Vienna 2026 at the center of the global automotive industry

• More than 1,000 speakers and guests from around the world are expected to attend the International Vienna Motor Symposium at the Hofburg from April 22 to 24

• Breakthrough for range extenders (REEV), hybrids, and software-defined technology

• China SAE with its own series of presentations in Vienna for the first time

The International Vienna Motor Symposium returns to Vienna’s Hofburg Palace in April with around 100 specialist presentations and over 1,000 guests from more than 20 nations. The Symposium, which has been organised by the Austrian Society for Automotive Engineering (ÖVK) since 1985, serves as a leading platform for the global automotive industry and for the advancement of land, water, and air mobility solutions. At the pre-event press briefing ÖVK President, Prof. Bernhard Geringer, called for unity across technologies as a matter of urgency. Depending on the geographical region, availability of raw materials, and type of vehicle (commercial vehicle, railway, aircraft, passenger car, or ship), he emphasized the need for a “technology-neutral convergence” between the various drive types, such as battery electric (BEV), hydrogen, hybrid, eFuels, or conventional fuels.

Considering the ongoing changes in Europe's relations with other regions such as India, China, and the US, Prof. Stefan Pischinger, head of the Institute for Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems at RWTH Aachen University, will speak at the 2026 Motor Symposium about the future of drive systems against the backdrop of CO2 fleet targets. During a press conference ahead of the symposium, he emphasized: "The discussion about drive technologies is still too often conducted as an ‘either/or’ debate. 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. The consequence for the industry is therefore clear: we should not be talking about ‘the’ drive system of the future, but rather about a robust, resilient technology portfolio."

Matthias Zink, Member of the Executive Board Powertrain & Chassis at Schaeffler AG and President of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, CLEPA, addressed journalists in Vienna on the challenges facing the supplier industry: " European automotive suppliers are strong: up to 75 percent of a vehicle’s component value is created in Europe. The sector supports around 1.7 million jobs. EU suppliers invest € 45 billion annually. Nevertheless, the industry is at a crossroads: global competition has intensified, volumes have remained low, production is being relocated, and jobs are being cut. With the Automotive Package, the EU Commission has taken an initial positive step to reconcile climate goals with economic and social realities. At the same time, manufacturers and suppliers share the responsibility to face global competition with courage, innovation, entrepreneurship, and customer focus, shaping the future of mobility – decarbonized, automated, and connected.“

AI is the driving force

Geoffrey Bouqout, board member, Technical Development at Audi AG, is closely involved with the topic of artificial intelligence as the driving force behind transformation in the automotive industry. He recently told journalists in

Vienna: “AI is the new engine of the automotive industry: It compresses development cycles, boosts efficiency and quality, and gives vehicles a brand-defining personality with a truly new level of personalized UI and UX. The focus is on the shift from physical powertrains to scalable AI systems - demonstrated by concrete, day-to-day

engineering use cases.“

Major challenges for commercial vehicle manufacturers

At April’s symposium, Niklas Klingenberg, CEO of the TRATON Group (Scania, MAN, and VW), will speak on behalf of all truck and commercial vehicle manufacturers about the “future of powertrains in a changing global environment.” For commercial vehicles in particular, the legal emissions and, in particular, CO2 regulations in the global economic areas of Europe, Asia, and America differ greatly. Whereas in the past, a basic engine with country-specific adaptations was sufficient worldwide, now an electric drive is required for Europe, a hydrogen drive for Asia, and combustion engines for America.

Hybrids are gaining importance

In her keynote speech, Ruiping Wang, CEO of Aurobay Technologies Division, part of the Chinese-European automotive supplier Horse Powertrain, will present the global perspective of a major hybrid engine and transmission supplier in her keynote speech. She will also address the need for hybrid systems and green fuels to accelerate electrification.

Breakthrough for range extenders – hybrid gasoline engine with 48% efficiency

Further highlights of the 47th International Vienna Motor Symposium: Austrian technology group AVL, together with Chinese car manufacturer Chery, will unveil a new hybrid gasoline engine that achieves 48 percent efficiency in series production, marking a “breakthrough for range extenders.”

Toyota will unveil its “next-generation hybrid system for plug-in hybrid vehicles” while VW AG will showcase its latest hybrid generation. BMW will announce details of its new “GEN6” batteryelectric drive for the first time.

Lamborghini, Mahle, and Porsche with hybridized power

An additional focus in 2026 will be on high-performance drives from Porsche, Mahle, and Lamborghini: Porsche will unveil a hybridized bi-turbo six-cylinder boxer engine for the new 911 Turbo S for the first time. Under the motto “From vision to speed,” Mahle will come to Vienna with a “V12 hybrid powertrain for ultimate performance in a hypercar,” and Lamborghini will also present its new high-performance hybrid for the Temerario GT3 super sports car.

Gasoline and diesel

The Indian Tata Group will present its new 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine family and Audi will unveil a new V6 TDI that combines modern diesel engine technology with a powerful hybrid powertrain. With its OM 656 Evo, Mercedes will showcase the “evolution of the new inline six-cylinder diesel engine”.

Hydrogen and software-defined technology

In the hydrogen combustion engines section, US manufacturer Cummins is presenting a hydrogen combustion engine for extremely high demands (“heavy duty”), while the Chinese FAW Group (First Automotive Works) will reveal hydrogen technology for decarbonizing heavy commercial vehicles, and AVL, in cooperation with Scania, is showcasing its new H2 HPDI system for “high-pressure direct injection of hydrogen as a pioneer for zero emissions and 60 percent efficiency”!

AVL is also bringing an innovation to Vienna in the field of “software-defined vehicles” (SDV): “Copper Car,” an extremely fast and informative software regression test for the high-voltage system of electric vehicles.

China SAE with its own forum for the first time

For the first time in the history of the International Vienna Motor Symposium, a “Forum for Sustainable Drive Technologies” will be held on the day before the official opening in cooperation with China SAE. Its aim is to combine the technological strengths of the Chinese and European automotive industries and includes an in-depth interpretation of the Chinese Technology Roadmap 3.0, strategic benchmarking based on EU CO₂ regulations, and the exchange of best practices from industry leaders such as Great Wall Motors, AVL, and SERESPower.

Further information on the International Vienna Motor Symposium 2026

The International Vienna Motor Symposium was first initiated and organized in 1979 by TU Professor Dr. Hans Peter Lenz. Since 1985, it has been organized by the Austrian Association for Automotive Engineering (ÖVK). Prof. Dr. Bernhard Geringer has been president of the association and thus of the symposium since 2017. In 2026, around 1,000 trade visitors from more than 20 countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Italy, Japan, Canada, Korea, Sweden, Turkey, the UK, and the USA, are expected in Vienna.

Brief information about the Austrian Society for Automotive Engineering

The Austrian Society for Automotive Engineering (ÖVK) was founded in 1985 and has around 750 full members. Its aim is to promote the sensible application of automotive engineering. Through scientific events, the ÖVK aims to increase and promote the level of knowledge among experts in the automotive industry and related target groups. The International Vienna Motor Symposium, initiated by Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Lenz, took place for the first time in 1979 and has been organized by the ÖVK since 1985. Prof. Dr. Bernhard Geringer has been president of the association since 2017.

f.l. Geoffrey Bouqout, Prof. Stefan Pischinger, Matthias Zink

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PI International Vienna Motor Symposium - press briefing 17022026.pdf

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Further information: https://wiener-motorensymposium.at/en/ and https://oevk.at/en/