What will the engine of the future be like? More or less all of us, in the automotive industry and not, have been wondering this for some time now, also because of the news on our planet's pollution levels and climate changes. Looking for a highly authoritative opinion on the subject, Mind the Bridge, the Californian advisory firm that has been involved in creating a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem since 2007 by introducing well-established companies to the world of startups, arranged an interview, conducted by CEO Alberto Onetti, with Pierpaolo Biffali, FPT Industrial's Product Engineering Powertrain Manager. And the reply was: there cannot be only one answer!
In his long and fascinating interview, Pierpaolo Biffali outlined the three “paths” that FPT Industrial intends to follow over the next 10 years. The first anticipates the company further strengthening its leadership in the “clean” diesel field and na tural gas engines, expanding into new markets and, especially in LNG, CNG and other alternative fuels, finding new fields of application. The second direction which will lead to innovative content anticipates expanding the range of products through the creation of electric motors, more efficient and higher performance, in order to offer the customer a true zero-emissions solution. The third path anticipates FPT Industrial heading boldly down the road of increasingly more integration in the engine-transmission assembly within a system that is more and more optimized and connected, capable of self-regulating in order to achieve maximum efficiency.
As for the relationship between FPT Industrial and startups, Biffali cited the example of Nikola, the company with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, which is partner to IVECO and FPT Industrial in the development project of an electric truck based on fuel-cell technology. “The hydrogen used in fuel cells is the most promising fuel for long-range travel since it allows for high payloads and free access to zero-emissions zones”, Biffali stated. “Compared to a battery, a fuel cell system weighs a quarter of that and can be resupplied in 10-20 minutes instead of 2 hours: no small advantage!”
FPT Industrial also collaborates with Mind the Bridge on the issue of open innovation, participating in the 2020 Startup Summit along with other companies, including Enel and Eni.
To hear and see the full interview:https://mindthebridge.com/mind-the-chat/