Lauréats of International Grands Prix for Automotive Innovationon
The jury has voted! Discover the winners selected for the International Grand Prix for Automotive Innovation.
Bodywork, auto glass and paintwork
Ixell Paint Assistant - IXELL
As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, performance, and quality, we are proud to announce the launch of a bold and unprecedented project: the Ixell Paint Assistant Robot. This innovation is the result of close collaboration between PAINT GO, a robotics company specialized in application systems, and Ixell, the automotive paint and refinishing brand of the Renault Group.
The Ixell Paint Assistant is the first robot of its kind designed specifically for body shop professionals. It combines cutting-edge artificial intelligence, robotic precision, and over 50 years of Ixell’s expertise in automotive paint. More than just a tool, it acts as a true assistant—ensuring consistent application quality, reducing material loss, improving traceability, and enhancing operator comfort.
This project addresses the major challenges of the automotive aftermarket:
Skilled labor shortage: The robot supports teams and enables technicians to focus on high-value tasks.
Increasing quality demands: It ensures flawless reproducibility, even with complex finishes.
Cost optimization: paint savings and lower rework rates.
Digital traceability: Every application is logged and auditable.
The embedded AI adapts in real time based on paint type, part geometry, temperature, and humidity—powered by real-world data from the Renault network.
Designed for Renault-certified workshops, it is fully compatible with existing infrastructure but also flexible enough for multi-brand body shops seeking innovation.
Environmentally, the solution aligns with Renault’s CSR policy: fewer VOC emissions, less waste, optimized energy use, and extended equipment lifespan.
The Ixell Paint Assistant marks the beginning of a new era for bodywork automation—human-centric, intelligent, and future-ready.
Original equipment
Hydrogen Injection System - DELPHI
PHINIA has developed a new generation of injectors (DI-CHG10 and DI-CHG15) capable of powering engines up to 90 kW per cylinder. These injectors ensure clean, efficient, and safe combustion. Tests on a gasoline engine converted to hydrogen have shown remarkable results: zero CO₂ emissions, very low NOx emissions, and an almost complete absence of carbon particles.
The system is based on a common rail and direct or indirect injectors operating at pressures from 2 to 300 bars. It relies on an intelligent engine control system combining existing software with hydrogen-specific modules to ensure optimal injection and combustion management.
Adaptable to many sectors (light and heavy vehicles, LCVs, HGVs, construction equipment, agriculture, marine, light aviation, energy production), this solution integrates easily into existing engines.
This technology, developed at PHINIA sites in Blois (France), Gillingham (UK), and Luxembourg, has already proven itself in road tests with the city of Blois’ trucks. It also powers Alpine’s Alpenglow HY6 concept car and is part of ongoing concrete projects with other globally renowned automakers.
PHINIA acts as a complete solutions provider, offering individual components or turnkey systems. Hydrogen thus becomes a credible, efficient, and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Lubricants, vehicle care products, washing, roadside services
Quartz EV3R concept - ELF
Regenerated base oil is used oil that has regained its original properties through a high-tech purification process. This allows it to be given a second life in the production of new lubricants, thereby contributing to waste reuse and limiting the use of fossil-based raw materials—actively enhancing the circularity of lubricants.
As the result of a cutting-edge formulation incorporating 100% regenerated base oil, our first product, Quartz EV3R 10W-40, achieves a 50% reduction in carbon footprint compared to its counterpart formulated with virgin base oil, while delivering identical performance to a conventional engine oil.
The performance of Quartz EV3R 10W-40 has been officially approved by major automakers such as Stellantis, Renault, and Volkswagen, making it the very first lubricant with regenerated base oils to receive such certifications. This demonstrates that performance and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
This first step marks the beginning of a strong commitment, with more pioneering products in this innovative range coming soon.
Garage tooling and equipment
MAIA - MAHA France
MAIA boosts efficiency in workshops and test centres, reduces manual workloads and enables standardised, repeatable inspections, facilitating a significant improvement in testing accuracy – a notable contribution to road safety. At the same time, its seamless integration into digital management systems enables optimised process management and substantial time and cost savings.
MAIA’s modular architecture can be adapted flexibly to an extensive range of different inspection requirements. The advanced sensor head combines 3D and 2D cameras, radar antennas, slit cameras and laser and thermal imaging sensors for detailed vehicle analysis. This is coupled with a precision 6-axle robot arm and low-noise direct drive system, which facilitates precision movement sequences.
MAIA is setting new standards in the aftermarket with its ability to adapt to future vehicle technologies. It also actively fosters sustainability and the conservation of resources by optimising inspection processes and reducing the amount of physical materials used.
Parts, equipment and components for after-sales
Dual clutch DQ250 remanufactured - VALEO
Country of origin: Poland
Date of launch: 01/01/2025
New product presented before its public launch: No
Valeo, a key player in transmissions, innovates in the circular economy for spare parts and for different types of transmissions.
The DQ250 dual clutch remanufactured by Valeo is the latest innovation in 2025 to complete the existing offer.
