Review Dritev 2023: Actively shaping the transformation of mobility

Dritev, the leading international congress for experts in automotive drive technology, attracted around 600 participants to the Kongresshaus in Baden-Baden on July 5 and 6, 2023. Here, the industry exchanged views on highly topical issues: How can the transformation process currently taking place be successfully implemented? Which technologies will shape the various application areas in the mobility of the future? And what does this mean in concrete terms for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers?

High-quality content

The carefully compiled program was once again the centerpiece of the 2023 congress and included more than 50 international technical presentations by top-class speakers. In his keynote address, Benjamin Krieger talked about the importance of future regulatory requirements and took a position on the currently hotly debated EURO 7 standard from the perspective of the supplier association CLEPA. According to him, this is a significant improvement compared to EURO 6, but it has to be implemented quickly. Alexander Krick (Volkswagen Group Components) revealed how the efficiency and performance of electrified powertrains can be increased in his presentation, providing insights into the in-house development of a pulse inverter. Julian Fieres (ZF Friedrichshafen) made it clear that transformation must become a key capability of companies. In order not to be among the 70 percent that fail in the midst of transformation processes, he stressed the importance of avoiding the usual mistakes and using a strategy that is as clear and active as it is sustainable. The omnipresent change was also addressed in the commercial vehicle sector: Christian Gropp (Daimler Truck) explained that it leads to a differentiation of drive concepts, depending on the respective use case. At the same time, he emphasized that fleet operators would only invest in CO2-neutral trucks if the vehicles were economically competitive.

Many networking opportunities

The lectures were rounded off by the trade exhibition, where more than 60 exhibitors from around the world presented innovative solutions and products. At the accompanying motor show, manufacturers displayed current vehicle concepts and demonstrated the integration of different drive solutions. The professional exchange on the current state of the art-technologies as well as the numerous opportunities for networking including the evening event in the Kurhaus Baden-Baden and were very well received and used intensively by the participants.

Outlook for 2024

In terms of content, Dritev has increasingly focused on the electrified powertrain instead of the classic transmission topics in recent years. This development will be pushed even further with a view to the future: in 2024, the international VDI Congress Dritev will go into the next round and will take place on June 12 and 13, 2024 at the Kongresshaus Baden-Baden.