Global Automotive Leaders to Converge on Vienna for 47th International Motor Symposium

The International Vienna Motor Symposium is set to return to the Hofburg Palace from April 22 to 24, 2026, with approximately 100 specialist presentations and more than 1,000 attendees expected from more than 20 countries. Organised by the Austrian Society for Automotive Engineering (ÖVK) since 1985, the event serves as one of the world's foremost platforms for examining the direction of land, water, and air mobility technologies.

At a pre-event press briefing held in Vienna on February 17, ÖVK President Prof. Bernhard Geringer called for what he described as "technology-neutral convergence" across drive types. He stressed that no single powertrain — whether battery electric, hydrogen, hybrid, eFuels, or conventional combustion — offers a universal solution, and that the appropriate technology will vary depending on geography, raw material availability, and vehicle type.

A Complex Technology Landscape

Prof. Stefan Pischinger of RWTH Aachen University's Institute for Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems cautioned against framing the industry's challenges as a binary choice. "The discussion about drive technologies is still too often conducted as an 'either/or' debate," he said. "However, the reality of global transformation is not a binary decision, but a complex interplay of regulation, market requirements, technological maturity, and industrial implementation speed."

Prof. Pischinger, who is scheduled to present at the symposium on the future of drive systems in the context of CO₂ fleet targets, concluded: "We should not be talking about 'the' drive system of the future, but rather about a robust, resilient technology portfolio."

Supplier Industry at a Crossroads

Matthias Zink, Member of the Executive Board for Powertrain and Chassis at Schaeffler AG and President of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), acknowledged both the strength and the vulnerability of the European supply chain. He noted that European suppliers account for up to 75 percent of a vehicle's component value, support approximately 1.7 million jobs, and collectively invest some €45 billion annually in the sector.

"The industry is at a crossroads: global competition has intensified, volumes have remained low, production is being relocated, and jobs are being cut," Zink said. He welcomed the EU Commission's Automotive Package as a positive step toward reconciling climate objectives with economic and social realities, while urging manufacturers and suppliers to respond with "courage, innovation, entrepreneurship, and customer focus."

AI and Technical Highlights

Geoffrey Bouquot, Audi AG's board member for Technical Development, described artificial intelligence as "the new engine of the automotive industry," arguing that it compresses development cycles, improves efficiency and quality, and enables a new generation of personalised vehicle interfaces. He indicated that the symposium presentations would centre on a shift from physical powertrain development to scalable AI-driven systems, illustrated through concrete engineering examples.

Among the headline technical announcements expected at this year's event, Austrian technology company AVL and Chinese automaker Chery are set to unveil a new hybrid gasoline engine reported to achieve 48 percent efficiency in series production — a figure the organisers describe as a breakthrough for range extender electric vehicles. Toyota will present its next-generation plug-in hybrid system, Volkswagen will showcase its latest hybrid generation, and BMW will disclose details of its new GEN6 battery-electric drivetrain for the first time.

High-performance applications will also feature prominently. Porsche is expected to unveil a hybridised bi-turbo six-cylinder boxer engine for the new 911 Turbo S, Mahle will present a V12 hybrid powertrain targeting hypercar applications, and Lamborghini will debut its hybrid system for the Temerario GT3. In the diesel segment, Audi will introduce a new V6 TDI with hybrid integration, while Mercedes will showcase an evolution of its inline six-cylinder diesel, the OM 656 Evo.

Hydrogen and Commercial Vehicles

The symposium will give significant attention to hydrogen combustion technology, with US engine manufacturer Cummins presenting a heavy-duty hydrogen combustion engine, Chinese state automaker FAW Group revealing hydrogen solutions for decarbonising heavy commercial vehicles, and AVL — in collaboration with Scania — presenting an H2 high-pressure direct injection system claimed to achieve 60 percent efficiency.

For commercial vehicles more broadly, TRATON Group CEO Niklas Klingenberg will address the challenge of regulatory divergence: Europe's requirements currently favour electric drivetrains, hydrogen is the preferred pathway in parts of Asia, and combustion engines remain the norm in the United States. The Tata Group of India will additionally present a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine family designed for global markets.

China SAE Forum and Global Participation

In a first for the symposium's history, a dedicated "Forum for Sustainable Drive Technologies" will be held on the day prior to the official opening, organised in cooperation with China SAE, the Society of Automotive Engineers of China. The forum aims to combine the technological expertise of the Chinese and European automotive sectors, with content including an analysis of China's Technology Roadmap 3.0 and a strategic review of EU CO₂ regulatory benchmarks. Industry representatives from Great Wall Motors, AVL, and SERESPower are among those scheduled to participate.

The 47th International Vienna Motor Symposium is expected to draw visitors from Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Further information is available at wiener-motorensymposium.at.