Webasto to focus on electric mobility solutions

Supplier Webasto has announced its strategy for the next few years and electric transport solutions, namely batteries and charging equipment are to play a prominent role. The company wants to invest 600,000 million euros over the next three years.

Not all of the investment sum but a large part has been earmarked to further develop their electric transport business. Says Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Webasto: “An important focus will be the expansion of new fields of business for the electromobility market.”

In the case of Webasto, their latest foray into the segment saw them signing an agreement with Samsung SDI covering the development and distribution of a battery module. The cooperation between the German and the Korean company aims to offer customised battery systems to manufacturers of commercial vehicles (we reported). Moreover, Webasto recently gained its first build-to-print order for a battery system from a manufacturer of busses.

Also, the firm’s first charging solutions were brought to market last year and are produced at the company’s electronics site in Schaidt. Still, they have made it to the United States, where Webasto exhibited their wares at this year’s CES, reportedly offering a broad range of domestic charging solutions, entry-level systems as well as stations with connectivity and smart home capabilities.

Apart from batteries and charging solutions, the advance of hybrid and electric cars has also resulted in gains for Webasto in their thermo and air conditioning business. It generated 553 million euros, amounting to 16 percent of total sales in 2017. With regards to the segment of high voltage heaters for hybrid and plug-in vehicles, Webasto say they have received “more than 60 orders for these devices from manufacturers worldwide – interest is particularly high in China.”

Therefore, Webasto will not only expand production at their Neubrandenburg site close to Berlin but also create a new facility in the Chinese City of Wuhan by the end of 2019.

webasto-group.com (PI)