A myriad of powertrains harnessing different technologies have been on show at IAA Transportation 2024, with Schaeffler among the manufacturers opting to back multiple horses in the low-emission and zero-emission development race.
The German manufacturer’s stand at IAA very much reflected the trend seen across the exhibition, with electric, hydrogen and internal combustion engines all on show. Schaeffler has also been active on the automation side of things, something that Matthias Zink, the company’s CEO of Automotive Technologies, is very much at the heart of.
So to get the inside track on the development race among truck and truck component manufacturers that’s unfolding at the moment, we spoke to Zink himself at IAA Transportation 2024.
Photo: Schaeffler
During our discussion, Zink explained why Schaeffler is adopting a “technology-open” approach, pinpointed the challenges on the road to automated trucking, argued why the development of internal combustion engines will continue for some time, and identified the technologies he believes will eventually become commonplace in commercial goods transportation.
Schaeffler’s “technology-open” approach mirrored at IAA Transportation
We began by asking Zink about the extent to which manufacturers feel the need to offer a wide variety of powertrains given the apparently diverse demands of the market.
In response, Schaeffler’s CEO of Automotive Technologies emphasised his company’s “Energizing Transportation. Together.” motto, a philosophy he said reflects the company’s commitment to remaining “technology open.”
Zink then told Trans.INFO that Schaeffler is intentionally avoiding an all-in focus on a single energy solution, such as battery electric vehicles (BEV) or hydrogen, opting instead for a flexible approach that includes a variety of technologies.
“We’re not going completely black-and-white, all-in on e-mobility or hydrogen,” said Zink. “We are serving all the different technologies.”
According to Zink, Schaeffler’s multi-pronged approach is also being catalysed by the upcoming merger with Vitesco Technologies, which will see the group gain added knowledge and expertise on the electrified drive systems side.
Zink also drew a parallel between Schaeffler’s strategy and the diverse array of technologies on display at IAA Transportation, stressing that while BEVs are a prominent focus, there is still considerable interest in internal combustion engines, including hydrogen-powered versions.
“We’re seeing a technology-open IAA Transportation as well,” said Zink. “If I recall, two years ago, there was a lot about fuel cells. There was talk of fuel cells being our destiny, and many truck makers showed fuel cell trucks as their main technology. This time out I would still say that the BEV, or new energy, is the primary path. However, everyone is also showing combustion engines, or H2 combustion engines. This exactly fits in with our strategy.”
Why internal combustion engine development is far from finished
Although battery electric and hydrogen fuel-cell lorries have naturally taken the limelight at IAA Transportation as far as buzz and general interest is concerned, Zink is adamant that there is still an obvious need for more efficient internal combustion engines.
“There’s definitely untapped potential,” replied Schaeffler’s CEO of Automotive Technologies, after being asked if more efficient performance can still be extracted from conventional internal combustion engines.
“If we go out there [to the exhibits], you’ll see the 12-cylinder or 8-cylinder engine blocks. In addition to that, there are three different valve train technologies. There’s what we call iFlexAir, which is a valve train technology where you can also inject hydrogen or natural gas to optimise the combustion process. So we still believe we cut CO2 emissions from internal combustion, we can’t let that go. There’s very passionate engineers out there still working on that day-by-day.” said Zink.
Schaeffler’s CEO of Automotive Technologies then added:
“Yesterday, I had meetings with 4 top car or truck manufacturers, and all of them are still interested in developing internal combustion engine technology. Secondly, when you see all these requirements on a European level, to cut 45% of CO2 by 2030 compared to 2019, you can’t solve that with BEV trucksalone. You also have to optimise the combustion engines that we’re building now and will be building for several years to come. So we’re fighting for each and every percent or gram of CO2 reduction, and on top of that comes all these exhaust treatments, the mass flow, all these elements that squeeze out each and every little bit of optimisation – that’s what we’re good at.”
Moreover, Zink also agreed that as many global markets are not yet prepared for full BEV adoption, more environmentally-friendly combustion engines have a big role to play.
“There will be, probably forever, markets which are not prepared for BEV, and there will be second and third lives of those trucks too. So every vehicle we build today will have a long lasting life whether it’s being used in Africa or in the global south or wherever. I guess it would not be fair now to put everything on the BEVs and neglect the combustion engine. From day one we said we want to not only respect, but to continue development of combustion, while at the same time transforming to BEV,” noted Zink.
How hydrogen internal combustion technology is developing
Hydrogen technology is another major area of interest for Schaeffler, with significant strides being made toward the development of hydrogen combustion engines for the trucking sector.
Schaeffler’s H2 injector (photo courtesy of Schaeffler)
According to Zink, the company is close to realising hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines (ICE), driven by advancements in injector technology.
