The automotive industry will gather in Vienna from April 22-24, 2026, for the 47th International Vienna Motor Symposium, as different regions pursue contrasting approaches to vehicle emissions and climate targets.
While North American countries emphasize continued use of gasoline and diesel, the European Union remains divided between electric-only policies and technology-neutral strategies. Host Prof. Bernhard Geringer of TU Vienna identifies technology-neutral balance as a point of consensus, with solutions varying by region, raw material availability, and application.
The symposium will feature approximately 100 presentations from scientists, developers, and suppliers across more than 20 countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Italy, Japan, Canada, Korea, Sweden, and Turkey.
Four industry figures will open the event:
- Prof. Stefan Pischinger, FEV Chairman, on drive systems and CO2 fleet targets
- Matthias Zink, Schaeffler Executive Board member and CLEPA President, on European challenges
- Ruiping Wang, Aurobay Technologies CEO, on hybrid systems and green fuels
- Niklas Klingenberg, TRATON Group CEO, on powertrain futures
Technology Announcements
AVL and Chery will unveil a hybrid petrol engine achieving 48% efficiency for range extenders. Toyota will present a plug-in hybrid system, while VW and BMW will showcase their latest hybrid and battery-electric technologies respectively.
Tata will introduce its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine family. Audi will present a V6 TDI combining diesel technology with hybrid powertrains, and Mercedes will show the OM 656 Evo inline six-cylinder diesel.
Porsche will debut a hybridised bi-turbo six-cylinder boxer for the 911 Turbo S. Mahle will present a V12 hybrid powertrain for hypercar applications, and Lamborghini will showcase its hybrid system for the Temerario GT3.
Hydrogen and Software
Cummins will present a hydrogen combustion engine for heavy-duty applications. FAW Group will address hydrogen technology for commercial vehicles, while AVL and Scania will demonstrate an H2 high-pressure direct injection system targeting 60% efficiency.
AVL will also introduce Copper Car, a software regression test for electric vehicle high-voltage systems.
Philippe Krief, Alpine-Renault CEO, will discuss electric sports car development. Audi CTO Geoffrey Bouqout will address AI's role in automotive transformation.
Registration opens January 14, 2026, at wiener-motorensymposium.at.