Mahle amps up electrification R&D, battery-cooling capability

Best known for pistons and other reciprocating components inside internal combustion engines (ICE), Stuttgart-based Tier 1 Mahle claims it is keeping the R&D throttle wide open to cement its role in propulsion's electrified future. Laying out its near-term development vision via a virtual event in October, CEO Jörg Stratmann and engineering lead Martin Berger reiterated the continuing role ICE will play, augmented via hybrid and fuel-cell technologies in larger commercial applications.

According to Stratmann, Mahle's technology group is maintaining its extensive R&D investments despite the COVID crisis, and that it is expanding its global footprint in key development areas including battery systems and hydrogen applications. These include a hydrogen infrastructure testing installation begun at its headquarters in Stuttgart, and an expanding battery R&D facility scheduled to open in December 2020 in Suzhou, China, which will focus on solutions specifically for the Chinese market.