Vienna Motor Symposium 2026 (1) Climate Targets in Mobility – Quo Vadis?

Key insights from the opening plenary session featuring FEV, TRATON, Hyundai, and Geely

2026/05/29

Summary
Future of Powertrain under Consideration of CO₂ Fleet Targets (FEV)
The Future of TRATON’s Powertrain in a Changing Global Environment (TRATON)
Reinventing Powertrain of Hyundai: Driven by Legacy, Innovating with Humility (Hyundai)
Powertrain Innovation & Transformation (Geely)
Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Summary

Official event logo with photo of the venue at the Hofburg in Vienna, Austria (47th International Vienna Motor Symposium, organized by the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and the Institute for Powertrains and Automotive Technology (IFA), Vienna University of Technology; Logo: © Copyright ÖVK/Klaus Ranger)

The 47th International Vienna Motor Symposium, organized by the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK), was held from April 22 to 24, 2026, as is tradition, at the Hofburg in Vienna, Austria. Widely regarded as Europe’s most prestigious conference on powertrain technologies, the symposium once again served as a high-level international forum for discussing the future of sustainable mobility.

The event attracted over 1,000 participants from more than 20 automotive nations, with nearly 100 speakers from industry and academia presenting developments across multiple vehicle and transport segments. Almost half of the presentations were delivered by OEMs, marking the highest level of manufacturer participation to date.

The lectures addressed key aspects of powertrain and vehicle technology, including hybrid, battery-electric and electrified drivetrains, advanced and hydrogen-based combustion concepts, alternative and renewable fuels, energy storage and charging systems, regulatory frameworks, and software-defined vehicle architectures.

The full agenda of lectures can be viewed on the official website (https://wiener-motorensymposium.at/en/programme/technical-programme) and the conference documents – also for previous symposia - can be ordered here (https://wiener-motorensymposium.at/en/conference-documents).

For the first time, the Vienna Motor Symposium was preceded by the Forum on Powertrain for Sustainable Mobility, held on the afternoon before the official opening. Organized jointly by the Austrian Society for Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and China SAE, the forum provided a high-level platform for international exchange between leading Chinese and European automotive stakeholders. The program focused on sustainable powertrain strategies, regulatory frameworks, and market-specific solutions, including an in-depth interpretation of China’s Technology Roadmap 3.0 and benchmarking against European CO₂ regulations. Through keynote presentations, technical contributions from industry leaders, and a concluding panel discussion, the forum highlighted the growing importance of global cooperation in shaping future powertrain technologies and added a strong international dimension to the symposium.

In parallel with the conference program, the accompanying exhibition provided detailed insights into state-of-the-art automotive technologies, while outdoor vehicle demonstrations provided the opportunity to assess advanced powertrain and vehicle systems under real-world conditions through test drives.

Test vehicles at the entrance of the venue (47th International Vienna Motor Symposium, organized by the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and the Institute for Powertrains and Automotive Technology (IFA), Vienna University of Technology; Photo: Copyright © MarkLines Co., Ltd. All rights reserved)

In keeping with tradition, the event was once again opened with a fanfare from George Friedrich Händel's “Water Music” by five members of the Vienna University of Technology Orchestra.

In his opening address, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Geringer, President of the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK), focused on the global energy policy challenge, intensified by geopolitical conflicts, stressing that secure and sufficient energy supply has become a critical issue alongside climate protection. He cautioned against relying on targets and deadlines alone, arguing that energy transformation requires long-term, implementable strategies rather than expectations of rapid solutions.

Prof. Geringer emphasized the need to diversify primary energy sources, pointing out that electricity currently represents only 20–30% of total energy consumption, and warned that an overemphasis on electrification risks neglecting other essential climate-neutral options.

In addition to electricity, he highlighted the importance of hydrogen, synthetic fuels and their derivatives, bioenergy, and other greenhouse-gas-neutral energy carriers, calling for an integrated, technology-neutral policy framework that simultaneously ensures sustainability, energy security, and industrial feasibility.

This event report is split in three parts. This is part one, which summarizes the key notes of the plenary opening session. Part two will cover an outline of the plenary closing session. And part three will dive into a selection of technical lectures.

The opening plenary session underscored the global and multifaceted nature of the transformation of powertrain technologies, with speakers from China, Europe, and Korea emphasizing the need for diversified and resilient technology strategies.

Speakers of the opening plenary session from left to right: Niklas Klingenberg (TRATON), Stefan Pischinger (FEV), Donghee Han (Hyundai), Ruiping Wang (Geely) and moderator: Bernhard Geringer (ÖVK): (47th International Vienna Motor Symposium, organized by the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers (ÖVK) and the Institute for Powertrains and Automotive Technology (IFA), Vienna University of Technology; Photo: Copyright © ÖVK/Klaus Ranger)

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