CTI Symposium Highlights Green Technologies

Anthony Fontanelle
December 25, 2007

At the 6th International CTI Symposium in Berlin with a theme Innovative Automotive Transmissions, focus was given to the development of green or eco-friendly vehicle features and the cost it entails. Apart from that, the future of transmission technology in different parts of the world was also tackled. At the said event, experts have come to an agreement that the dual-clutch transmission will be the future of transmission technology in Europe and in the United States. Meanwhile, in India, an auto market steadily growing is expected to create a market for continuously variable transmissions.

Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, the manager for transmission development at German automaker BMW, pointed out the pressure on the auto industry with regards to the development of eco-friendly features. "We cannot imagine the extent of the cost pressure on the car industry at all yet," said Breitfeld. "The development already begins to show: Add the target figures and compare them to the market data - it won't work."

Suppliers echo the sentiments of automakers regarding the issue. Tobias Hagenmeyer, the president of Getrag Corporate Group, a known manufacturer of transmissions, said: "Competition on the car market has reached a global level." Hagenmeyer thus calls out for auto makers and auto parts manufacturers to work hand in hand to develop new green vehicle features. "We have to develop engines and transmissions in cooperation to reduce fuel consumption and emissions and to meet the economic demands."

Today, automakers are credited with about 80 percent of transmission development. Hagenmeyer pointed out that by working together, auto parts manufacturer and automakers will be reducing costs of development. "We envision a common supplier basis, common standards. This creates cost advantages," he mentioned. With companies sharing the cost of developing auto parts like transmissions, they can save a lot. That is not the only advantage as they would be paired with experts on the field which means there is a bigger chance that they will produce better transmission technologies. This approach can also be taken regarding development of other auto components such as a Subaru coupe sedan radiator. Hopefully for the auto industry, the symposium will give them the spark that they need.

Source:  Amazines.com