„Dritev is Particularly Valuable as a Technology Congress Today“

Matthias Zink, who took on his new role as CLEPA President in January 2024, emphasizes one thing very clearly: "The discussion and the desire for more technological openness is not about turning away from electromobility. On the contrary, the electrification of the drive will undoubtedly be of central importance in the future." However, this also requires a target-oriented, realistic roadmap, for example with regard to the further expansion of the necessary infrastructure.
 

Hybrid Drives Still Have a Lot of Future

At the same time, Matthias Zink expects efficient combustion engines to have a long future ahead of them – especially in a global context. "I am observing that there is also more room for technological openness in politics again, and hybrid drives in particular will play a very important role in the coming years. Dritev provides the perfect framework for discussing the various technologies."
 

Paradise-like Times for Engineers

However, when it comes to shaping the mobility of tomorrow, Matthias Zink is observing a much faster pace of innovation in the USA and Asia. "In this respect, we in Europe have some catching up to do and should also turn our attention more confidently to solutions such as hydrogen or hybrid drive concepts." In his opinion, the expertise and experience of European industry are key strengths, and he believes there could be "paradise-like times" dawning for engineers in the coming years: "With hybrids and e-drives, we are talking about developments at the highest level. Every centimeter less of installation space and every kilometer of additional range will be fought for – this encourages us to focus more on technological strength again."

The technological race is not yet over, especially when it comes to electromobility, Matthias Zink continues: "Whether it's the further development of battery performance, the optimization of ranges and charging times, mid-engine technology, the further development of transmission technology in hybrid vehicles or thermal management – we are facing more technological challenges rather than fewer."
 

Affordable Electric Vehicles In Demand

At the same time, there is no hiding the fact that sales of electric vehicles in Europe remain disappointing. According to the industry expert, the reasons for this are manifold: the inadequate charging infrastructure, a lack of a European battery supply chain, the limited range of electric vehicles, the small number of garages that are prepared to sell electric vehicles. "Not to mention the high cost that consumers have to pay for an electric car, while the resale value drops sharply. Affordable electric vehicles are the key to the mobility transition and decarbonization in Europe," Matthias Zink continues and underlines: "The EU automotive industry will have to hurry up to avoid being cut off from this crucial business opportunity."
 

Requirements for a Successful Transformation

In order for the ecological transformation of mobility to succeed, the CLEPA President sees a need for action in several areas: There needs to be a faster expansion of the charging and refueling infrastructure as well as affordable green hydrogen, electricity and fuels. Public support will be crucial to enable investment in green and digital technologies. Regulatory and bureaucratic burdens should be reduced to improve European competitiveness. Regulations and policies should be streamlined and reflect the reality of the industry so that companies can implement them. Matthias Zink continues: "Last but not least, we need to think about how SMEs will be affected by the transition and how we can enable them to cope with it."

The long-standing industry insider is also keen to emphasize how much the European industry has already achieved. After all, the goal of climate neutrality is not just about the use of vehicles, but also about their production: CLEPA studies show that companies in the industry have reduced their CO2 emissions by 4.5 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. The use of renewable energies has reached 43 percent. Almost all production waste is recycled. Companies are implementing strategies to decouple water consumption from production.
 

CLEPA Continues to Evolve

Sustainability topics such as the circular economy and reuse will become even more important in the future, Zink continues: CLEPA wants to provide important impetus for discussion and modernize itself with new topics. "As a supplier association, we want to play a decisive role in driving forward technological development and include topics such as batteries and hydrogen technology in our considerations. This also includes opening up our membership and expanding our expertise."
 

Developing a Realistic Step-by-Step

In conclusion, Matthias Zink emphasizes CLEPA's great willingness to help shape the transformation of the automotive industry: "In recent discussions, I have gained the impression that politicians are listening to the industry's voices on how to successfully shape the transformation and are increasingly responding to them. As CLEPA, we want to intensify this dialogue on what a feasible step-by-step plan for achieving the sustainability goals could look like."