Energy transition at the engine symposium

Energy transition at the engine symposium

One of the big topics at this year's International Vienna Motor Symposium was the energy transition and its consequences for the automotive industry. The fact is: The issue of sustainability represents an ongoing challenge for the industry. Volkswagen Group board member Thomas Schmall, Executive Vice President of Robert Bosch GmbH Thomas Pauer, Hyundai Mobis CEO Sung-hwan Cho and Bernhard Geringer, head of the Institute for Drivetrains and Vehicle Technology at the Vienna University of Technology and chairman of the Austrian Association for Automotive Technology (ÖVK), spoke about the challenge of climate neutrality. “We will need all technological options that bring us closer to this goal, and we should not prematurely rule out individual technologies and solutions,” emphasized Thomas Pauer, and continued: “Climate-neutral mobility is possible – provided we manage to expand the corresponding infrastructure quickly and on a large scale.”

The powertrain and vehicle industry has already taken important steps towards sustainability by developing and using alternatives to fossil fuels. Bernhard Geringer, organizer of the International Vienna Motor Symposium, said: "It is wrong to assume that electric vehicles are the answer when it comes to sustainable transformation. An electric car with a battery generated from coal-fired electricity and an electric motor powered by coal-fired electricity will have a greater impact on the environment than any gasoline engine." Geringer brings other solutions into play: “A fuel cell drive or an internal combustion engine that is operated with e-fuels made from green hydrogen has a similar climate footprint as a green electricity vehicle.” Hyundai Mobi's CEO Sung-hwan Cho emphasized that innovation is crucial to improving people's value and quality of life: "Mobility technology is an important key to helping solve universal problems such as climate change, urban overpopulation and aging populations."

Thomas Schmall, Chief Technology Officer of the Volkswagen Group, announced: "Our goal for the future is to be the technology leader in e-mobility. That is why we are focusing on scalability, competitive vertical integration and the further expansion of our internal competencies." The VW high-tech portfolio includes, among other things, the standard cell, which will be produced from 2025 and is intended to set new standards in battery technology. Around 1,000 automotive experts from all over the world took part in the conference in Vienna. More than 80 speakers discussed topics such as the co-existence of the various drive systems electric motors, fuel cells and combustion engines as well as the energy sources e-fuels, hydrogen and electricity. A series of lectures discussed storage systems such as batteries and hydrogen solutions. The top-class lecture program was accompanied by a specialist exhibition at which the latest technologies and developments from automobile manufacturers and suppliers were presented.