While the plenary opening session of the 45^th International Vienna Motor Symposium primarily deals with the topic of renewable energy supply, the plenary closing session has the motto “New solutions for powertrains of the future”.

The transformation process not only affects the drive systems, but also the companies themselves. Global engineering companies, such as AVL List GmbH from Graz, must strategically realign themselves. Prof. Helmut List will report on this transformation process.

The agricultural and construction machinery sector is also facing severe changes. CNH Industrial is one of the major global companies in this area. Friedrich Eichler from CNH Industrial, will report on current and future tailor-made solutions for powertrain, ecosystem, and precision technologies. A practical example, a Steyr tractor with fuel cell drive, will also be on display in the exhibition. This research and funding project from the Austrian government's climate and energy fund KLIEN was realized in collaboration with several partners by the Institute of Powertrains and Automotive Technology, TU Vienna.

The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of automobiles and commercial vehicles. Michael Steiner from Volkswagen AG will present the transformation of a company with a wide range of brands and business areas into a new age of mobility to the participants of the International Vienna Motor Symposium.

Next to the major topics of energy scarcity and emission-free powertrains, autonomous driving is an important pillar in the debate on future mobility. On this year's 45^th anniversary, the International Vienna Motor Symposium taking place from April 24^th to 26^th will focus on autonomous vehicles in collaboration with "The Autonomous", founded by TTTech Auto in 2019, in an effort to identify the remaining challenges to getting these on the road safely.

"The latest events and accidents demonstrate that individual approaches in autonomous driving are not fully developed yet. There is, however, an urgent need to address future-proof mobility concepts with innovations and useful projects", says Bernhard Geringer, Chairman of the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and organiser of the International Vienna Motor Symposium. "The purpose of the symposium is not just to bring the urgent energy debate and the impact of energy sources on future powertrains to the limelight, but to also provide room for autonomous driving. Together with the experts of TTTech Auto and The Autonomous, we intend to discuss the current challenges and latest technologies with our expert audience.
^{_{Foto: © Olivier Le Moal – stock.adobe.com}}

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“Energy First” is this year´s motto of the opening plenary session at the 45th International Vienna Motor Symposium.

The energy transition to a complete defossilization requires enormous efforts; today only 15% of energy consumption worldwide comes from renewable sources, most of the rest is from fossil sources - oil, coal, and natural gas, 5% comes from nuclear energy and is therefore at least without CO₂.
The generation of all required primary energy from renewable sources in Europe is an illusion, which means that energy imports will still be necessary in the future. In the world's energy-rich zones, the yield of renewable energy per given area is around three times that of good locations in Europe. To get this energy to consumer markets, it will be necessary to convert it into chemical energy and thus make it transportable. What possibilities exist will be shown by well-known experts in numerous lectures at the Vienna Motor Symposium.

A range of technologies are available to convert the energy into propulsion energy for different vehicle classes, from hydrogen or methanol combustion in engines to fuel cells and conversion back into electricity and its use in battery-electric vehicles.

Rebecca Yates from BP and Karl Rose, global energy expert, will present paths to climate neutrality and their impact on mobility and fuels of the future. Ruiping Wang and Arnd Franz, from the leading suppliers Aurobay and MAHLE, will discuss the strategic implementation of the powertrain transition in their companies.

_{Foto Energiewende: © Coloures-Pic – stock.adobe.com}

In the context of a press conference, Bernhard Geringer, president of the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and organizer of the symposium, offered a foretaste of the highlights of the 45^th International Vienna Motor Symposium. Uwe Dieter Grebe, Executive Vice President at AVL List GmbH, Graz, and Arnd Franz, CEO of the MAHLE Group, Stuttgart, explained how important technology competition is for the entire industry and what role hydrogen will play in the mobility network.

For Uwe Grebe, “electric drives will play a significant part in the mobility system in the future. Nevertheless, we must remain technology-neutral, as there are different regulatory requirements around the world. A sustainable energy economy requires the storage and transport of large amounts of energy. This can only happen over long distances with the help of molecules – this means chemical storage. We have to think about the correct allocation of energy sources to all primary energy users.”

Hydrogen is part of the future, adds Bernhard Geringer. It allows emission-free mobility, for example in combination with fuel cells, but is also an interesting storage device for green electricity that can be transported over long distances: “Whether on the Le Mans race track or in heavy commercial vehicles, many areas of application for this alternative fuel are currently being tested.”

“We need competition between ideas and technologies,” emphasizes Arnd Franz. “In addition to electromobility, sustainable fuels are becoming an important energy source for the transport sector. That's why we have to continue to advance the development of the associated infrastructure and drive systems." Franz points to the importance of the International Vienna Motor Symposium, which has been a meeting place for board members and executives from all over the world as well as leading research institutions for 45 years. Geringer says: “Green electricity competes against green hydrogen and synthetic fuels from renewable energy. The race is wide open and it is becoming increasingly clear that there will not be single solution.”

For the first time, the focus is on autonomous driving
But it's not just the drive and energy supply that will move the experts at the symposium, but also autonomous driving, says Geringer. He was able to win the internationally renowned company TTTech Auto GmbH, Vienna, as a new partner of the symposium and known for its “The Autonomous” event in Vienna. Stefan Poledna, Head of Technology at TTTech Auto GmbH, will discuss the opportunities and challenges of autonomous driving with well-known experts for the first time this year as part of a panel discussion during the symposium.