“In terms of feasibility and injecting hydrogen into a combustion engine, I guess we are pretty close to the realisation. What we are showcasing out there is a special injector valve with a special spray, or H2 injection, where we can make best use of low pressure of 50-bar injection for a very effective and efficient combustion. This is of high interest to the truck industry, and that’s something we’re going to develop and put into mass production,” said Zink.
Zink also revealed that Schaeffler is conducting hydrogen combustion tests for several major manufacturers. He nonetheless also warned that the availability of hydrogen, as well as the associated costs for storage and safety, remain significant hurdles outside Schaeffler’s control.
“Last but not least, the most important aspect remains the availability of hydrogen, as well as the costs associated with it,” he points out. “This is not in our hands, but what we can do is control the software, the injector, the testing, the lifetime materials. I guess we’ve made pretty good progress there, and I’m a firm believer that we’re going to see H2 ICEs,” Zink added.
The challenge of implementing automation technology
Beyond powertrains, another area Schaeffler is focusing its energy on is autonomous driving, which Zink believes will be a critical part of the road transport industry’s future.
Schaeffler is working on steering solutions for autonomous vehicles, particularly in the heavy-duty truck segment, where Zink stresses reliability and safety are paramount.
One of the main challenges in autonomous truck development is the implementation of steer-by-wire technology:
“One of the main challenges to be solved when developing or bringing autonomous vehicles to the market is by-wire technology. One of the biggest obstacles so far has been steer-by-wire, which is an area we’re very active in, both on the passenger car and heavy duty truck side. So we’re developing steering solutions for autonomous driving, but you need there to be 100% reliable redundancy on the electronics and the software,” said Zink.
Europe’s competitive edge in truck manufacturing amid rise of Chinese competitors
While competition from China has accelerated the adoption of electrification in the passenger vehicle sector, Zink maintains that Europe holds a competitive advantage in the heavy-duty trucking industry.
When asked about the influence the Chinese were having on the market, Zink praised Europe’s established expertise in producing high-quality, durable trucks and truck components that meet the specific needs of Western markets.
He also emphasised the positives from the added competition that manufacturers from the east will bring:
“Perhaps it comes from our privilege of being a strong supplier, but I see the positives from this kind of competition. The heavy duty branch has been a very sustainable, stable community for a long time. First of all, it’s a huge challenge now to undergo this more-or-less regulated, but needed, transformation. So that needs some special sparksand inspirations. That’s where startups do well. Chinese competition is good for that too. It’s good that we take that seriously and that we are leading the transformation here in Europe,” said Zink.
When questioned on where European manufacturers might have the upper hand on their Chinese counterparts, Zink told Trans.INFO:
“The maturity of the product in markets like Europe and the US is one [area]. A very high quality level has been reached when it comes to durability and technology. You could argue that the people here do not understand the Chinese market, and the 1.x million volumes they have. That’s true to a certain extent, but I’d say that as regards know-how and knowledge about the requirements of the European and the US market, we still have an advantage. I would not expect Chinese competitors to equal that pretty soon. Also, in terms of different engine types, be it internal combustion, hydrogen or BEV, we are in better shape in Europe than in China.”
Zink did nonetheless concede that from the passenger car side, China could “potentially close the gap pretty soon”.
The technologies that will define the future of road transport
Finally, we asked Zink to look toward the future and provide an overview of how the trucking technology landscape could look like in years to come.
Schaeffler’s e-motors (photo courtesy of Schaeffler)
When it comes to powertrains, Zink told Trans.INFO:
“My crystal ball reading today is that for sure we’re going to see BEVs. We forecast it’s going to be about 17-20% in 2030. That number I really believe in, but that needs cost effective batteries and it needs infrastructure. This shouldn’t be the limit, but I believe in a reasonable percentage of BEV. Looking again towards 2030, I believe in the H2 internal combustion engine because that would solve a lot of volume issues or fleet issues.”
Schaeffler’s head of Automotive Technologies also made a bold claim about autonomous trucking coming into play sooner than some might think:
“In the long term, the second trend is the autonomous side of things. That’s what I stated around half an hour ago to the Minister of Traffic Affairs. I believe in autonomous by the end of the decade. I guess the beauty of the heavy duty logistics is that are fenced-in areas, we are in hub-to-hub concepts, so it’s a little bit easier compared to the passenger car side to limit the risk, as well and to do a step-by-step approach when introducing the technology,” Zink told Trans.INFO.
Summing up, Zink then concluded:
“So the big developments will be battery driven vehicles, hydrogen internal combustion, and autonomous driving to a certain extent.”