The future of mobility

The future of mobility

The 40th International Vienna Motor Symposium was the first in which more lectures were given on electric or partially electric drives than on the previously dominant internal combustion engines. “The automotive industry scenarios extend up to 2050 and even beyond, when renewable and climate-neutral energy sources will enable a complete move away from fossil fuels,” summarizes Bernhard Geringer, head of the Institute for Vehicle Drives and Automotive Technology at the Vienna University of Technology and head of the engine symposium, after the two-day intensive consultations with 47 specialist lectures and expert discussions. In his opinion, renewable fuels have a very special appeal because they can be used to convert both existing and new vehicles to be greenhouse gas-free. The expert also predicts that diesel vehicles will soon be as clean as gasoline engines. However, new technologies should be assessed more critically than previously thought: autonomous driving is coming - but not as quickly as hoped and it will be more expensive than expected. "The future of mobility will be diverse and remains exciting. The development is only at the beginning - there is no end in sight," sums up Geringer, who organized and led the symposium together with its founder Hans Peter Lenz.