Castrol has unveiled the schedule for its Hybrid Horizons 2025 virtual conference, an event exploring the innovations, challenges and opportunities shaping hybrid mobility.
Taking place from 25 February to 1 March, the conference will bring together world-leading experts, OEMs and motorsport pioneers for a series of discussions designed to define the future of hybrid technology.
Participants will have access to a range of content divided into four key zones: Insight, Innovation, Tech and Motorsport. Each zone will feature tailored sessions, including discussions, roundtables and behind-the-scenes, for attendees to choose from to create a personalised experience.
The Insight Zone provides insights into hybrid technology’s role in shaping the future of mobility. One session, Gen Z, Women, and Mobility, will explore what these key demographics think about hybrids and their influence on mobility’s future. Industry voices such as independent researcher Hannah Marcus, Discover.ai’s Sophie Nathan-King and TRL’s Karla Jakeman will offer perspectives from consumer insights to social media trends, highlighting the key drivers behind hybrid adoption.
The Innovation Zone will spotlight the breakthroughs driving hybrid development, including an exclusive session with a team member behind Toyota’s Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid. Zenvo Automotive will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the development of its hybrid hypercar, showcasing the engineering behind its powertrain. And JLR will share how it’s applying learnings from the Jaguar TCS Racing team, who compete in the all-electric racing series of Formula E, to the development of its hybrid road vehicles.
Elsewhere, Neil Wu, from global consulting firm Roland Berger, and Steve Schwall, from design and innovation consultancy IDEO, will take part in the Workshop of the Future panel discussion where they will look at what workshops could look like in this next chapter and hybrid’s role within.
The Tech Zone will dive into the technical innovations defining hybrid systems. In the Why Hybrids Matter panel, experts from BloombergNEF, Castrol, FEV Consulting and MAHLE Powertrain will compare the challenges and opportunities of ICE, hybrid and EV technologies. Attendees will gain insights into HYSPEC, Castrol’s technical benchmark for hybrid engine oils addressing contaminants, engine intermittency and system efficiency.
Motorsport continues to serve as the ultimate proving ground for hybrid technology and the Motorsport Zone will examine how racing innovations drive advancements in everyday cars. Audi representatives, including Stefan Dreyer, Chief Technical Officer for Audi Formula Racing GmbH, and Rolf Michl, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH, will discuss the transfer of hybrid learnings from racetrack to road. Participants can also take a virtual tour of Audi’s F1 Power Unit facility in Neuburg, hear from Neel Jani, Audi Simulator driver for Power Unit development and discover hybrid milestones through an exclusive look at the hidden Audi Museum, hosted by motorsport legend Allan McNish.
The free-to-join Hybrid Horizons 2025 virtual event will kick off with a live broadcast from Audi’s F1 Power Unit facility in Neuburg, Germany. Attendees will gain insights from authorities in hybrid technology, including representatives from major vehicle manufacturers, technology firms and top-tier motorsport teams.
With a variety of content available until 1 March 2025, participants can create a personalised ‘playlist’ of sessions, selecting discussions most relevant to their needs. For original equipment manufacturers, workshop owners, fleet managers and engineers, this is described as an opportunity to access world-class insights and shape the future of mobility.
