MAHLE Holding (China) Co., Ltd. Business Report FY ended Dec. 2020
Recent Trends
-Mahle announced the launch of a brand-new “Electronics and Mechatronics Development Center” in the city of Changshu in China. Around 70 engineers will be focusing on developing solutions for alternative drives and further expanding the company’s systems expertise in electric powertrains as well as electronics and mechatronics. Further activities will include charging solutions for electric vehicles as well as thermal management applications for alternative drives. Due to the pandemic the grand opening of the new Tech Center is slated to take place in the second half of 2021. The new site in Changshu will play a key role as a further innovation hub for the Group’s activities in the fields of alternative drives, alongside Mahle’s major technology centers for electronics and mechatronics in Kornwestheim (Germany), Šempeter pri Gorici (Slovenia) and Valencia (Spain). (From a press release on April 21, 2021)
Exhibition Information
-Mahle announced that it will showcase about 150 innovations and product solutions at the Auto Shanghai automotive show. Around two-thirds of these exhibits will come from the alternative drives and thermal management fields of technology. Mahle will showcase the latest generation of high-voltage PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heaters. An innovative method of integrating the electronics makes these heating elements more compact, lighter, and cheaper. Combined with a heat pump, the cruising ranges of electric vehicles can thus be extended by up to 20 percent and more when temperatures are around freezing. The electric compressor from Mahle is another product highlight. As the beating heart of the air conditioning and refrigerant circuit, it controls the temperature in the cabin, but most importantly, it is responsible for the air conditioning of the battery in electric vehicles. The e-compressor also allows fast charging of the battery when the vehicle is stationary. (From a press release on April 16, 2021)
R&D Trends
-Mahle announced that it will further strengthen its research and development activities by expanding its global competence centers, including those in Germany and China. The key development areas are battery systems and hydrogen applications. It has recently set up a new competence center for mechatronics in Kornwestheim, near Stuttgart. In the future, all international activities in this field will be coordinated from this location. In Fellbach, also near Stuttgart, a test bench for electric drives has been commissioned. An e-mobility development center in Suzhou, China is scheduled for completion in December. Mahle will pool its expertise in mechatronics, thermal management, and fluid management at the site and work on solutions specifically for the Chinese market. Mahle presented a current project involving a type IV hydrogen tank. The design consists of a liner made of plastic and an outer casing made of carbon fiber. The Group is also conducting validation tests of fuel cells and hydrogen-powered combustion engines. (From a press release on October 16, 2020)
Establishment of Production Facilities
| Established | Company | Content |
| May. 2015 | Mahle Compressor (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. | The company mainly produces air-conditioning compressors. |
| Jun. 2015 |
Chengdu Mahle Automotive Thermal Systems Co., Ltd. |
The company was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai Mahle Thermal Systems Co., Ltd. (Formerly: Shanghai Behr Thermal Systems Co., Ltd.) in February 2013, with an investment of CNY 170 million. This company mainly produces heaters and air conditioners for OEMs such as FAWVW, Volvo, Ford, and Changan Suzuki. |
| Jul. 2015 | Behr Hella Temperature Control Systems (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. | The company was established by Behr Hella Temperature Control Systems (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. It mainly produces automotive air-conditioning controllers. |
| May. 2016 |
Dongfeng Mahle Thermal Systems Co., Ltd. Shiyan Factory (Formerly:Dongfeng Behr Thernal Systems Co., Ltd. Shiyan Factory) |
Plant construction began in the beginning of 2015 and was completed at the end of April 2016. The company invested CNY 35 million in the first phase of the construction, in which a 12,000-square-meter plant was set up on approximately 33,000 square meters of land. The plant is capable of producing 180,000 engine-cooling systems per year. |
| May. 2017 | Mahle Changshu New Air Conditioning Compressor Plant | The Suzhou factory was relocated. The production facilities were expanded and the production capacity doubled. |
R&D Facilities
| Year established | Name | Details |
| 2013 | Mahle Automotive Technology (China) Co., Ltd. | The company is engaged in the development of automotive components and software,as well as the development and production of filter systems such as fuel filters, oil filters and air filters. |
| 2018 | Mahle Automotive Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. | The company is engaged in R&D of automotive components. |
| 2021 | Changshu Electronics and Mechatronics Development Center | The site focuses on the development of alternative fuel solutions and further expansion of systems expertise in electric powertrain, electronics and mechatronics. It also works on charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs) and the development of alternative fuel thermal management applications. |