VDA’s 12th Technical Congress in Ludwigsburg on 24 to 25 March 2010
Automotive development officers discuss electric mobility at Europe’s most important technology congress
Extensive talks on vehicle safety, electronics, environment and energy
Berlin, 11 March 2010. "The VDA’s 12th Technical Congress presents topics that are more up-to-date than ever: for the first time the development officers of our manufacturing companies will meet with representatives from the energy sector and suppliers to discuss the progress in and prospects for electric mobility. Furthermore, the two major areas of technology for the automotive industry – ‘Vehicle safety and electronics’ and ‘Environment and energy’ – will be covered in detail at the two-day congress,” stressed Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). He was speaking in the run-up to the VDA’s 12th Technical Congress, which will be held in Ludwigsburg on 24 and 25 March 2010. It is Europe’s most important technology symposium and will be attended by over 400 guests from Germany and abroad.
The Technical Congress will open on 24 March with an introduction to the topics from the VDA president, followed by Dr. Bernd Bohr, member of the Board of Management at Robert Bosch GmbH, speaking to the plenary on "Innovations in the transmission for sustainable mobility.” Prof. Raymond Freymann, Managing Director of BMW Group Research and Technology, will turn his attention to "Networked vehicles” and "Safe and intelligent mobility” (SIM TD). Then parallel sessions will be held on "Vehicle technology and electronics” and "Environment and energy,” focusing on the varying vehicle safety requirements in the EU, the US and Japan. Prof. Uwe Grebe from GM/Opel will give a talk on "Efficient powertrain systems for the year 2020,” and BMW’s contribution entitled "Efficient Dynamics 2020” will also examine the prospects for the next ten years of automotive development. And experts from Audi will speak on "Car-2-X communication.”
Dr. Volker Hargutt of the University of Würzburg will dedicate his presentation to "Driver fatigue,” the associated risk of accidents, and appropriate countermeasures. In addition, the latest findings from the joint project "Van safety” will be presented by the German Federal Highway Research Institute, the German inspection organization Dekra, the research institute UDV and the VDA, as will the challenges arising from future EU CO2 regulations for vans. On the first day of the congress experts from MAN will consider what fuel savings – and thus CO2 reductions – can be achieved in commercial vehicles using innovative design solutions.
On the morning of 25 March, the first ever plenary session on "Electric mobility” will be held with high-ranking representatives of the automotive industry. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management at Daimler AG, with responsibility for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, will speak on "Individual mobility – how are we moving into the future?” Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Brand, with responsibility for ‘Development,’ will describe "Forward-looking vehicle technologies” of the VW Group; Dr. Rolf Martin Schmitz, Member of the Executive Board of RWE AG, will tackle the question of "Multi-sector cooperation” in electric mobility; and Didier Miraton, Managing Partner at the Michelin Group, will talk about the "Joint development of tires and running gear” with a significant "answer to the challenges of future mobility.” Sam Burman, Senior Vice President of IVECO SpA, will speak about "E-mobility for commercial vehicles,” before the final expert discussion round chaired by VDA President Wissmann.
The afternoon of the second congress day will also offer a full program. The events will cover the topics of "Driver assistance systems and integral safety functions,” the future EU regulations in the field of vehicle safety, "Anticipatory occupant protection,” and vehicle safety of the future (including the freeways). Experts from Daimler AG will present "PRE-SAFE Pulse” that can help increase occupant protection by acting before an accident occurs.
The sessions on the environment will be concerned with the future development of urban air quality in relation to nitrogen oxide and the questions of whether environmental protection zones do in fact improve the air quality and the efficiency of such municipal measures. The tasks for the electricity sector associated with renewable energies and electric mobility will be a subject for the specialists from EnBW, while Dr. Jörg Adolf of Shell will investigate the "trio” of "Powertrain, fuels and vehicles” and its influence on the sustainable automotive mobility of tomorrow. To finish off the day’s events, we will look further into the future: what will the state of technology and market penetration by electrical batteries be in the year 2030? This will be considered by specialists from Continental AG.
The VDA’s 12th Technical congress will take place on 24 to 25 March 2010 in Ludwigsburg, at the Forum am Schlosspark, Stuttgarter Strasse 33, D-71638 Ludwigsburg. In addition to the lectures and sessions, there will also be an extensive exhibition covering the whole range of topics at the symposium. It will showcase the latest safety and exhaust emissions systems along with services and numerous vehicles with electric powertrains, ranging from passenger cars to trucks and buses.
The congress program can be downloaded from the internet at: www.vda.de. Representatives of the media may attend free of charge.
