Schaeffler opens Hungarian plant dedicated to e-mobility
September 21, 2021
Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, has opened a new production facility at its Szombathely site in Hungary, creating 150 new jobs in e-mobility. The facility is Schaeffler’s first production plant fully dedicated to electro-mobility and will be used for the production of electrified powertrains components and systems.
“Our new facility in Szombathely is a milestone in the transformation of our company and embodies our strategic priorities of innovation, agility and efficiency,” stated Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO. “The goal is sustainable mobility, and we are determined to make real progress in that direction as a key technology partner for our customers by leveraging our global network of production facilities. The new plant also highlights our ambitions to continue our strong growth in e-mobility.”
The facility’s operational footprint has been gold-certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and is said to represents a major step forward towards Schaeffler’s goal of making its production activities worldwide carbon-neutral by 2030.
Szombathely II provides around 15,000 m2 of space for the production of innovative powertrain components and solutions, such as electric motors and hybrid drives. Designed as a ‘factory for tomorrow,’ it features a high degree of automation, modular production buildings, and end-to-end digitalisation. Automated production lines and extensive use of industrial robots allow the clean, dust-free environment required by sensitive production processes used for assemblies such as stators and rotors, as well as the integration of magnets for synchronous and asynchronous motors.
Schaeffler intends to increase the facility’s round-the-clock output capacity to 800,000 products a year by 2023, and has further plans to expand its annual output of finished products for premium partners in the auto industry to 1.8 million between 2026 and 2029.
Dr Jochen Schröder, president of Schaeffler’s E-Mobility division, added, “Schaeffler has conquered its place in the e-mobility market with products that offer the combined benefits of superior technology, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The Schaeffler Group expects to be generating new orders of between €2 and €3 billion annually from its e-mobility business from 2022 on. Szombathely will make a major contribution towards this growth as a centre of excellence operating in close alignment with our main electro-mobility plant in Bühl, Germany.”
Construction work on Szombathely II started in 2020. The new facility is located about three kilometers from the first one, which open in 1996. The new plant’s electricity is supplied by photovoltaic arrays in combination with rooftop solar panels, which together will save up to 4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 annually. To help conserve natural resources, the plant re-uses treated wastewater and incorporates a rainwater collection basin. It is also extremely energy efficient, featuring heat pumps, a smart heating & cooling system, and a smart LED lighting system. Schaeffler’s total sustainability concept also includes on-site outdoor nature zones and an organic pond for enhanced local biodiversity.
