UpdateNews for the Members of SAE January 2008 Executive panel discussions highlight World Congress theater, forum schedules Critical issues facing the automotive indus- The questions of where future energy try as a whole, and topics impacting current will come from, and what infrastructure and future powertrain technology, will be changes will be required, will be discussed discussed by industry executives through- in “The Future of Energy—‘Field To Wheel’” out the SAE 2008 World Congress during panel. The “Electronics: Expectations and A total of panel sessions held at the AVL Technology Opportunities” panel will discuss how the seven panel Leadership Theater and the FEV Powertrain dramatically increased electronics content of sessions are Innovation Forum. vehicles meets the current and future expec- currently The AVL Technology Leadership Theater tations of customers. scheduled for the AVL will feature executive management panel A panel of global OEMs and dealers will Technology sessions comprised of top-level executives discuss the factors that influence customer Leadership and officials from industry, government, values, and how such values differ through- Theater research, and academia. out the world in the panel session “The at the SAE Theater sessions will kick off with the Changing Values of the Global Customer.” 2008 World keynote address by SAE 2008 World Con- In the “Globalization is 24/7” panel, experts Congress, April 14-17 at gress General Chairman Frank O. Klegon, from both inside and outside the automotive Cobo Center Executive Vice President, Product Develop- sector discuss challenges such as standards, in Detroit. ment, Chrysler. The initial panel discussion, government regulations, technology solu- “A Climate for Change,” will focus on major tions, processes, and service/warranty New Transmission and Driveline Technolo- It? What Concepts are Rising to the Top industry challenges such as infrastructure, issues. gies Influence Consumer Buying Decisions? and How Much of a Cost Increase Do They supply chain, employees, and collaborative The panel on “Strategies for Active Safety • Where’s the Rub? How Far Can We Go Represent? product development. Technology Delivery” will examine inte- With Low Friction Concepts and What Will • Alternative Fuels: Does the Model Work? Six other panel sessions are currently grated safety, rating schemes, regulatory ap- They Bring? What are the Powertrain-Related Technical scheduled in the AVL Technology Leader- proaches, market incentives, and customer • Designing for the Customer: OEM-After- Challenges? ship Theater. A “Powertrain Diversity” panel acceptance issues. market Collaboration • The Military: Is It Becoming the New Test discussion will examine the challenges asso- Daily sessions at the FEV Powertrain Inno- • A View from the Top: An Update and Bed for Future Transportation Technologies? ciated with developing future powertrains, vation Forum will feature an impressive mix Feedback from the SAE 2007 North Ameri- For more details on the panel discussions including internal-combustion engines, hy- of industry experts discussing key power- can International Powertrain Conference and sessions scheduled at the AVL Technol- brids (plug-in and others), fuel-cell systems, train issues. Scheduled panel topics are: (NAIPC) ogy Leadership Theater and FEV Powertrain and full electric. • The Other Half of Powertrain: How Will • Will Fuel Economy Sell and Can We Afford Innovation Forum, visit sae.org/congress. Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress lauded for global focus Bylaw changes approved at Global market concerns are heard in the news almost daily, from 25 nations,” said Mark Pflederer, then-Vice President, special meeting yet the 2007 SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress Commercial Vehicle for SAE International. Pflederer recently & Exhibition, with executive leadership provided by John concluded his term, and SAE’s next Commercial Vehicle Vice At a special meeting of the membership, held October Deere, is in the books as an industry success. President, Ric Kleine, Vice President, Off-Highway Business, 31, 2007, changes to the SAE Bylaws were approved. “The 2007 Commercial Vehicle Congress exceeded even Cummins, was introduced at the event. The approved changes include the replacement of the the high goals we set for it. More exhibitors and outstand- Networking and knowledge-sharing were the highlights Annual Nominating Committee (ANC) with an Execu- ing sessions combined to attract more than 3000 attendees See COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, p. 3 tive Nominating Committee (ENC), for the selection of nominees to serve as SAE Officers and Directors. These changes were covered in detail in the August 2007 issue of SAE Update. The nomination process for the 2009 Slate of Nomi- nees has begun. An article can be found on Page 7 of this issue. More than 3000 attendees from 25 nations turned