Change is in the air (and on the ground)

Chrysler, undergoing a transformation of its own, helps shed light on issues facing the evolving automotive industry at the SAE 2008 World Congress.

In addition to being the buzzword for the 2008 Presidential race, “change” is a word that is having a big impact on the SAE 2008 World Congress. The automotive landscape is rife with change, as companies focus on the development of next-generation powertrains, explore future energy sources, integrate more comprehensive software and electronics, and embrace globalization. Those topics, as well as many others at the April 14-17 event in Detroit, will be manifested through the theme for the 2008 Congress, “A Climate for Change.”

No automotive manufacturer is currently undergoing more change than Chrysler, following its May 2007 purchase by private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, so it is fitting that the automaker is serving as host company for this year's event. Congress Chairman Frank O. Klegon, Executive Vice President, Product Development, Chrysler, said the company is embracing this opportunity to promote what it has termed “The New Chrysler,” but does not want that message to cloud that of the Congress as a whole.