Chairman's Message 2011

I would like to thank my predecessor Jon Hilton and also his immediate predecessors for handing over a division in such good health. We are financially stable, achieving good attendances at events and we have the ear of government in a way that could have only been dreamed about five years ago.

With the government’s Technology Strategy Board sharing the success of our recent Low Carbon Vehicles Conference as primary sponsor, and with agreement having been reached for collaboration with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) the IMechE has never been better placed to set the agenda for the automotive sector.

I take over the chair of the Automobile Division of the IMechE at a time that is exciting for the automobile industry, where the targets set by the EU government for reducing the CO2 emissions of vehicles have set us a significant challenge.

This is a great time to be an engineer working in the automotive industry. Achieving the targets set for reducing CO2 emissions will require inventive and cost effective solutions which will impinge on all aspects of the vehicle: reductions of mass, aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance; downsizing of and performance improvement of IC engines; regenerative braking; hybrid power trains and the further development of electric vehicles.

The first generation of electric vehicles are now appearing which will need improvements in battery technology, energy management and communication with the driver, and charging infrastructure all of which will exercise the talents of engineers in the industry.

Please come to our local and national events throughout the year, to mix with like-minded people, exchange ideas, and secure technical and commercial contacts that make a real difference to you and your employer. I hope to meet you and discuss these topics with you when I visit your regions and centres.

Professor Peter White FIMechE CEng
Associate Dean
Faculty of Engineering and Computing
Coventry University