The plans of the engine experts

The plans of the engine experts

Bernhard Geringer, emeritus TU professor and organizer of the International Vienna Motor Symposium, emphasized at the opening of the 46th summit of the global vehicle industry in the Vienna Hofburg that when assessing “Net Zero Mobility”, not only the emissions during operation, but the entire life cycle of a vehicle from raw material extraction and production to disposal must be considered. “In order to achieve the goal of defossilization, we need combined efforts and the entire physical variety of climate-neutral energy sources, including the appropriate drive technologies,” says Geringer. "Europe's industry and trade need planning security. This urgently requires reliable regulations from politicians," demanded the ÖVK chairman at the opening press conference. The current EU fleet legislation on pure vehicle greenhouse gas emissions is incorrect and should give way to an overall system approach such as in Japan. This means that climate-neutral fuels and energy-efficient drives such as range extenders (REX) also have a chance. “China is already showing us how to do this with the so-called new energy vehicles,” said the Viennese engine expert.

New powertrains

In his presentation, Horse Powertrain CEO Matias Giannini pointed out that by 2040, every second vehicle worldwide will probably be powered purely electrically. “We are also developing the drive solutions for the other half,” announced the head of the joint venture between the Chinese Geely Group, the Saudi Aramco Group and Renault, which was founded in London just a year ago. Horse Powertrain develops complete engine and transmission units for electric or hybrid drives, which can be adopted or supplemented as a modular solution by car manufacturers. Giannini explains: "There will be a billion internal combustion engines on the road by 2040. Horse Powertrain is building the missing link: hybrids, synthetic fuel combustion engines and a modular system designed for compatibility with electric and multi-fuel platforms. Our solutions streamline production and give OEMs the flexibility to adapt their powertrain strategies to the specific requirements of each market."

Mercedes becomes CO2 neutral

“We want to be CO2-neutral by 2039,” announced Torsten Eder at the engine symposium. The Vice President Electrified Drive Systems at Mercedes-Benz arrived with the brand new electric CLA and also used his presentation as a promotional event for Mercedes' current flagship model. The basis for this is the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), which scores with highly efficient electric motors, powerful NMC batteries as well as modern 48 V hybrid systems and an electric 8-speed transmission. A battery voltage of 800 volts will become the new standard for fully electric vehicles. Eder emphasizes that the CLA completed the approximately 630-kilometer route from Sindelfingen to Vienna with just one short refueling stop. A new compact axial flux electric motor is also installed in the AMG performance model, according to Eder, “the new V8 of the electric age.” But the classic combustion engine V8 will also continue to be built because customers still want to choose from a broad drive portfolio.

Electric future for trucks

Frederik Zohm, Board Member for Research & Development at MAN Trucks & Bus, emphasized in his presentation the future importance of battery-electric drives for commercial vehicles: “These currently have clear advantages over other drive concepts in terms of energy efficiency and operating and energy costs,” said Zohm. The CO2 emissions of the current MAN truck fleet amount to around 70 million tons per year, which is slightly higher than the entire CO2 emissions of Austria. By 2030, up to 90 percent of all new buses and 50 percent of all new MAN trucks should be equipped with battery-electric drives. “We are pushing forward the electrification of our vehicles very consistently,” promises Zohm.