The annual PMW Expo takes place every November in Cologne, Germany, providing a hub for engineers within the motorsport and high-performance automotive industries to come together and exchange ideas. The show was busier than ever, with a broad spread of attendees from the racing and automotive industries.
Product highlights
ASP Seat spotlights its lightweight and advanced cooling technology for seats
ASP Seat offers an individual service that goes hand in hand with the company’s attendance trackside to ensure drivers’ performance is enhanced by their comfort. In its first-year trading, ASP Seat earned the trust of 50% of the FIA WEC Hypercar drivers to keep them cool during the demanding endurance races.
Elmer Racing presents its custom OEM high-performance Thor engine
With five back-to-back World Time Attack championships under its belt, Elmer’s Thor engine – on display at the expo – is a prime example of the quality of Elmer Racing’s engines. Developed and manufactured in under eight months at very low cost, Thor offers the highest power/mass ratio of any circuit-racing OEM engine. “We’re trying to market some new technologies and this is one of the few events that we know it’s beneficial to be at, to showcase our new tech,” said the company’s manufacturing project manager, Axel Elmgren.
Additure discusses its ability to offer the new CP1 aluminum alloy in the SLM280 and SLM500 platforms
Additure, part of the Kingsbury Machine Tools group, is a UK-based accredited manufacturing solution provider using laser powder bed fusion. It supports its clients with in-house capabilities for delivering complex manufacturing solutions via laser powder bed fusion, depowdering, material testing and machining. The company’s senior AM applications engineer, Richard Woods, was thrilled with the response from expo visitors. “It’s busy, it’s good,” he said. “We’re getting lots of interest. There’s a wide variety of different companies within motorsport, showcasing the many different aspects of motorsport.”
Momo unveils MyMOMO racing suit, which redefines customization in FIA homologated motorsport gear
Tailored to meet the unique needs of each driver, this innovative suit offers total personalization, allowing any graphic, logo or image to be printed seamlessly onto the fabric. Momo’s cutting-edge printing technology enables teams and sponsors to fully brand their suits without limitations.
The company’s chief marketing officer, Matteo Glanotti, was glad Momo chose to exhibit at the show: “We researched which event would be the best place to showcase our new FIA-compliant products, and PMW is the best event in Europe to increase our presence in the industry.”
Garrett presents bespoke motorsport-specific turbochargers and electric turbos
Garrett supplies advanced and differentiated technologies for emission reduction and energy efficiency. With a nearly 70-year legacy, it serves customers worldwide with passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, aftermarket replacement and performance enhancement solutions.
“PMW Expo is a great place for us to come and display our wide variety of turbos, ranging from lower-level racing up to the top end of professional motorsport,” said Mark Norton, the company’s engineering director.
Allengra showcases its ultrasonic flow-metering technology
Allengra is a supplier to the FIA WEC Series, the single supplier of the mandatory fuel flow meter for the WorldSBK, and the newly selected sole supplier of the 2026-2030 fuel flow meter for Formula 1 – the first seasons to switch to 100% sustainable e-fuels.
The ultrasonic flowmeters are designed, tested and homologated to enable precise measurement, performance enhancement and future-oriented development for all teams and manufacturers in motorsports – hydrogen, ICE, battery and others.
“The gap between motorsport and high-performance automotive is so slim now, so it’s great to see so many different domains and areas within motorsport all under one roof,” said Niels Junker, Allengra’s commercial director.
“I have visited the show from the first one and it is always good to see the interesting companies here, especially for our low-volume business” Joern Gander, CTO, Brabus
Powertrain highlights
The show always features a host of advanced powertrain solutions, and 2024 was no different. From high-end combustion engines to high-power-density battery systems and bespoke transmissions, the expo floor was littered with treats to excite a powertrain engineer. With the addition of a dedicated Advanced Powertrain Technology Forum this year, there were technical innovations on show covering every conceivable energy type and application.
The Advanced Powertrain Technology Forum brought together a range of experts from across the world of motorsport and high-performance automotive.
Hydrogen was the subject of several presentations. Alpine’s Pierre-Jean Tardy provided some fascinating insights into the company’s ongoing development of hydrogen ICE technology via its Alpenglow racing concept. Addressing the specific challenges of extracting comparable levels of performance from hydrogen ICE compared with gasoline, his presentation delved into the specifics of materials compatibility, ensuring turbocharger responsiveness despite low exhaust gas temperatures, and much more.
Continuing the hydrogen theme, the student-led Forze team, hailing from TU Delft in the Netherlands, presented the latest work on its fuel-cell-powered sports prototype. Now on its ninth iteration, the car features two fuel cells with a combined output of 240kW, which feed a buffer battery capable of releasing up to 600kW to the traction motors. Much of the team’s work has focused on optimizing the packaging and efficiency of the fuel cell balance of plant, along with extensive development of the car’s onboard control systems.
