Powertrain, Electronics Lead Tech-Paper Topics at SAE’s WCX 2023

April 18, 2023

Bill Visnic

Distribution of the 800-plus technical papers published in conjunction with SAE International’s 2023 WCX conference in Detroit. (SAE)

With engineers converging in mid-April for the 2023 WCX conference in Detroit, technical-paper presentations continue as the backbone of SAE’s annual congress.

A total of 834 technical papers were submitted for publication, up slightly from the 803 papers submitted in a COVID-impacted 2022. Once again, advanced powertrain/propulsion-related topics continued to lead all categories of published SAE technical papers. But indicating the impact of electrification on the propulsion discipline, 2023’s count of 216 powertrain-centric papers was down from the 281 powertrain/propulsion papers submitted for 2022 publication, while 56 papers were directed specifically to electric propulsion.

Powertrain-related papers comprised 26% of the 2023 total and electric propulsion accounted for 7% – combined, the two just missed equaling the 35% powertrain accounted for in the 2022 technical-paper total. The second-most represented topic area for 2023’s technical papers was the combined subjects of electronics/connectivity/vehicle IoT/smart city/infrastructure/active safety, numbering 134 discrete papers and about 16% of the total. Papers concerning emissions/thermal management and sustainability were the next most prolific category, numbering 116 for 14% of the technical-paper total.

Many of the papers were scheduled to be presented live at the WCX 2023 conference on April 18-20. Attendees at the WCX conference have access to the mobility engineering ecosystem – from the engineers doing the work to executives making the decisions on vehicle development. The conference also continues the popular and penetrating Leadership Summit series of roundtable discussions and a wide spectrum of technical sessions to augment technical-paper presentations throughout the three-day conference.