Electrification is the topic of the future for Mahle and the company will position itself as the system champion in e-mobility, Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, Mahle has said.
At the Tech Day in the run-up to the IAA Mobility in Munich in September, Franz said the battery electric vehicles offer the company a sales potential almost three times higher than vehicles with combustion engines. The Group focuses on electric drives and intelligent charging in this area. The aim is to increase cruising range and performance, as well as to advance fast-charging capability and charging convenience, he said.
Believing that systems expertise is a crucial success factor in electrification, Franz noted that the interaction of the individual components in electric drives is much more complex than in internal combustion engines.
The company presented a new technology kit for electric motors that combines the advantages of the benchmark SCT and MCT electric motors. The 'perfect motor' combines permanently high peak power, contactless and thus wear-free power transmission, the elimination of rare earths, and the highest efficiency.
Thermal Management Module
In addition, the company said that it has developed a new thermal management module that brings together essential thermal management components, reducing installation space, development effort and costs and making the complete system significantly efficient with up to 20% more cruising range, eventually needing the battery to be charged less often.
Efficient thermal management is what makes efficient e-mobility possible in the first place. Heating and cooling in vehicles is an essential technology field for electrification and a core business of the Group. “Mahle has excellent expertise in both areas-electrification and thermal management. This enables thermal systems solutions for battery electric vehicles, hybrids and conventionally driven vehicles,” Franz said.
It may be recalled that during the past two years, the technology company introduced two highly innovative electric motors: the MCT (Magnet-free Contactless Transmitter), which operates contactless and without rare earths, and the endurance champion SCT (Superior Continuous Torque) electric motor. Now, for the first time, the Group is combining the characteristics of the two concepts in a technology kit. “With this unique construction kit for electric motors, we can offer our customers customized solutions,” Franz said.
Charging Infrastructure
In terms of charging infrastructure, the company is focusing on wireless charging and wired solutions for long-term parkers (Mahle chargeBIG) – a convenient and promising alternative for e-vehicles. Together with Siemens, the company is developing a complete infrastructure and automotive engineering system to set standards for inductive charging systems.
Automated Positioning System
During Tech Day, the automotive supplier unveiled a new automated positioning system for this charging technology, in which the vehicle detects the induction surface in the ground and provides positioning assistance to the driver.
The Group said it is also working on innovative products for independent workshops in the service and spare parts business. The latest example is a new vehicle- and manufacturer-independent battery diagnostic solution for electric vehicles, which it will launch in the current year. E-Health Charge combines charging and diagnostics and provides reliable information about the 'health' of the high-voltage battery. The measurement takes less than 15 minutes.
ICE
Mahle remains a reliable supplier to its customers for combustion engines as long as there is demand in the global markets. The Group is using its expertise in combustion engines to pave the way for sustainable fuels on the engine side. For example, hydrogen engines are a quick way to decarbonise propulsion, especially for heavy-duty commercial vehicles and off-highway applications. The company recently received the first series order from Deutz for components to be used in stationary engines.
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