Dr. Bernhard Geringer, also dealt with the energy savings: “with the same light output, LED headlamp consume only about half as much energy as conventional halogen or xenon lamp, so that a reduction in consumption is possible at least up to 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres. Given the high demands of customers for the fuel economy of vehicles, this saving is not to be underestimated.”
The innovative technology of the LED headlight leads to a radically new, stunning design. In the Audi A8, the low beam is composed of ten individual modules, they retreat under the “wing” of the swing-shaped chrome outline, in an arc through the projector. Under them 22 white and yellow LEDs for daytime running lights and turn signals in the so-called “thick-wall technology,” because it appears to the viewer as a homogeneous continuous strip lighting.