Tomorrow's powertrain technology: 100 years in the making

SAE100 Future look: The SAE's 100th anniversary has all of the engineering community reflecting on past accomplishments. But more importantly, we look to the future to determine what will be the technologies that carry us through the next 100 years.

In 1905, there wasn't a single propulsion technology that met the needs of every customer, even with the advent of the internal combustion engine. Our future doesn't hold one either, which is why we must continue to make advancements on all propulsion technology fronts. From advanced internal combustion engine and transmission technologies, to clean diesels, alternative fuels, and hybrids, each powertrain technology will play a relevant role around the globe in the foreseeable future. This is why General Motors is focused on delivering these technologies to the markets in which they will be most effective.

One clear example of this is the considerable global resources we're employing to expand our portfolio of hybrid technology to offer customers three distinct systems, across a broad range of products.