Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG Receives AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award

Kautex Textron GmbH & Co., KG (Kautex), a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company,
announced it has received an AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award from the Center of
Automotive Management (CAM) and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) for its
Allegro Premium cleaning system – a software-controlled cleaning system for
autonomous drive and Advanced Driver-Assisted Systems (ADAS)–equipped
vehicles. After an extensive study conducted by CAM and PWC, Kautex was
selected from a pool of about 400 suppliers to receive this prestigious
award. The award ceremony was held during PWC’s Digital Automotive Talk held
in July in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kautex’s Allegro Premium cleaning system is rooted in Kautex Clear Vision
Systems’ (CVS) existing expertise in cleaning system hardware. Allegro
Premium combines this capability with software designed to identify the best
cleaning strategy depending on the travel conditions and the obstruction on
the sensor. The system considers specific cleaning conditions such as speed,
weather, temperature, dirt or debris, to instantly determine the proper
cleaning function. Allegro Premium also offers additional benefits including
predictive features, reduced weight, improved water efficiency and product
durability, and flexible designs based on the customer’s input. The result
is an enhanced cleaning system that helps ensure the availability of
assistance systems in all weather conditions, improving vehicle performance
and safety for the passengers.

“As we move to more advanced levels of autonomous driving, the need for
sensor cleaning becomes more evident, as any debris on the sensor will
impact the sensors’ performance – and ultimately, the performance of the
vehicle,” said Javier Bayod, vice president of Kautex CVS. “Our team has
spent a lot of time listening to customers to understand their needs and
proactively design a cleaning system that can scale with their autonomous
driving capabilities. We are very proud to be named by CAM and PWC as an
awardee of their AutomotiveINNOVATIONS award this year.”

Kautex’s development and testing programs were also considered as part of
the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS award. The team conducts extensive development and
testing under numerous system parameters and environmental conditions to
understand the best cleaning approach for each. This data is then
transferred into an algorithm that controls the cleaning system. Further
testing is conducted via their unique test bench and test chamber which
allows Kautex CVS to control, monitor and record all relevant process
parameters for a single design. The system can test the impact of specific
environmental conditions, including temperatures and vehicle speeds. The
test chamber was created in partnership with Kautex’s Innovations
department.

“In this age of disruption, innovation will ensure a company’s future
success,” said Carsten Elsasser, Kautex’s director, Innovation and Strategy.
“By working closely with our customer-facing sales and engineering teams, we
learn details about our customers’ unmet needs that we incorporate into our
testing and design. The result is an outstanding product that meets – or
exceeds – what many customers are looking for with regards to advanced
cleaning solutions.”

For 11 years, CAM and PWC have sponsored the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS awards to
seek out and recognize outstanding innovative performance by companies
within the automotive industry.

About Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG

At Kautex, we are driving the future. As a Tier One automotive supplier with
more than 30 plants in 14 countries, Kautex designs, develops and
manufactures traditional and hybrid fuel systems, advanced cleaning
solutions for assisted and autonomous driving, engine camshafts and plastic
industrial packaging solutions. A pioneer in the design and manufacture of
automotive plastic fuel systems, Kautex is expanding its portfolio to offer
smart products and data-driven services to our customers, including smart
fuel systems, thermoplastic composite and composite-metal hybrid battery
systems. From a lightweight battery system to a hybrid fuel system to
autonomous drive vehicle cleaning systems, Kautex is committed to pioneering
solutions for the era of new mobility.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network
of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers
with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world
for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen,
Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more
information, visit: www.textron.com