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Eberspächer

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Eberspächer
Company typeGmbH & Co.KG
IndustryAutomotive Industry
Founded1865
Headquarters
ProductsAutomotive, climate control systems and mechanical products
Revenue4,370.8M € (2015)
Number of employees
8,611 (2015)
Websitewww.eberspaecher.com

The Eberspächer Group of Companies, with headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, is a privately owned family business that is an international automotive supplier with more than 60 locations in over 25 countries. Customers include almost all major manufacturers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. It is one of the leading system developers and suppliers of exhaust technology, vehicle heaters and air-conditioning systems worldwide and is also involved in automotive electronics for electronic networking in the vehicles.[1][2]

History

Master tinsmith Jakob Eberspächer founded the company in 1865, which soon specialised in metal-framed roof glazing. In 1914 the factory starts operating on the site of its present-day plant in Esslingen.[3] 1931 starts the production of mufflers and 1933 the development of vehicle heating systems. During the post-war emergency Eberspächer produces products such as protheses, metal cases and small cookers.

Pre-heaters for the VW Beetle went in mass production 1953. In 1960 Eberspächer took over the Neunkirchen metal works in the Saarland and set up a silencer production facility there.

Development of particulate filters for passenger cars begins in 1978. In the 1980s the company invested intensively in internationalisation: production facilities are established in France, Sweden and Switzerland. During the 1990s Eberspächer established further subsidiaries in South Africa, Czech Republic, the US, Brazil, England and Poland.

The electrical auxiliary heaters of the catem subsidiary went in series production in 1999.

In the 2000s the Research and Development Centre in Detroit as well as the North America catalytic converter plant came on stream. The firm offered tools for electronic networking with automobile bus systems for the first time in 2008. In August 2014 Eberspächer has transferred its wholly owned subsidiary Eberspaecher Electronics GmbH & Co. KG, based in Goeppingen, to STAR COOPERATION Group, based in Boeblingen.[4]

In 2010 the company acquired Sütrak[5] and enters the bus and coach air-conditioning market. In the same year took over of the Prototechnik division of Ricardo Deutschland GmbH, a firm specialising in lightweight design of exhaust systems. [6][7]

Eberspächer opened in June 2013 new Asia headquarters and production site in Shanghai/China.[8]


Products

Eberspächer Air- and Water-Heaters: Airtronic D2 (right) and Hydronic 2 Commercial (left)

Fuel Operated Heaters

  • Parking Heater Systems (motor independent water- and air-heaters with power between 1 and 35 kW) for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, construction machines and boats. (link Gasoline heater)
  • Auxiliary Heaters for consumption-optimised direct injection cars (diesel or petrol) as well as electric and hybrid vehicles.
  • Technical Support by international subsidiaries and over 11,000 service partners and specialised dealers worldwide.

Electrical Heaters

Eberspächer catem specialises in electrical auxiliary heaters. The PTC heater can be adapted to the requirements of any vehicle model and used as a de-central system, too; e.g. as head-space heating system in a convertible located in the headrest. Serial production of high-voltage heating systems (up to 500 V, up to 7 kW) for hybrid, electrical and fuel-cell vehicles is located in Germany (Herxheim, Pfalz).

Exhaust Technology

Exhaust system for passenger cars

In January 2014 Eberspächer started production at the new site in the Saxon city of Wilsdruff, Dresden. The new plant is customised especially to the production of commercial vehicle exhaust systems in accordance with the Euro 6 standard, which has been applicable for all commercial vehicles in Europe since 1 January 2014. [9]

Since the end of 2011 the company has developed and produces exhaust systems for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in Sweden.[10]

Eberspächer is prepared for Euro 6, offering mature solutions in head-start experience from the USA.[clarification needed] When the EPA 2010 legislation – a comparably strict emissions regulation – entered into force in 2009, Eberspächer was already pioneering this technology. Today, the Esslingen firm is the leading supplier in the US market.[11]

Air Conditioning

Eberspächer Sütrak develops, manufactures and sells of a comprehensive range of climate solutions for buses with conventional as well as electric, fuel-cell or hybrid drive. The subsidiary has plants in Germany (Renningen) and India. Air-conditioning systems of special-purpose vehicles are made too.

Automotive Controls

The Automotive Controls division, provides a variety of vehicle electronics applications, such as electronic control units for start-stop systems or control units for vehicle heaters. This division also develops and manufactures electronic systems such as systems for the electrical interim storage of reclaimed braking energy. The subsidiary Eberspächer Controls is a specialist for electronic controls and for switching and distributing high voltages in the vehicle. The subsidiary has its own production facility in Landau/Pfalz (Germany) site and supplies automotive manufacturers.

Production Sites

The production sites for fuel operated heaters and electrical heaters are located in Germany, England, Poland and China, for air conditioning systems in Germany and India. Exhaust Technology sites are based in Germany, France, Czech Republic, England, Sweden, South Africa, USA, Brazil, Russia and China. Production of automotive electronics is based in Germany.[12]

Performance Indicators fiscal Year 2015 [13]

  • Revenue: 4,370.8M €
  • Revenue generated abroad as a % of total revenue: 67.4%
  • Capital expenditures: 123.2M €
  • Research and development expenses: 149.6M €
  • Number of employees: 8,611

References