Vienna Motor Symposium 2026 (3) Powertrain Technology Diversification
Technical Lectures from Porsche, Volkswagen, AVL/Chery, and Audi
Introduction
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 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.
This event report is split in three parts. Part one covers an outline of the plenary opening session. And part two summarizes the keynotes of the plenary closing session.
This is part three, which dives into a selection of technical lectures:
| Title | Speaker | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Electric Drives | ||
| Battery Technology of the New All-Electric Porsche Cayenne | Dr. Benjamin Passenberg | Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG |
| Development and Application of a High Efficiency EDU - >94% Average Cycle Efficiency and Cost-Effective Drive Train | Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Meister Dr. Zhifu Zhang |
AVL List GmbH ACTECO company of Chery Auto Group |
| Hybrid Powertrains | ||
| The all-new Volkswagen HYBRID | Dr.-Ing. Jörg Theobald | Volkswagen AG |
| New Internal Combustion Engines | ||
| The New Audi V6 TDI - Modern TDI Engine Technology in Combination with a Powerful Hybrid Drivetrain | Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Florian Kremer | Audi AG |
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