Slide show: Scenes from the SAE World Congress 2014

The character of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress seems to change significantly every year. There have been times when its show floor was dominated by electric vehicle technology. In 2013 attendees could see numerous  internal combustion engine architectures on display that were novel and sometimes downright odd. This year, electric vehicle technologies were on display as well, but not as marquee developments as in years past. Instead, booth displays tended to emphasize advances aimed at energy efficiency in a variety of areas. The overall message seemed to be that automotive suppliers are aiming to make both internal combustion and electric modes of travel consume a much smaller resource footprint.