WHAT DRIVES US

THE SUM OF ALL THE

PARTSGearbox developer Tobias Lösche-ter Horst only

started working on engines at the age of 42. Today he is not only head of powertrain research at

Volkswagen Group, but also chairs the scientific advisory committee at the FVV. The researcher is

convinced that the powertrain of the future will not come about by focusing on individual areas,

but on the system as a whole.

TOBIAS LÖSCHE-TER HORST

It was clear to his mother from an early age: ‘Tobias will

be an engineer.’ Whatever used to break in the house – from

his sisters’ bikes to the food mixer – the schoolboy was on

hand with a screwdriver. ‘I was allowed to mend everything,’

recalls Tobias Lösche-ter Horst, who is now responsible for

powertrain research at the Volkswagen Group. As his school

exams drew nearer, he also started tinkering with old cars.

It was around the time that Atari and Commodore marketed

the first home computers. Lösche-ter Horst was in two minds

and also thought about an IT degree. Today he is pleased that

he opted for mechanical engineering. ‘It is important for me

to be able to hold the parts in my hand.’ It would be sev-

eral years before Lösche-ter Horst put down the spanner.

Even during his doctoral studies and his first years at Volks-

wagen, he often couldn’t resist the temptation of lending a

hand himself.

Lösche-ter Horst came to the engine via the gearbox. He wrote

his dissertation on the life-time design of synchronisers at

the University of Hanover and subsequently worked there as

a senior engineer. His big opportunity came at Volkswagen’s

gearbox development division in 1998, when he was handed

the job of overseeing tests on continuously variable trans-

mission (CVT) for the transverse front-mounted engine. Many

experts in the industry at the time assumed that CVT was

more sensible than trying to offer as many gears as possible.

Lösche-ter Horst threw himself into the job with real enthu-

siasm – but the project was soon wound up. That’s because

Volkswagen was simultaneously working on the first DSG dual-

clutch gearbox, which went into series production in 2002.

‘As an engineer, you have to be able to deal with such set-

backs,’ says Lösche-ter Horst, reflecting on his situation at

the time. As head of powertrain research, he also has to dis-

continue projects that turn out to be on the wrong track.

‘Even though it is important to try out many different things

in the area of research, failure is also part of the job.’ After

all, the transfer rate from laboratory to series production

alone is not what counts for a company. On the contrary, even

channels that ultimately are not pursued must still be care-

fully analysed. ‘The important thing is that we do not over-

look anything.’ Lösche-ter Horst draws an analogy between

research and a plantation. ‘It is clear to everyone that every

other seedling must be removed at some point, otherwise the

rest of the trees would not have enough room to grow.’

It is important to Lösche-ter Horst to give the employees

concerned a sense of perspective at all times. Once the CVT

project had come to an end, he himself initially moved onto

Research must overlook nothing

DR TOBIAS LÖSCHE- TER HORSTBorn 1964

During his mechanical engineering

degree course at the University of Hanover, Lösche-ter Horst initially

specialised in reciprocating engines,

but was eventually awarded a doctorate

for his work on gearbox synchronisers.

After a spell as senior engineer at

the university, he started testing CVT

gearboxes at Volkswagen in 1988.

After occupying other roles, Lösche-

ter Horst took on responsibility for

the predevelopment of gearboxes in

2004. After two and a half years he

was appointed head of predevelopment

of petrol engines. In 2009 he was

installed as head of powertrain research at Volkswagen. Lösche-

ter Horst has been Chairman of the

scientific advisory committee at

the FVV since autumn 2015. He is

married and has three children.

WHAT DRIVES US22 23

After all, the CO2 potentials of many technologies do not

add up, because some of them are based on the same

physical principles.’ Instead, it is necessary to focus on the

interactions, even beyond the system boundaries of the

combustion engine. ‘We shouldn’t be blinkered and must

therefore also work very hard on electrifying the combus-

tion engine.’

Lösche-ter Horst is also involved in emission-free mobility

when he finds time for his hobby: having been a keen skiff

sailor in his youth on the lake known as Steinhuder Meer,

near Hanover, he now owns a boat with three narrow hulls

arranged in parallel: a trimaran, moored on the Baltic Sea.

Merely sailing around at a leisurely pace is not enough for

Lösche-ter Horst. ‘A trimaran is narrow and uncomfortable –

but very fast. The difference between a trimaran and many

yachts is almost as big as the difference between a motor-

home and a Porsche.’ Doing battle with the wind, water and

tides is the perfect way for the powertrain researcher to

relax and frees his mind for new ideas at work.

Interactions beyond system boundaries

According to Lösche-ter Horst, the most important role

for engine research today is finding ways to achieve max-

imum CO2 efficiency. ‘It’s not just about meeting legal

requirements. The real key for us will be to continue to

cut actual consumption at customer level in particular.’

In addition, the combustion engine will have to move to-

wards zero polluting emissions. Such ambitious and, at

times, opposing aims cannot be achieved with individual

technologies. ‘However, the whole is sometimes also less

than the sum of all its parts,’ explains Lösche-ter Horst.

‘You cannot simply fit everything available into one engine.

the development of the dual-clutch gearbox and after a brief

spell in product management he took on responsibility for the

advanced development of gearboxes and then, in 2006, pet-

rol engines in quick succession. As a gearbox man, Lösche-ter

Horst was initially something of a rare bird. He was working

in a number of new areas ranging from exhaust gas after-

treatment to fully variable valve timing. ‘Bringing about such

a change won’t happen by focusing on individual areas, but by

having faith in a highly qualified team,’ says Lösche-ter Horst.

‘We have to abandon old ways of thinking; engine here, gearbox

there. The future belongs to joined-up thinking.’

When Lösche-ter Horst took over responsibility for powertrain

research at Volkswagen in 2009, he immediately got involved

in the FVV as head of the 'thermodynamics' working group. In

autumn 2015 he was elected chairman of the scientific advisory

committee. In this role he makes the case for research at the

FVV: ‘In the long term, we will need both the combustion engine

and the electric propulsion. Even if 50 per cent of new cars are

electric in 20 years’ time, we are still talking about 50 million

new engines. Looking at it from the perspective of climate pro-

tection, it would therefore be negligent if we didn’t continue to

carry out intensive research into the combustion engine.’

Photo: More than two million people visit Volkswagen’s Autostadt every year – and inform themselves about modern automotive and engine technology there.

WHAT DRIVES US24 25