out for the 2007 SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress & Exhibition. Update Editorial Message from the President Congress Chair at forefront A year of travel and a year of learning— of Chrysler rebirth A year of SAE One of the major automotive news stories of 2007 was the It is hard to believe, but this is my last Update article as SAE But, regardless of where purchase of Chrysler by American equity firm Cerberus International President. I have enjoyed writing these col- the meetings take place, the Capital Management. The news surrounding Chrysler umns because they give me a direct way to speak with you, benefits remain the same throughout the year has been of particular interest here the members of SAE. whether you are from Sao at SAE International because the automaker is serving as I have also enjoyed sharing some of my thoughts and expe- Paulo, Beijing, or Detroit. host company of our 2008 World Congress. riences this past year as SAE International President. Of the In addition to the wonder- After a great deal of transition, Chrysler is forging ahead many things that I have learned, one stands out—the love ful people and cultures I met with what it is calling “The New Chrysler.” Over the affair with personal mobility is alive and well; it seems that and experienced through summer, Frank Klegon, Chrysler Executive Vice President everyone wants to be a part of this wonderful industry… my travels, I also had the of Product Development and SAE 2008 World Congress whether it is through ground vehicles or aircraft. good fortune of seeing some General Chairman, outlined the company’s plans moving As I think back over the past 12 months, one of my first pretty amazing and creative forward to a group of senior management from automotive thoughts goes to the many different places that I have trav- technology—technology suppliers and manufacturers. eled to and the people whom I have met. such as the application of electronic control systems in all Klegon called Cerberus’ acquisition of Chrysler “a By last count, I was fortunate to visit 13 countries on behalf forms of transportation. These systems helped lead to the historic opportunity to reinvent our company” and stated of SAE International. In fact, I prepared notes for this article development of fully autonomous aircraft; construction that the company’s focus is on a strategy that will make it while on a plane at the start of a three-week trip that would vehicles that can automatically grade to ±1 cm, and automo- competitive long into the future. include visits to China and Japan. biles that know where they are at all times. Not to mention As the first privately held North American automaker in I also visited more than 20 SAE sections and 12 universities the fact that such innovation has spawned a whole new era more than 50 years, Klegon stated that it will be beneficial, in North America alone. of accident avoidance technology. allowing it to make decisions more quickly and move This type of travel is not only an honor and pleasure for Engineers around the world are some of the most creative faster to respond to the market. To illustrate this point he me as SAE’s President, but it also shows the truly global people I know. Give them a problem, no matter how chal- gave the following example: “After the original agreement nature of SAE International and global nature of mobility lenging it may be, and they will find solutions. Time and was reached for Cerberus to acquire Chrysler, we still engineering. time again over the past several months, I got to see first- needed to get approval for nine projects that were in the It is estimated that more cars, trucks, and aircraft will be hand the results of such innovation. works. These were big projects, like a new engine plant manufactured between now and 2020 than were produced Technology that was just an idea 10 years ago is now found and our alliance with Chinese automaker Chery Automo- since the beginning of the 20th century when these wonder- in our cars, trucks, tractors, and planes. tive. Within 36 hours, all nine projects were approved.” ful machines were first mass-produced. In China alone, the Ideas that were said to be “impossible” or “too difficult During his remarks, Klegon detailed the company’s number of vehicles produced has increased from 7.2 million to achieve” are now helping to power a new generation of recovery and transformation plan (RTP), which includes in 2006 to an estimated 8.5 million in 2007—an increase of engines and fuel cells that will help take us into the next more than 22,000 ideas to help it achieve long-term success. more than 18%. century of advancement. As part of the RTP, Klegon said the company is focusing on In my opinion, we are entering a new era of hyper-compe- And the common denominator through all of this is three key areas: delivering exciting product, expanding pro- tition, and the need for collaboration among individuals and people.