Freescale's New Electric System Innovations Significantly Reduce Total Weight Of Automobile Circuitry

Modern automobiles can use enough electric circuitry, conductors and connectivity materials to stretch for miles. Copper wiring, for instance, despite being a light metal, can still add 150 pounds or more to today's cars and impact gas mileage. Freescale's (NYSE: FSL) new products address these weight issues by providing smarter, more tightly woven functionality for vehicle electric systems, from the doors to the engines.

Freescale develops microprocessors and microcontrollers for use in wireless infrastructure, energy management, medical devices, consumer appliances, mobile devices and also automobiles.

"Vehicles are transforming into smart consumer devices where all connections lead to the outside world," said Ray Cornyn, vice president of Automotive Microcontroller Products at Freescale.

The Austin-based supplier's new Qorivva microcontroller and S12 MagniV vehicle body network microcontroller reduce the number of electronic control units needed and the amount of wiring required. The result enables carmakers to reduce up to 20 pounds of vehicle weight.

"Freescale understands the importance of not only securing in-vehicle networks, but also reducing electrical and mechanical energy consumption," said Cornyn.