We Still Need Technology Openness
We Still Need Technology Openness

Video: We Still Need Technology Openness

Video: We Still Need Technology Openness
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The supplier Schaeffler rejects the focus on pure electric mobility. You still need technology openness, said head of development Peter Gutzmer in an interview with Autogazette.

In doing so, Schaeffler's deputy chairman of the board contradicted the demand made by VW boss Herbert Diess, who had called for a focus on pure electric mobility at the weekend. "Purely battery-electric vehicles will not be the only solution for how we shape sustainable individual mobility of the future," said Gutzmer.

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As Gutzmer said, you can solve local emission issues with pure battery-electric e-mobility, "but you cannot get the global CO2 emissions problem under control." To do this, one has to look at the «emission reduction in the overall chain of effects», said Gutzmer. In the long term, this will require the hybrid or the plug-in hybrid.

Hybrid best compromise

“A hybrid with a range of 70 to 100 kilometers is currently the best compromise for a vehicle customer who wants to drive electrically and who wants to fall back on the usual long-distance and infrastructure use. That is why we still need an openness to technology, as we have been maintaining for years,”says the manager. “A juxtaposition of different types of drive is justified and works. VW made a decision to prioritize technology here that I don't see for Schaeffler because we also have to meet the strategies and needs of other vehicle manufacturers,”added Gutzmer.

This won't solve our global CO2 problem

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Autogazette: Mr. Gutzmer, was it very surprising that VW suddenly committed itself so strongly to electromobility?

Peter Gutzmer: Absolutely, for me this definition came as a surprise at the moment and I think not only for me.

Autogazette: VW boss Herbert Diess not only focused on electromobility at the weekend, but ultimately also spoke out in favor of an end to technology openness. Is this the right way

Gutzmer: Purely battery-electric vehicles will not be the only solution for how we shape sustainable individual mobility in the future. They will certainly be important in certain regions or special areas, such as in cities, and also become significantly more important. But we won't be able to solve our global CO2 problem with it. At Schaeffler AG, we developed a global scenario very early on, which is based on the discussions about legislation, the technological developments that have been initiated and, last but not least, on the holistic assessment of energy generation and distribution. The ramp-up forecast there has proven to be realistic in recent years and we will continue to adhere to our study.

Autogazette: What does this scenario say?

Gutzmer:According to this scenario, viewed globally, 30 percent of all newly produced cars could be powered purely electrically by 2030. Only around 30 percent would then only be equipped with a mildly electrified combustion engine, 40 percent would have various forms of hybrid drive. So you can see that the technology mix continues to play an important role for us, especially from a global perspective and for different market and customer orientations. We cannot make the mistake of equating customer demand and political frameworks in Western Europe with the world. A rapidly increasing electrification of the powertrain is certainly correct. But I don't see that all new vehicles worldwide will be battery-electric in a few years.

A hybrid is currently the best compromise

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Autogazette: For VW, e-mobility is the only technology with which the Paris climate protection goals can be achieved and which will be CO2-free by 2050. Do you share this view?

Gutzmer:With pure battery-electric e-mobility, you can solve local emission issues, but you cannot get the global CO2 emissions problem under control. To do this, we have to consider the reduction of emissions in the overall chain of effects and the raw material chains as well as the topic of recycling, as well as the time and investment required for the cross-sector conversion. This holistic, cross-sectoral view is extremely important to me because it is the only way to ensure that the CO2 reduction and neutrality can be implemented in a meaningful and sustainable manner. For example, we will see high-performance battery storage systems in the future, which can ensure security of supply in the vicinity of volatile wind and solar power. And at the same time, the hybrid or, in particular, the plug-in hybrid at the other end of the holistic energy chain is needed in the long term.

Autogazette: So do you consider the hybrid to be particularly important?

Gutzmer: A hybrid with a range of 70 to 100 kilometers is currently the best compromise for a vehicle customer who wants to drive electrically and who would like to fall back on the usual long-distance and infrastructure use. That is why we still need an openness to technology, as we have been practicing for years. The customer has the choice between gasoline, diesel, natural and LPG, hybrid and battery-electric drive and he decides depending on the application. A juxtaposition of different types of drive is justified and works. VW made a decision here to prioritize technology that I don't see for Schaeffler because we also have to meet the strategies and needs of other vehicle manufacturers.

