The electric air conditioning compressor from MAHLE, which is the beating heart of the air conditioning and refrigerant circuit in electric vehicles, has been recognized by the European Association of Automotive Suppliers at the prestigious CLEPA Innovation Awards 2019. MAHLE prevailed in a strong field of 63 competitors to win the prize in the Environment category.
Dr. Otmar Scharrer, head of Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering, accepted the accolade at an award ceremony in Brussels/Belgium. “We see this award as a further acknowledgment of our work. The electric air conditioning compressor from MAHLE operates on a demand basis, so it only uses as much energy as it needs, thus ensuring greater efficiency and cruising range. In this way, it is helping to make individual mobility more climate friendly. At the same time, this technology allows the battery to be charged quickly when the vehicle is stationary—a process that requires cooling. This rapid charging capability makes a substantial contribution to e-mobility’s widespread acceptance by consumers,” stated Dr. Scharrer.
MAHLE’s e-compressor is the result of a cooperative project within the MAHLE Group that has spanned disciplines, business areas, and national borders. “The know-how and experience of the experts at our MAHLE locations in North America and Europe have fed into the development of this technology. With our e‑compressor, we are supplying a product that offers outstanding adaptability to specific customer requirements,” explained Dr. Armin Frommer, head of Product Development E‑Compressors at MAHLE.
The e-compressor from MAHLE is the beating heart of the air conditioning and refrigerant circuit in an electric vehicle. It takes on the central role of controlling the temperature in the cabin, but most importantly, it is responsible for the air conditioning of the critical component in the electric vehicle’s powertrain: its battery. Keeping the battery at the right temperature makes a crucial impact on its service life and charging speed as well as on the cruising range of the electric vehicle.
Electric compressors are strategically important to MAHLE. They are enabling the technology group to build on its position as a complete systems provider in the field of air conditioning for electric vehicles too. In addition to the e-compressors themselves, MAHLE develops and produces the electric drives they require as well as the electronics and software.
About MAHLE
MAHLE is a leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry as well as a pioneer for the mobility of the future. The MAHLE Group is committed to making transportation more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more comfortable by continuously optimizing the combustion engine, driving forward the use of alternative fuels, and laying the foundation for the worldwide introduction of e-mobility. The group’s product portfolio addresses all the crucial issues relating to the powertrain and air conditioning technology—both for drives with combustion engines and for e-mobility. MAHLE products are fitted in at least every second vehicle worldwide. Components and systems from MAHLE are also used off the road—in stationary applications, for mobile machinery, rail transport, as well as marine applications.
In 2018, the group generated sales of approximately EUR 12.6 billion with more than 79,000 employees and is represented in over 30 countries with 160 production locations. At 16 major research and development centers in Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Spain, Slovenia, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China, and India, more than 6,100 development engineers and technicians are working on innovative solutions for the mobility of the future.