Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH gets a new owner
Schaeffler has sold all shares in its subsidiary Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH to Micromobility Services and Solutions GmbH, based in Berlin. Series production of the four-wheeled pedelec Bio-Hybrid is scheduled to start in mid-2021 under the new owner.
Although Bio-Hybrid GmbH will in future operate outside the Schaeffler Group, Gerald Vollnhals will remain in the position of Managing Director. This is due to the fact that Micromobility services and solutions GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of meisterwerk ventures GmbH, which in turn is backed by five venture capitalists, including the company of Gerald Vollnhals, the current Managing Director of Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH.
The name of the company will be shortened by taking out “Schaeffler” to become Bio-Hybrid GmbH. The corporate identity around the Bio-Hybrid brand will also remain unchanged. All parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. According to the new owner, the transaction, which does not require antitrust approval, will be completed in the near future.
Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH has been working on the development of a pedelec on four wheels called Bio-Hybrid since the end of 2017. Strictly speaking, it was founded solely for this purpose. Schaeffler presented a forerunner of the Bio-Hybrid in 2016 as a vision for individual traffic in urban areas. The Bio-Hybrid combines the advantages of a bicycle with the transport volume and weather protection of a small car. The vehicle is powered by a combination of muscle power and an electric motor and can be used on cycle lanes without a driver’s license. The company, which was founded as a startup within the Schaeffler Group, has locations in Nuremberg and Munich with a total of 25 employees.
Schaeffler has sold all shares in its subsidiary Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid GmbH to Micromobility Services and Solutions GmbH, based in Berlin. Series production of the four-wheeled pedelec Bio-Hybrid is scheduled to start in mid-2021 under the new owner.
“We would like to thank Schaeffler for their support on the way to series production, which we intend to start in the second quarter of 2021,” says Vollnhals. The aim is to sell a four-digit number of the bio-hybrid in 2021. “We would like to start the reservation phase before the end of this year,” said the old and new managing director, who also guarantees that all jobs will be retained.
Uwe Wagner, Schaeffler AG’s Executive Vice President Research and Development, comments on the sale of the subsidiary as follows: “The joint development of the bio-hybrid was a very exciting project in which all those involved learned a lot. We are pleased to have paved the way for a successful future for this promising concept. The new company will be able to act even more agile in the future, independently of the Schaeffler Group, and to push ahead with series production in a more targeted manner”.
Meanwhile, the bio-hybrid has been extensively tested over the past few months. The model was originally planned for series production at the end of 2020 but the market launch has now been postponed by half a year. The four-wheeled vehicle should make a name for itself as a vehicular transformer. The model is equipped with a roof and windshield but open to the sides, and will be available either with a second passenger seat, a 1,500-liter box body or as a pickup variant with an open loading area. The modular design of the cargo version also allows for special applications, such as a coffee bar or refrigerated truck. Apart from such special applications, the bio-hybrid ergo is expected to score particularly well in passenger transport, in factory or campus fleets and in courier and parcel services.
The bio-hybrid manages with one-third of the parking space of a small car and is driver’s license and registration-free in most countries. The electric drive supports the user – like a pedelec – up to a speed of 25 km/h. Detailed data on the vehicle’s electric drive and battery are still not available.
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