Another highlight was Damien Harty’s presentation looking at the challenges of torque vectoring in electric vehicles. He provided some fascinating insights into the control techniques that can be applied, and the close working relationship that is required between powertrain and chassis development teams.
In a similar vein, Williams Grand Prix Technologies’ Selin Tur took on the topic of multiphysics simulation, in particular its application to battery electric powertrains. This included a dive into the application of mainstream AI tools such as ChatGPT and how these can be harnessed for serious powertrain development work. The Advanced Powertrain Technology Forum highlighted the rapid pace of development in high-performance powertrains, regardless of energy type, and will return for 2025 to provide visitors with further exclusive insights. More detailed reports on the workshops will be available on the Automotive Powertrain Technology International website soon
“It is the center point for all of the people involved in racing and also niche vehicle and special products. It is the best opportunity for us to keep up to date” Stefano Gabriele, lead performance engineer, Bugatti-Rimac
PMW Awards
The PMW Awards 2024 saw a strong field of entries from across the gamut of motorsport suppliers. Held annually at PMW Expo in Cologne, Germany, the awards are judged live at the show and recognize excellence in the motorsport supply chain. With nominations ranging from innovative data and electronics solutions to cutting-edge safety equipment and advanced powertrain technologies, the judging panel had its work cut out deciding on the winners.
With a panel comprising experts in motorsport and automotive engineering, from former Le Mans-winning race car designers to Formula 1 and rallying engineers, the judging process is rigorously impartial.
Category winners:
Data and Electronics Solution of the Year
Winner: Marelli Motorsport
Marelli Motorsport launched its VEC_480 at the expo. Combining vehicle and engine control units with an ‘AI Accelerator’ (NPU) with a computing capacity of up to 26 TOPS, Marelli has brought the power of artificial intelligence to an onboard control unit. In effect it is an edge computing system incorporated into a VCU. One judge said of the AI-based ECU, “They have created a tool for engineers that they didn’t know they needed, but now it exists, the possibilities it opens up for vehicle control are almost endless.”
Powertrain Technology of the Year
Winner: Cosworth
Cosworth’s entry, the Antares 4/6 series ECUs, impressed the judges with their comprehensive capabilities at a more accessible price level than the preceding Antares 8 unit. The Antares 4 and 6 ECUs retain all the control capabilities of the Antares family. Both can support a range of powertrain technologies, including IC engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and BEVs. Along with these control capabilities, Antares 4 and 6 also offer high-rate synchronized datalogging for precision and reliability. Both new ECU units also come equipped with control features such as multipulse and stratified GDI control, active torque management and FIA-compliant real-time PPU and BOP control.
Chassis Technology of the Year – Mechanical
Winner: NS85
NS85’s Oblivion brake system impressed with its integration of top-level motorsport braking technology into a package intended for high-performance automotive use. Drawing on its extensive experience in motorsport, NS85 has deployed techniques and technologies that were previously the preserve of F1 braking systems.
Chassis Technology of the Year – Bodywork and Aerodynamics
Winner: Bcomp
Bcomp’s entry, the bio-composite-based bodywork it produced for NASCAR’s BEV prototype, was lauded for its contribution to pushing truly sustainable technology in motorsport. According to the company, which picked up this award for the second year in a row, its flax-based composite design reduces CO2 emissions by up to 85% compared with carbon fiber and enhances crash safety without sharp splintering.
Safety Innovation of the Year
Winner: Shiftec
Shiftec’s Stand Alone Emergency Clutch Release system provides a means for marshals or competitors to automatically disengage the clutch of a competition vehicle. The judges flagged the benefits of the standalone nature of the device – it requires no external power source, neither electrical or pneumatic, to operate. As a result, it greatly eases the recovery or immobilization of a crashed or stranded vehicle trackside, regardless of the state of the powertrain.
Pit and Support Equipment of the Year
Winner: CP Tech
The final category award went to CP Tech for its SetupWizzard Pro. This system integrates all of the functionality needed for setting wheel and suspension alignment within a compact and integrated package, enabling easy transportation from track to track and quick vehicle setup. The system incorporates wheel load scales, laser measurement of track angle, camber sensors and ride height measurement.
Overall Engineering Innovation of the Year
Winner: Marelli Motorsport
Judged from the individual category winners, the Overall Engineering Innovation award is presented to the highest-scoring product. Marelli Motorsport secured the award this year by some margin, highlighting the impressive levels of innovation in its VEC_480 ECU.
