(Yicai) Dec.10 -- MAHLE has expanded its powertrain portfolio to include solutions for electric vehicles as well as internal combustion engine cars, according to Philipp Grosse Kleimann, Member of the MAHLE Management Committee and head of the Lifecycle and Mobility business unit.

"We have basically invented the piston, and we are going to sell the last piston on this planet," Grosse Kleimann told Yicai at Automechanika Shanghai 2025. “We have been evolving into the field of EVs, including offering things like onboard charging units and input filters to be the first one in the aftermarket that can offer that to customers.”

Global EV sales will likely reach 20.9 million units this year, accounting for 24 percent of the total, with China continuing to lead the electrification transition, according to a forecast by Frost & Sullivan. China's EV sales surged 33 percent to 12.94 million units in the first 10 months of the year from a year earlier, making up 47 percent of the total, per data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

MAHLE's strategy focuses on three key fields, which are electric and electronic components for EVs, thermal management systems, and sustainable internal combustion engine vehicles, Grosse Kleimann explained.

"The thermal business is becoming more and more important because it's focusing on both ends, EV battery packs and combustion engines," Grosse Kleimann noted.

This enables MAHLE to serve hybrid and range-extender vehicles, segments with a particular strong momentum in China, where EVs are projected to account for 40 percent of all cars by 2030." Since we have these three strategic fields, we feel we are well prepared for the future," Grosse Kleimann said.

China as Key Production Base

China remains one of MAHLE's most important production hubs. The company operates 135 manufacturing locations worldwide, including 51 in Asia.

Since MAHLE applied original equipment manufacturing quality standards, it has co-developed with car, truck, and two- and three-wheeled manufacturers, Grosse Kleimann said. “We have very high OEM standards in our factories in China.”

These facilities supply not only the domestic market but also global customers, according to Grosse Kleimann. “We export a lot from China into the world because in China, we find the right quality and the right competency to cater to the needs of the world.”

MAHLE is also deepening its partnership with Chinese automakers expanding overseas, Grosse Kleimann noted, without revealing their names. He also added that the firm works with "very prominent" Chinese OEMs and follows them into international markets.

"When they go into the market, they also need a service partner, someone who can provide the parts, the competence, the training," Grosse Kleimann explained. “This is where MAHLE comes into play because we have the global footprint to support them.”

MAHLE's presence in over 150 countries gives it a unique advantage in backing Chinese OEMs' global ambitions. "We can support them not only with parts manufactured in China and exported, but also with local presence in those markets -- local warehousing, local technical support, local training facilities," Grosse Kleimann said.

His advice to Chinese OEMs is not to focus on sales only, but also to think about the services from day one, which allows them to have loyal customers going forward.

From Parts Supplier to Mobility Enabler

MAHLE's aftermarket division was renamed in MAHLE Lifecycle and Mobility division in January, signaling a shift from hardware supplier to full-lifecycle vehicle support provider.

"Our customers no longer need a partner only for the parts supply," Grosse Kleimann said. Workshops will play an increasingly vital role in extending vehicle lifespans, he noted, adding that MAHLE aims to “create solutions to keep the cars on the street, to keep the customers mobile.”

Market demand supports this shift. China is expected to have 450 million cars in circulation by 2030, according to Lang Xuehong, deputy secretary-general of the China Automobile Dealers Association. As the country's auto fleet grows and ages, the independent aftermarket is gaining importance.

To support workshops facing more complex EV and hybrid architectures, MAHLE is building bundled digital solutions combining diagnostics, tools, and data. For China, the company will launch the workshop equipment ACX next year, which is a machine to look at the AC functionality of the car and the air condition.

MAHLE also put a huge focus on the training to support the workshops. A training channel via WeChat with a huge number of followers transmits relevant MAHLE technology for the mechanics in their daily work.

China will be a driver for MAHLE’s business in the next three to five years, according to Grosse Kleimann. “Chinese workshops love MAHLE, and they ask us for more […], and this is what we're working on a daily basis.”

Editor: Futura Costaglione