Thermal management and electrification are fundamental strategic pillars of the Mahle Group, said Jumana Al-Sibai, Member of the Management Board of the group, at an event in the Mahle climatic wind tunnel in Stuttgart.
The climatic wind tunnel is an essential element of the thermal management development of the group and has been pioneering mobility for over 85 years. The facility was built in 1937 as the world’s first wind tunnel for the automotive industry. In 2000, it was completely modernised as part of a new construction.
A press release from the group noted that with around €4.5 billion, a 16% growth compared with 2021, thermal management was the strongest area in terms of sales and growth in 2022.
“The sales potential for thermal management in e-cars is three times higher than for vehicles with combustion engines. Thermal management is the driver of electrification at Mahle,” said Al-Sibai. She added that the market for these technologies is growing significantly due to e‑mobility. From a total global volume of around €35 billion for thermal management products in 2021, the group expects it to reach more than €50 billion by 2030.
“We want to participate disproportionately in this growth. We will further expand our established status as a systems provider with a focus on energy efficiency and air conditioning,” she said.
The group has developed innovative technologies to increase the cruising range and fast-charging capability of electric vehicles and bring more comfort to e-cars.
The press release stated that in the case of the e-car, key acceptance factors for end customers depend on thermal management: the service life of the battery, the cruising range of the e‑car, the performance of the drive system, and fast-charging capability.
At all times and under all climatic conditions, each drive system component requires the correct temperature. At the same time, thermal management ensures a feel-good climate in the vehicle cabin - comfort for the driver is not only pleasant but also a safety factor. The interior air conditioning must have as little influence as possible on the cruising range.
This results in high demands on the complete system, and the complexity and value of the individual components increase considerably. For example, for compact electric vehicles (C segment), the group expects the value of components to increase by more than 100% compared to a car with an internal combustion engine.
To reduce the cost and complexity of the system while increasing efficiency, Mahle has developed a new thermal management module. It combines, for instance, a heat exchanger, coolant pumps, condenser, chiller, sensors and valves in one unit.
“We save installation space, engineering effort and costs. At the same time, we are becoming significantly more efficient: up to 20% more cruising range can be achieved with our module in a system network with a heat pump in comparison with a pure electric heater architecture. The higher cooling performance improves fast-charging capability,” said Dr Uli Christian Blessing, Head, Global Development Thermal Management, Mahle.
The company has also developed numerous new system components, such as an electric fan which ensures efficient cooling during charging and remains pleasantly quiet. Air-conditioning compressors also play an important role. The latest development is the most powerful in the world, with up to 18 kilowatts. The total order volume for electric air conditioning compressors to date is around €1.4 billion.
In addition, the group is one of the top suppliers worldwide with its innovative heat pump systems. They help reduce the energy consumption of an electric vehicle and enable the installation of smaller and lower-cost batteries.
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