HC Concepts: Engine Development

Business has become difficult for service providers in vehicle development. Large companies are slashing budgets and refrain from outsourcing completely new and lucrative drivetrain projects. 

Among other things, uncertainty about the impending ban on combustion engines in the EU (tentatively scheduled for 2035) has contributed to this, even though there has been no clear deadline for motorcycle engines so far. In addition, the threat from low-cost products in the Far East has become very real for established motorcycle brands.

Companies in China and India have accumulated a wealth of expertise that European manufacturers have served them on a silver platter in exchange for cheap powertrains and complete motorcycles. Claus Holweg, CEO of Austrian engine developer HC Concepts, knows this issue all too well, having been on site at Kymco in Taiwan in the 2010s to oversee the production of the engine for the BMW G 450 X dirt bike.

However, the experience broadened his horizons and expanded his network. Today, HC Concepts, headquartered in the Salzburg region, offers turnkey engine projects. Since 2016, the company has been increasingly relying on 3D printing for the construction of prototype parts.