Schaeffler's new Hungarian plant to play an important role in future of mobility

As reported by autopro.hu, on September 17th Schaeffler's second site in Szombathely was inaugurated, where stators and rotors of electric motors will be manufactured in annual volumes up to 800,000 units by 2023. At the opening ceremony we interviewed Matthias Zink, the interview with the CEO can be read below.

- What role will the Research & Development Centre of the new plant in Szombathely play in the R&D activities of Schaeffler's Automotive Division?

- First of all, I consider it important to emphasize that we have already been conducting R&D activities at the research and development centre of the first plant in Szombathely. Usually, the role of development centres initially focuses on supporting local manufacturing in general, which means performing tests and quality control tasks. However, in addition to supporting tasks, the new centre also engages in development projects from the beginning, such as testing electric motors or e-axles, and as a result, Szombathely will complete the division's German headquarters in Bühl as a highly competent facility.

- What factors supported the building of the new research and development centre in Szombathely?

- Schaeffler has 75 plants and 20 R&D facilities worldwide. The primary reason for choosing Szombathely was the human factor. The locals here have a high degree of technical knowledge.

- The Schaeffler Group recognises hydrogen technology as a major growth potential. In the near future, what type of hydrogen engine solutions will the company develop for vehicles and introduce to the market?

- We are confident that hydrogen has a future, not only in cars, but also in industry, where, for example, steel or cement plants will be able to be supplied by “green” hydrogen produced via electrolysis. Hydrogen will surely play a huge role in commercial vehicles, and it has a chance in passenger vehicles too.

Schaeffler is already developing hydrogen technologies that Japanese and Korean automakers are interested in – we have already supplied them with prototypes. However, I believe that the ideal area of application for hydrogen engines are heavy trucks, and the Automotive Division is already in touch with their manufacturers. Our Industrial area is currently focusing on electrolysis technology, and in order to make better use of the synergies between the two divisions, we have set up a joint development team at the Schaeffler development centre in Herzogenaurach, Germany. However, what exact products we will be producing in five years, would still be difficult to predict. