Alliance For The Development Of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems

Lear Corporation (Southfield, Michigan/USA) and Beru (Ludwigsburg/Germany) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly design and develop Tyre Pressure Monitoring systems for the global automotive market. Under this strategic partnership, the two companies will develop Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems that will relay information to drivers through the electronic architecture used for the Remote Keyless Entry System. The joint venture will combine Lear’s capabilities as the North American leader in Remote Keyless Entry Systems with that of Beru, the market leader in Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems in Europe.

”This strategic partnership makes sense from a technological standpoint because both Remote Keyless Entry System and Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems currently operate on radio-frequency signals” said D. William Pumphrey, President of the Lear Electronics and Electrical Division. “This partnership is especially important in North America because the recently amended United States Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act will require tyre pressure warning systems on all new vehicles by 2003.

So this is an excellent growth opportunity for both companies”. As part of the agreement, Lear will apply Beru’s tyre pressure monitoring technologies and product portfolio. In return Beru will have a preferred relationship with Lear and the opportunity to design and sell the Beru products that are fully integrated with the vehicle`s body electronics and Remote Keyless Entry systems.

“This agreement will be advantagous for both partners. It will broaden Beru’s access to the US market for tyre pressure monitoring systems and accelerate its penetration with the Beru sensor-based technology” explains Ulrich Ruetz, chairman and CEO of Beru Group. Beru has been supplying tyre pressure monitoring systems for five years.

The company’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is currently available on BMW Group’s 3-,5- and 7-series, the X5 SUV, on most Daimler models as well as the Volkswagen Group’s Audi A6, A8 and Quattro Sedans. Beru Group is the leading manufacturer of diesel cold start technology with an estimated world-wide market share of 40%. In the field of ignition technology for gasoline engines Beru is one of the four major players in Europe.

The company has been strongly expanding ist business in the development and production of car electronics and sensor-based automotive systems. Lear Corp., a Fortune 150 Company, focuses on automotive interiors and electronics and is the world’s fifth largest automotive supplier.

Sales in 2000 were $ 14.1 billion. The company’s world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by approxemately 120,000 employees in more than 300 facilities located in 32 countries.