The Pico Eco injector was specially developed to be applied in bi-fuel engines. It provides better fuel spraying during the moment of injection, improving fuel burn and consumption and decreasing engine emissions. After the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), this is the second-most technologically driven component developed by Magneti Marelli, and the one that contributes the most to the air-fuel mix inside these new engines.

"We have acquired and set up a new production line in order to meet the increased market demands, which embraced whole-heartedly our latest generation of fuel injectors, launched in early 2009. It is a proof that we must constantly and continuously invest in the evolution and development of flexfuel systems in Brazil," stated Rogerio Lessa, general manager of the Magneti Marelli Powertrain Brazilian business line.

The injector was named Pico Eco due to its low environmental impact, as it reduces fuel consumption by up to 3% and as much as 20% of the emissions in passenger vehicles. The sustainable appeal of the Pico Eco isn’t restricted to its application, as its production also follows environmentally friendly standards. "Warehouse 5", the sector of the Magneti Marelli unit in which it is produced, is the first "green building" in Brazilian auto industry. The plant was completely built without the employment of asbestos and has a number of features that make it into a sustainable building when compared to other production plants: an economy of up to 50% in energy consumption, a 20% reduction in water and compressed air consumption, toilet water recycling and solar heating system in the employees' dressing room.

Pioneering innovation in Brazil

Magneti Marelli hasbeen present in the Brazilian automotive market since 1978, initially with a share in DFV's carburetors division, operating under the name Wecarbras. Over the years operations have evolved with the development of pioneering technologies and products such as electronic carburetors, ECUs and the first electronic fuel injection system, introducing the Magneti Marelli brand into the country.

The company acquired Brazil's largest and most well-recognised shock absorber brand - Cofap, also incorporating the exhausts brand Kadron strengthening its main brand and enhancing its portfolio. The damping, suspensions and exhausts systems developed by Magneti Marelli are benchmarks in the domestic market – such as U-choose, an electronically variable shock-absorbing system for vehicle suspensions, PowerShock absorbers and the swaged tube header with integrated catalytic converter – Closed couple. Under its aftermarket business line Magneti Marelli has sold more than five million Cofab-branded shock absorbers, securing the leadership of this particular market and having the largest distribution chain of the country.

With the release of SFS (Software Flexfuel Sensor) in the early 2000s which powered the country's first flexfuel car Magneti Marelli once again revolutionised the national auto industry. Today it holds an almost 50% slice of the bi-fuel Brazilian market. Other technologies derived from SFS have also been designed, such as ECS (Ethanol Cold System), a cold start system which will come into production next year, Tetrafuel and the Pico Eco injector. Such innovative developments have earned the company several awards nationally and internationally.

Still in the powertrains area Free Choice provided a new alternative to automatic and manual transmissions: the automated manual transmission (or robotized gearbox). Currently Magneti Marelli supplies its equipment to the whole Fiat Dualogic line and the Volkswagen I-Motion series, holding almost 90% of the automatic transmission market in Brazil. The Italian group has also pioneered by presenting locally-manufactured LED lamps to Brazilian market equipping the Fiat Idea, currently the only model sporting this technology in the country.

Constant investment

In order to ensure continuous development of technological innovations, Magneti Marelli invests heavily in the sector. "Between 15% and 20% of the overall budget for research, adaptation and development of products is aimed at technological innovations: products that aren’t requests from specific car makers, but are rather innovative developments by Magneti Marelli itself developed across the board and which can be marketed by any assembler," states Virgilio Cerutti, Chief Executive of Magneti Marelli Group in the Mercosul. This influx is intended for the company’s five research and development centers located in Minas Gerais (Contagem, Itaúna e Lavras) and São Paulo (Amparo, Hortolândia, Mauá, Santo André and São Bernardo). In Brazil, Magneti Marelli is one of the top three automotive suppliers. After Italy, Brazil is Magneti Marelli’s second biggest market, in terms of revenue and number of employees, besides encompassing all of Marelli Group's business lines.

"Magneti Marelli cultivates a philosophy that promotes local innovation keeping in touch with car makers in order to listen local market’s needs and better develop its products on some key markets. The company invests in the future by investing in engineering," says Mr. Eugenio Razelli, CEO of Magneti Marelli.

Magneti Marelli, as a “tier one” supplier, works in the development of new trends, which much like its other products, have as a priority the reduction of CO2 emissions. The reality of car fleets in large cities which call for traffic fluidity and the comforts of car infotainment telematics – the combination of electronics, computers and telecommunications which provides several services and features such as entertainment, navigation, diagnostics and warnings– gave birth to the concept of Eco Driving or Eco Navigation. Besides evaluating the driving conditions of the driver this technology can suggest improvements and point out solutions to the flaws it finds which can result in up to a 20% reduction in the emission of CO2.

As for the hybrid-electric engine area, Magneti Marelli maximizes the experience acquired in Formula 1 with KERS (the Kinetic Energy Recovery System), in systems and components aimed at mass-produced hybrid and electric engines (motor generators, electronic controls systems, inverters, battery control, etc.). Specifically, three prototypes of hybrid-electric engines (electric motor generators plus built-in inverters) have been developed. These engines can deliver power of 60, 120 and 180 kilowatt, respectively, yet feature compact size (approximately 320x240x220 mm) and reduced weight (between 33 and 57 kg). 

Magneti Marelli in Brazil

Magneti Marelli has been present in Brazil since 1978, with about eight thousand employees. The company has 13 production plants and five Research and Development centers, located in Minas Gerais (Contagem, Itaúna e Lavras) and São Paulo (Amparo, Hortolândia, Mauá, Santo André and São Bernardo), as well as regional sales offices in some of Brazil’s major cities (Curitiba, Goiânia, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo). With its business units in constant expansion, the company constantly displays an increasing growth, and it ended 2010 with a 12% growth compared to the turnover attained in 2009, reaching R$ 2.4 billion.