World’s Best Vehicles: Winning with the Right Bandwidth of Powertrains and Vehicle Architectures

Authors

Thomas G. Stephens, Vice Chairman and Global Chief Technology Officer, General Motors Company, Detroit, MI, USA

Year

2011

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 12, Nr. 735

Summary

As the auto industry has undergone transformational change over the last few years, the automobile itself has begun to experience a similar reinvention. Driven by the desire to make vehicles petroleum-free and emissions-free, and amid growing concern about greenhouse gases, energy supply and demand, fuel prices, and even urban congestion, there is increasing realization that the automobile as we know it today is simply not sustainable. In response to these concerns, manufacturers around the globe are introducing a wide range of new technologies that promise to revolutionize our future automobiles. These technologies will enable a fundamental shift in vehicle design and provide new capabilities that will make tomorrow’s cars and trucks cleaner, more energy efficient, more innovative, and more fun to drive than today’s vehicles.