To give a second life to the dual clutch, Valeo has applied a rigorous industrial process: After disassembling and cleaning the old material, each component is analyzed and verified with Valeo specifications. Components that do not pass the tests are repaired or replaced with new ones. The dual clutch is then reassembled and systematically tested at the end of the line to ensure performance in line with a new part.
Compared to a new dual clutch, choosing a remanufactured product offers both an economical and reliable option for spare parts while preserving the natural resources needed to assemble a new part and avoiding the creation of waste that would need to be processed.
Tyres: products and solutions
ScanDrive - CAROOL
Country of origin: France
Date of launch: 01/10/2025
New product presented before its public launch: No
This innovative bench can be installed at the entrance to a dealership or a car centre, without any major work. When a vehicle passes over it, the system instantly analyses the wear and characteristics of the tyres. Using high-precision side cameras and sensors integrated into the ground (measuring punches), it identifies :
The rate of tyre wear
Exact dimensions and references
The make and model fitted
Designed for outdoor use, this bench is robust, self-contained and easy to install without any special foundations. It is a highly effective tool for automating checks at the entrance to a site, identifying sales opportunities and improving the customer experience.
Key benefits:
Quick to install, no civil engineering required
Can be used outdoors, all year round
Low running costs
Rapid return on investment for dealerships and car centres
Digital solutions and connectivity
ZF [pro]Manager - ZF AFTERMARKET
Country of origin: Germany
Date of launch: 01/04/2025
New product presented before its public launch: No
The Future-Proof Workshop Communication Hub
ZF [pro]Manager is a workshop communication hub that helps workshops organize better, become more digital, and save time and hassle for everyone. Workshop owners gain more control over their business, mechanics can focus on repairs, and customers enjoy a smooth and transparent service.
ZF [pro]Manager gives workshop customers the convenience they expect with a built-in easy-to-install website booking widget. When customers book a repair, it instantly syncs with the ZF [pro]Manager application, keeping workshop schedules up-to-date and eliminating double bookings. Plus, it easily connects to other platforms and fleet management systems.
All-in-One Digital Toolkit for Workshop Success
ZF [pro]Manager offers features to tackle everyday workshop challenges:
Communication
– Automatic repair updates for customers
– Messaging across all channels, including an integration with WhatsApp, SMS, and email
– Digital customer portal
Digital booking
– Integration with ‘Reserve with Google’ service
– Online booking
– External workshop calendar integration
Repair management
– Built-in workshop calendar
– Managing repair flow
– Workflow management
-Customer approvals on quotes
=> ZF [pro]Manager brings efficiency where it counts and loyalty where it pays.
Energy transition, sustainable development and circular economy
Manufacturing offer for electric vehicles (electric engine and power electronics) - THE FUTURE IS NEUTRAL
Country of origin: France
Date of launch: 05/11/2024
New product presented before its public launch: No
The electric motor remanufacturing offer applies to the 5AX generation of Renault vehicles: Zoé, Kangoo, Twingo, and Master. The remanufactured parts include the housing, rotor, and stator. Thanks to our expertise in reverse engineering, we are able to remanufacture as much as 99% of the total mass of an electric engine, while ensuring equivalent quality and reliability.
To complement our offering for electric vehicles, we also provide a remanufactured Power Electronic Controller (PEC), a key component of the powertrain that manages energy supply to the motor, battery charging, and the reducer. The remanufactured PEC components include: the AC capacitor, input filter, housing, DCDC converter, DC capacitor, and inverter.
Thanks to systematic testing performed on 100% of our products, we guarantee “as good as new” quality.
THE REMAKERS is a company of The Future Is NEUTRAL, a key player in the 360° circular economy in the automotive sector. Based at the ReFactory in Flins, the company integrates dedicated logistics and quality services, in compliance with manufacturer standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certifications).
Special CSR Award
Hydrogen Injection System - DELPHI
Date of launch: 01/01/2024
New product presented before its public launch:No
PHINIA has developed a new generation of injectors (DI-CHG10 and DI-CHG15) capable of powering engines up to 90 kW per cylinder. These injectors ensure clean, efficient, and safe combustion. Tests on a gasoline engine converted to hydrogen have shown remarkable results: zero CO₂ emissions, very low NOx emissions, and an almost complete absence of carbon particles.
The system is based on a common rail and direct or indirect injectors operating at pressures from 2 to 300 bars. It relies on an intelligent engine control system combining existing software with hydrogen-specific modules to ensure optimal injection and combustion management.
Adaptable to many sectors (light and heavy vehicles, LCVs, HGVs, construction equipment, agriculture, marine, light aviation, energy production), this solution integrates easily into existing engines.
This technology, developed at PHINIA sites in Blois (France), Gillingham (UK), and Luxembourg, has already proven itself in road tests with the city of Blois’ trucks. It also powers Alpine’s Alpenglow HY6 concept car and is part of ongoing concrete projects with other globally renowned automakers.
PHINIA acts as a complete solutions provider, offering individual components or turnkey systems. Hydrogen thus becomes a credible, efficient, and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Stamps lauréats
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