MAHLE takes over Duisburg-based start-up company O-Flexx

Stuttgart/Germany, February 13, 2017 – The MAHLE Group is expanding its expertise in the field of thermoelectrics by taking over the start-up company O-Flexx Technologies GmbH based in Duisburg/Germany. It has been agreed that the purchase price will not be disclosed.

Thermoelectrics can be utilized to convert heat into electrical energy, turning previously unused waste heat into a valuable source of energy. Conversely, this technology can also contribute to generating heating or cooling from electrical energy. Established in 2006, the start-up company O-Flexx Technologies specializes in developing thermoelectric elements, which are used, for instance, to heat up the cabin of electrified vehicles. Compared with currently available standard solutions, this method is far more efficient. For electric vehicles, in particular, the previously unresolved conflict between electric cruising range and thermal comfort is thus becoming less critical.

In vehicles with a combustion engine, for example, heat from exhaust gases can be converted into electrical energy, increasing the efficiency of the combustion engine.

“With O-Flexx, MAHLE is stepping up its operations to include thermoelectric technology and is thus laying the foundation for innovative heating and cooling management in every vehicle class,” explains Wolf-Henning Scheider, Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board and CEO. The group has already partnered with the Duisburg-based company on individual projects in the past.

About MAHLE

MAHLE is a leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry. With its products for combustion engines and their peripherals as well as solutions for electric vehicles, the group addresses all the crucial issues related to the powertrain and air conditioning technology—from engine systems and components to filtration to thermal management. MAHLE products are fitted in at least every second vehicle worldwide. MAHLE components and systems are also used off the road—in stationary applications, for mobile machinery, rail transport, as well as aerospace and marine applications.

In 2015, the group generated sales of approximately EUR 11.5 billion with around 76,000 employees and is represented in 34 countries with over 170 production locations. At 15 major development locations in Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Slovenia, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China, and India, about 6,000 development engineers and technicians are working on innovative solutions for the mobility of the future.

Further queries

MAHLE GmbH
Ruben Danisch
Corporate Communications/Public Relations
Pragstraße 26–46
70376 Stuttgart
Germany

Phone: +49 711 501-12199
Fax: +49 711 501-13700

ruben.danisch@mahle.com