Automotive Industry | Gore

Cars have always been measured by their quality, convenience and reliability. Never has that been truer than now, when “auto” is the key term in the automotive industry. Cars now feature innovations like start-stop technology, self-park, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, wireless Internet connectivity, built-in apps and much more; self-driving cars are next. The future of the automobile may well be autonomy and connectivity.

Given these trends, auto manufacturers have dueling challenges: to quickly adapt these features into their models in order to keep up with the competition, and to take the necessary steps — and choose the best suppliers — to ensure their cars are 100% reliable when they switch lanes, change speeds and back into a parking spot. 

Add these challenges to the ongoing pressures faced by auto manufacturers: 

• reduce component and vehicle weight to increase fuel mileage
• shorten and simplify design cycles to meet customer demand
• incorporate new features, like built-in apps and other technological upgrades
• limit the consumer’s price point
• above all, mitigate risks that might lead to safety problems and recalls

From gas and diesel to electric and autonomous vehicles, technological advances have made this a time of great opportunity for the auto industry. To capitalize on these opportunities and still put out reliable cars that customers can depend on, manufacturers need equally reliable suppliers.

The 2020 PACE Award “Finalist” status recognizes Gore’s technology innovations that enabled the first system to actively remove moisture from headlamps.

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Gore provides the technological acumen, deep commitment to quality and wide range of products that help Tier-1, -2 and -3 manufacturers succeed in the auto industry. Spanning solutions for venting and fuel cell components, our products are present throughout the vehicle: in lighting, electronics, sensors, motors, the powertrain and the engine. 

Our products are among the highest-performing, most reliable in the market — because we recommend and manufacture solutions that are tested, validated and approved for use. This is where technological acumen is critical to product success: If, for instance, a customer wants to protect their vehicle’s electrical system from moisture, we’ll assess every possible climate the vehicle may encounter, then develop the venting solution that will keep the system dry, wherever it travels, for the lifetime of the vehicle.

We perform several rounds of tests in our global plants so there’s never a question that our components will perform on the road. Manufacturers count on us to be problem-solvers on our end so they, and their consumers, won’t ever have a problem on theirs.

At Gore, we’re proud to supply products throughout the body of a vehicle. By delivering on our brand promise, we allow auto manufacturers to deliver on theirs.

Explore all the ways Gore technology keeps cars running and their passengers safe.

As the need for environmental responsibility grows around the globe, consumers are plugging into the benefits of electric vehicles — and so is Gore.

We support fuel cell vehicles (FCV) with MEAs (membrane electrode assemblies) and membranes. These materials facilitate the electrochemical conversion of hydrogen and oxygen into energy within the fuel stack, which makes the vehicle go.

Gore’s MEA solutions are proven to provide high power density, low material content, reliable performance and a long, dependable service life. They’re also known to improve stack life, reduce stack size and weight, operate at higher temperatures, and reduce fuel costs. As a result, nearly all of the major fuel cell system developers worldwide rely on Gore’s MEAs for their stationary, portable and transportation applications.

We began developing our fuel cell components in the 1990s. Since then, we’ve introduced major new product generations, on average, every fifteen months. Most recently, Gore technology played a critical role in the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Each fuel cell within this vehicle’s fuel stack contains a GORE-SELECT® membrane.

Gore is the worldwide leader in automotive vents for gas-powered, hybrid and electric vehicles. 

Vents serve different functions throughout the vehicle: They prevent headlamps from fogging up, increase the durability of the engine’s rapid-response control units, ensure the starter motor will actually start, and protect the undercarriage and powertrain from moisture — even when they’re submerged in an inch of water. In every case, vents serve to keep those vehicle components operating at full function for the lifetime of the vehicle.

What Gore vents do better than any other in the market is prevent liquid and particles from entering vehicle components while continually equalizing pressure despite changes in temperature. If a vehicle encounters drastically different climates, air will still flow steadily in and out of our vents, but dirt, dust, automotive fluids and other liquids won’t pass through. As a result, our vents can extend the service life of automotive components.

We first introduced these benefits to our customers in the late 1980s, when Gore brought the first automotive vents to market. In the 1990s, we introduced the first oleophobic vent, able to repel more complex liquids like oils and automotive fluids. Since then, we’ve provided vents for the biggest suppliers and manufacturers in the industry. In 2004, it was estimated that 95% of cars manufactured in Europe included at least one Gore vent.

Recently, we’ve added axle, gearbox and rear lamp vents to our portfolio. In 2013, we introduced the GORE® PolyVent Compact Series vents for automotive electronic applications, which feature a 30% smaller footprint than our standard series in an easy-to-install, snap-fit design.

Rugged and durable, our automotive vents are designed and tested to the strictest OEM and Tier-1 testing requirements, and they’re proven to perform over the normal 10- to 15-year product life cycle.