Abstract
Non of the inventions of mankind has granted us more physical mobility than the automobile. In the
European Union almost 80 % of passenger traffic and 75 % of the transportation of goods are managed by motorcars. The advantages of automotive traffic have different impacts on environment. Modern cars must meet the whole range of environmental legislations before being allowed to be operated on public road. In automotive traffic, the internal combustion piston engine with its SI and diesel variants has asserted itself as the almost exclusive type of power plants. These engine concepts are expected to prevail on the market in the next 5 to 10 years. Of the alternative drive system, only the hybrid powerplant and fuel cell concepts are intensively pursued at the time being.