Systems engineers, product planners and technical experts from the automotive specialty equipment industry, as well as OEM and Tier One communities, will participate in a new SEMA program called Technology Briefing Seminars (TBS) and Tech Talks 2.0. September 6-7, 2007, in Diamond Bar, California. The event marks the first in a series of seminars that focus on new and emerging vehicle technologies relevant to SEMA-member company products.
"Vehicle technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate and helping SEMA members understand and leverage emerging vehicle technologies is one of the association's top priorities," according to John Waraniak, SEMA vice president, vehicle technology.
Each TBS will center on specific technologies impacting the fusion of performance and safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for example is accelerating the adoption of active safety systems and technologies such as electronic stability control (ESC). Thus, the first TBS scheduled for September 6-7 will address ESC systems.
SEMA believes that product innovation does not come from the discovery of technology, but from being the first to use these vehicle technologies to create new and exciting market opportunities, as well as to solve problems and meet consumer and enthusiast demands. These new seminars are an attempt to help SEMA member companies take advantage of these emerging opportunities.
The subsequent sessions will be held in the Detroit and Los Angeles areas in an effort to have as broad an outreach as possible. "Automotive technology and innovation will continually evolve, but technology must be adopted and
embraced by consumers to make a difference," says Waraniak. One hundred years ago, for example, there were three competing powertrain technologies: steam, electricity and gasoline. Gasoline-powered engines and mechanical systems emerged as the dominant technologies, but with today's rapid
advances in electronics, materials and controls, there are several more competing alternative powertrain technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, biomass diesels and hybrid combinations of electricity and gasoline.
