2 6 interview
in the non-automotive area as an important piece of the puzzle for our
future. Particular emphasis must be placed on the energy sector and,
especially hydrogen with our extensive knowledge of fuel cells, from our
cell research to full systems.
focus: Does that mean that the focus of AVL Engineering is moving
away from solely the powertrain and on to the full vehicle?
Mario Brunner: We are not moving away from the powertrain, we are expand-ing
our portfolio and, in the medium term, our offering will also extend be-yond
the vehicle. The software-defined vehicle of tomorrow will offer a far
greater range of functions. With this in mind, we will continue to develop
technologically, in order to meet these demands. That is something that is
very important to us. As well as this, we will invest even more heavily in
virtually optimizing development – through to virtual approval. We want to
get to the point where we are only really using hardware tests in the vehicle
or on the testbed for verification, and no longer to identify errors. That is
the next step, towards which we are already working at AVL. There is great
potential here to reduce hardware loops and save prototypes, time and costs.
focus: The electrification of mobility is changing the market massively.
Where are we at the moment?
Mario Brunner: The transformation process is in full swing. You have to bear
in mind for how many years the classic powertrain has consistently been
optimized. In comparison, the industry has only been working intensively
with electric drives for a very short time. The industry is still right at the
start of the usual optimization process here. The optimization phase has
just begun. There will be a lot more change – and in a relatively short time.
At AVL, we are heavily involved in this process and play an active role. I
am confident that the automotive industry will deliver. I see the charging
infrastructure as the bottleneck. In my opinion, the speed and strength of
implementation is insufficient here.
Unfortunately, you also have to say that we have a problem with primary
energy in Europe. Here, there is a need that, in my opinion, will lead to a
rapid development of hydrogen technology. That will definitely be the case in
the field of commercial vehicles, but there is also potential in passenger cars.
For us at AVL, hydrogen is of great importance, as we have been working
with this technology for years and already have a great number of patents.
We must not entirely neglect the existing vehicle fleet. There is still great
potential for CO2 savings in hybrid applications. Although I am an advo-cate
of electric vehicles, I would not allow the potential that modern hybrid
applications have – particularly in combination with e-fuels – go untapped.
focus: Apart from infrastructure and primary energy, what other
challenges do you currently see for the market?
Mario Brunner: The current lack of chips is the dominant topic at the moment.
It is hitting the industry very hard. However, in my opinion, it is only a
precursor of even bigger challenges
on the resource side. Studies show
the regions and topics, in which
the raw material market is heading
for problems in the coming years.
These are challenges that cannot
be solved quickly, even with huge
efforts. There will definitely not
only be winners.
focus: Could a shortage of resources
also be a challenge for AVL?
Mario Brunner: Above all, it has an in-direct
effect on AVL, as it primarily
affects our customers and thus the
market, in which AVL is involved.
However, focussing on our core ac-tivity,
I am relatively relaxed about
it. Our capital is not bound in ex-pensive
manufacturing facilities,
but in the innovative spirit of our
employees. When it comes to large
technical tasks, we can draw from
a huge pool of ideas. We have em-ployees
who deal intensively with
a product. And we also have a good
knowledge transfer between de-partments.
This means that, in the
case of special projects, colleagues
are also involved from other areas.
They are confronted with topics,
with which they do not have to deal
so often in their daily work. That
is a great asset and leads to genu-ine
innovation.
focus: You like to describe AVL as
a knowledge company. What do
you mean by that?
Mario Brunner: That innovation lies
in our DNA. Let’s take electrifi-cation
as an example. Here, we are
repeatedly applying methods that
were originally used in the field of
combustion engines, in which we
have amassed an incredible wealth
of knowledge over the years. In
the ADAS/AD area, our greatest
strength is our expertise in the field