Autogazette: Isn't climate protection important to you?

Gutzmer:Of course he's important to me, very important in fact. But when we talk about climate protection, we have to keep an eye on all sectors, not just traffic. If I look at the energy consumption for the production of batteries and the dependencies in the raw material chains, then with the current energy mix it is not possible to make electric cars climate-neutral. This requires a mileage of more than 70,000 kilometers, depending on the region, country and energy generation. We have to be honest with each other. Goals that only consider the sectors closely linked in reality individually and separately from each other are well-intentioned in my opinion, but ultimately jumped too short. A sustainable, comprehensive CO2 reduction and neutrality requires a holistic, cross-sectoral consideration and assessment.

I can't see a rejection

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Autogazette: Hasn't the industry's previous rejection of e-mobility as the leading technology meant that we still haven't managed to ramp up the market?

Gutzmer: In Germany in particular, I cannot see any rejection from either the OEMs or, in particular, the suppliers. At Schaeffler, we have been increasingly concerned with alternative electric drive systems and the technological and business contexts and consequences since 2001. We built and presented various concept vehicles in and for the regions of Europe, China and the USA very early on, naturally in connection with the necessary skills development.

Autogazette: Do you see Formula E as part of this skill building?

Gutzmer:Part for us was also the successful entry into Formula E as the first German supplier right from the start. We also learned that disruptive changes affect all sectors of an ecosystem and must be redesigned accordingly in order to finally convince the end user. I would like to repeat here that we currently still need a technology-open and cross-sector holistic view in order to create sustainable solutions. It is absolutely correct that we have to keep an eye on the necessary economic consequences and the consequences for economic parameters and jobs as well as qualifications. We need solidarity between politics, industry, science and the other stakeholders in our society.

Autogazette: VW is said to have threatened to leave the VDA. Do you fear a split in the association?

Gutzmer: I am of the opinion that, especially in turbulent times, we should stand together and intensify the dialogue among ourselves. As an innovative, broad-based technology partner to the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, we value the work of the VDA and will continue to be involved in this.

Smaller admixtures provide astonishing CO2 reductions

Peter Gutzmer. Photo: Schaeffller
Peter Gutzmer. Photo: Schaeffller

Autogazette: You are in favor of being open to technology. What role do hydrogen and synthetic fuels play in this?

Gutzmer:They play an important role in terms of reducing CO2. Just look at the number of vehicles in Germany: today we have over 46 million cars with combustion engines. To make the problem more understandable with an example: The annual CO2 emissions of the German car fleet, at around 115 million tons of CO2, are, by the way, almost exactly in the order of magnitude that the German forest can absorb. Even small admixtures result in astonishing total CO2 reductions. With a 10 percent admixture of CO2-neutral e-fuel, 11.5 million tons of CO2 do not come from fossil raw materials and form the desired CO2 cycle. So one must not ignore the decisive leverage effect due to the large inventory. If these vehicles are supplemented with hybrid or mild hybrid solutions in the coming years, we will have to deal intensively with how we can create CO2 savings potential here, because this fleet will continue to be actively involved in traffic well after 2040. And we can only achieve this if we quickly add CO2-neutral synthetic fuels from biogenic waste or e-fuels to the fuel and reduce fossil shares. The basis for the e-fuels is the sustainable production of hydrogen. In addition, we will definitely need these fuels for shipping and air traffic in the future. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.we have to deal intensively with how we can create CO2 savings potential here, because this fleet will continue to be actively involved in traffic until well after 2040. And we can only achieve this if we quickly add CO2-neutral synthetic fuels from biogenic waste or e-fuels to the fuel and reduce fossil shares. The basis for the e-fuels is the sustainable production of hydrogen. In addition, we will definitely need these fuels for shipping and air traffic in the future. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.we have to deal intensively with how we can create CO2 savings potential here, because this fleet will continue to be actively involved in traffic until well after 2040. And we can only achieve this if we quickly add CO2-neutral synthetic fuels from biogenic waste or e-fuels to the fuel and reduce fossil shares. The basis for the e-fuels is the sustainable production of hydrogen. In addition, we will definitely need these fuels for shipping and air traffic in the future. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.if we rapidly add CO2-neutral synthetic fuels from biogenic waste or e-fuels to the fuel and reduce fossil shares. The basis for the e-fuels is the sustainable production of hydrogen. In addition, we will definitely need these fuels for shipping and air traffic in the future. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.if we rapidly add CO2-neutral synthetic fuels from biogenic waste or e-fuels to the fuel and reduce fossil shares. The basis for the e-fuels is the sustainable production of hydrogen. In addition, we will definitely need these fuels for shipping and air traffic in the future. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.

