Autor: Christiane Köllner

News from the 20th International MTZ Conference on Future Powertrains

Taking a Holistic Approach to Mobility and Energy

How can transportation concepts, power­train systems, energy storage solutions, and infra­structure work together optimally – especially with sustaina­bility in mind? Industry experts will discuss this at the symposium "Electric Powertrains and Energy Systems". 

Mobility and energy should be addressed holisti­cally, according to Dr. Lea Schwarz, Head of Development Functional Architecture at Audi, speaking at the "Electric Powertrains and Energy Systems 2026" conference in Frankfurt am Main. The MTZ conference, attended by 85 participants, took place on May 19 and 20 in colla­boration with partner Hirschvogel Group.

E-Mobility Ramp-up is Currently Taking Place in Europe

In the first keynote address, "Require­ments for a policy of drive transition", Andreas Rade, Managing Director Government & Society at the German Association of the Auto­motive Industry (VDA), provides an overview of market developments and trends in the automotive industry. According to him, the ramp-up of e-mobility is currently taking place in Europe. Above all, subsidies have a major influence on the market. According to Rade, German brands have held up quite well in inter­national comparison. For instance, German OEMs are distin­guished by their global presence. 

The situation is difficult in the supply industry, which is struggling with the lowest production levels since the Covid-19 pandemic. "We need more time for the transition; we need an adjust­ment of the targets", Rade said, also with regard to the EU Automotive Package. According to the VDA’s assessment, the European Commission’s proposals are disappoin­ting overall. On a positive note, Rade high­lights that public charging capacity in Germany has made progress, but future needs will not be met at the current expansion rate. 

MCS Solutions Technically Feasible

Dr. Dorothea Liebig, Technology Manager E-Mobility at Shell Global Solutions, discusses the future of high-power and megawatt (MCS) charging. She noted that Shell Mobility’s electrifi­cation activities in the heavy-duty transport sector cover a broad spectrum of charging requirements for battery-electric buses and trucks, ranging from depot solutions to public high-power and megawatt charging stations.

Trends in Battery Development

Karsten Müller, Senior Vice President Electrified Systems at IAV, and Klaus Fink, Global Product Manager & Strategic Assistant to Vice President Development E-Drive & Battery at Hirschvogel Holding, discuss new trends and requirements in battery development. Modern battery systems, they note, are characterized more by diversifi­cation than by convergence. Drivers include different vehicle segments, global markets, and varying usage profiles. Consequently, battery develop­ment can no longer be viewed as a mere optimization problem at the component level; rather, it is a multi­disciplinary engineering task. 

Read full news and articles about related topics

A highlight of the event is the presentation of the "Sustainability Award in Automotive". Jointly awarded by the ATZ/MTZ Group and the consulting firm Arthur D. Little, the Award honors outstanding examples of sustainable contributions to mobility in the categories of mobility concepts, technology, startups, and sustaina­bility as a value driver.

Read article about Sustainability Award 2026