Automotive News Canada - August 2017 - 20

* AUGUST 2017

STRATFORD ON THE FAST
World's largest supplier of microcontrollers will build an autonomous-vehicle
test track here, saying the Ontario city is a 'fantastic partner'
By PERRY LEFKO

TORONTO CORRESPONDENT

STRATFORD, ONT. - RENESAS
Electronics, a Japan-based computer-chip maker that's heavily involved
in the automotive industry, is building
a track to do full-time testing of autonomous vehicles. The move follows initial testing last fall in Canada and the
United States.
John Buszek, senior manager
of advanced driver assistance sys-

If we need something bigger,
we might add on. We don't
really know yet.

tems (ADAS) for Renesas Electronics
America, told Automotive News
Canada that the plan is to have the
track operational by September. The
company has leased property about
100 metres by 100 metres square,
with lanes and intersections added.
Stratford - population 32,000 - is
located about 150 kilometres west of
Toronto.
"Having a set location where we
can test is an indication of the (company's) seriousness and commitment,"
Buszek said. "We'll start with that,
and if we need something bigger we
might add on. We don't really know
yet.
"We might be able to go straight
to city streets. It's one of those things
where we have a bit of a roadmap, but
the progress of the testing will dictate
when things actually happen."
Renesas, the world's largest supplier of microcontrollers, bottlenecked
much of the auto industry when its
plant was damaged by the 2011 earthquake in Japan. Now recovered from
the disaster, it is targeting expansion
by improving the speed and energy
efficiency of chips for autonomous
driving and ADAS.
Last September, Renesas bought
U.S. microchip maker Intersil Corp.
for US $3.2 billion. Intersil, of Milpitas,
Calif., makes chips that manage energy use and convert analog signals to
digital ones, which are key capabil-

ABOUT RENESAS ELECTRONICS
* Renesas takes its name from the word renaissance.
* The MKZ autonomous car was a collaborative effort between Renesas and
its partners, which included AutonomouStuff, Cogent Embedded, PolySync,
NewFoundry, eTrans and Canadian companies QNX, LedderTech and the
University of Waterloo Centre of Automotive Research (WATCAR).
* Renesas engineers and students from WATCAR test drove the car in Stratford.
* Renesas engineers showcased the car to automotive customers and members
of the media in Las Vegas, Nev.
* As part of the testing, the system immediately shuts down if the driver touches the steering wheel, brake or throttle. The driver would do this if the car didn't
immediately sense a situation or problem.
* The algorithms for controlling the vehicle, making driving decisions, looking
at the total environment and fusing all the sensors together was written by
WATCAR students.
ities in Renesas's drive into autonomous vehicles and ADAS, company
officials have said.

TESTED IN STRATFORD
In January, Renesas showcased a
Lincoln MKZ autonomous sedan at its
Advanced and Autonomous test track
in Las Vegas, Nev., in conjunction
with the CES technology expo. The car

JOHN BUSZEK

Senior manager, advanced driver assistance
systems, Renesas Electronics America

OTHER AUTONOMOUS TESTING
* The Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA)
demonstration zone project is totally separate from the
Renesas autonomous car project.
* Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson said street testing of
autonomous vehicles in his city likely won't happen for at
least two years because infrastructure needs to be determined, such as what kind of data collectors and safety
precautions will be put in place.
* APMA President Flavio Volpe said THE association has
made a commitment to upgrade the city's public communications infrastructure.
* While Toyota has supplied the APMA with two vehicles for
demonstration purposes, Volpe said this is not a Toyota
Lexus initiative and other automakers are planning to be a
part of it.
* The APMA project is budgeted for 20 cars over the course
of the Ontario Provincial five-year Autonomous Vehicle
Innovation Network program, but Volpe said other companies could join in with their own demonstration vehicles

Key to Renesas's growth is its
US $3.2 billion acquisition last year of
California-based Intersil, a producer
of components used in infotainment
systems and head-up displays.
(PHOTO: RENESAS)

was tested at a Stratford parking lot
from October to December 2016.
Following simulated testing at
the University of Waterloo Centre of
Automotive Research, in Waterloo,
Ont., Renesas was looking for a nearby
location to do road testing in advance
of the January demonstrations in Las
Vegas.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - August 2017