«Working intensively with storage options»

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Autogazette: Is hydrogen currently being neglected by the industry?

Gutzmer: Not from us. We dealt intensively with the storage options for the increasingly regenerative and thus volatile electrical energy. The hydrogen chain plays an important role in this. Before we invest a lot of money in a replica of a battery factory in Germany, we should better put the money into our volatile energy chain. By this I also mean large stationary electrical high-performance storage technologies with which we can stabilize the security of supply and also storage via hydrogen or its synthesis.

Autogazette: What do you mean when you say that Schaeffler is working intensively on the hydrogen chain?

Gutzmer:We are currently working intensively on the possibilities of storing or converting electricity generated from renewable sources into a hydrogen chain. For example, we are working with innovative partners to consider how efficient, cost-effective large-scale electrical storage systems based on sustainable solutions can look. I'm talking about large storage systems with an output of ten to maybe 100 megawatts. These will not be lithium-based solutions because they are far too expensive. We are working on such solutions and think that these systems can be ready for the market in five years. These solutions can also be an integral part of the aforementioned hydrogen chain for the production of synthetic fuels. In order to reduce CO2 emissions quickly and sustainably, it is expedient toif we include the large existing fleet using synthetic fuels. With around 46 million cars with internal combustion engines, we have a tremendous leverage effect that takes effect immediately. In addition, we will definitely find these fuels widely used in the future. Think about shipping and air travel. So it is already evident today that we must have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.that we need to have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.that we need to have large quantities of synthetic fuel available in the near future.

Autogazette: What role does energy import play in this?

Gutzmer: From our point of view, Germany and Europe will also need to continue to import energy via the hydrogen chain from sunny regions of the world. It is important to understand that efficiency is just one of many. The hydrogen chain is undoubtedly much more inefficient than the direct generation of electricity in an electric vehicle. However, one or more robust systems with economic viability, cross-border application and high customer acceptance and demand are central. And for this reason I do not see that in a few years we will find complete battery-electric mobility.

Autogazette: Do we need our own battery production in Germany?

Gutzmer: I can very well imagine battery production in which we integrate battery cells into overall systems. One less battery factory for cell chemistry. We are currently seeing in Europe that nobody is prepared to invest in the necessary investments in order to come up with a competitive solution. We have to create a storage technology as an alternative to lithium-ion technology. That has to be our goal - and not just focused on the vehicle, but above all on our volatile energy systems. As an economy, we should be technology drivers and not lag behind.

Autogazette: Anyone who went to the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March had the impression that we will all be electric tomorrow. Did you feel the same way?

Gutzmer: Yes in the messages, no in the products.

Autogazette: Why?

Gutzmer:There I did not see the products that meet the customer benefit and are therefore financially viable for a wide range of customers. We're still working on that. We have to further reduce costs through volume and technical development and through standardization and simplification and, in addition, create a stable, broad, usable charging infrastructure; this is the only way we can achieve market penetration with battery vehicles. public funding will also be required at times. Nevertheless, I expect that 48-volt hybrids and plug-in hybrids will initially gain in importance. A first interesting German battery-electric solution is the e. Go Life, which was presented in Geneva as a very inexpensive electric vehicle. Now you have to seehow customers react to it with a view to the relatively small range and the utility value presented.

Frank Mertens conducted the interview with Peter Gutzmer

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