Infineon hosts first ever Sustainable Performance Summit
Infineon Raceway hosted its first sustainable performance summit, bringing together innovators and thought-leaders from a variety of fields, including the business, engineering and research communities to discuss sustainable automotive development. The racetrack has taken an active role in sustainability and has recently partnered with Panasonic Corporation of North America on a solar installation (1,652 panels) that now accounts for 41-percent of the raceway’s overall energy use – a big step in the raceway’s new green performance program.
A variety of topics were discussed during the day, including the future of clean fuels and electrifying vehicles. Notable attendees at the forum included California State Assemblyman Jared Huffman, who gave one of the keynote addresses, as well as Andy Dolich, former COO of the San Francisco 49ers.
“Infineon Raceway is forward-thinking and visionary,” Huffman said. “I can’t imagine that a lot of racetracks around the country are doing this. I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
“The focus of the event was the connection between sustainability and automotive performance and we could not have asked for a more impressive array of panelists and speakers,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway, which hosted the first all-electric motorcycle race on U.S. soil in 2010. “Our industry can play a big part in showcasing these developing technologies and we intend to stay at the forefront of that effort.”
The biggest news of the event came from Emeryville-based Amyris with its EvoShield line, a family of renewably-sourced solutions designed to satisfy the most advanced lubrication challenges without compromising quality or performance. As the Official Renewable Fuels Provider of the raceway, Amyris also showcased the performance of its renewable diesel during the summit by powering a 2011 Audi Q7 TDI around the track. This demonstration marked the first on-road operation of a vehicle fueled by 100-percent Amyris renewable diesel.
Other companies represented at the summit included Panasonic Corporation of North America; PG&E, Yokohama Tire Corporation, Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., Infineon Technologies of North America and Safety-Kleen, among others. The day also included on-track demonstrations by Audi, Tesla, Nissan LEAF and the Mission R motorcycle by Mission Motors.
