UMTRI Project

Powertrain Strategies for the 21st Century

Sponsor: Current: Denso, EPA & Wards Auto
Investigator: Bruce M. Belzowski
01/01/2006 - 12/31/2008


This project is part of AAD's Future Powertrain Program whose goal is to provide companies with intelligence about future directions in the powertrain strategies of manufacturers and suppliers, consumer views of alternative powertrains, and future directions in mobility and sustainability.

The Powertrain Strategies for the 21st Century project focuses on the years 2015 and 2020 with a web-based survey of industry experts that may address the following issues:

• Examine global powertrain strategies by surveying European, U.S., and Asian managers and engineers. Questions may include regional predictions of current and future powertrains by types of engines and transmissions; fuel-management systems; and any new technologies co-sponsors may suggest.
• Compare from a global perspective how regulatory regimes affect powertrains.
• Benchmark current powertrain product development processes using financial, human resource, product development, and supply chain metrics.
• Explore how alternative powertrains, such as hybrids, advanced diesels, and fuel cells, will affect the powertrain product development process. Questions may include timing, cost tradeoffs, time to market, engineering and sourcing issues, and challenges for particular types of alternative powertrains.
• Develop a technology roadmap for powertrain and powertrain components over the next 15 years.

For 2007, we plan to complete the second North America survey, and the first Japanese survey. In 2008, we hope to complete the first European survey, the second Korean and Japanese surveys, and the third North America survey. Our goal is to continue providing insights into future powertrain issues for individual countries or regions over a number of years, while eventually designing a survey that encompasses all the countries and regions simultaneously.


Note: The Powertrain Strategies for the 21st Century project will not make comparisons between individual companies or identify individual company responses.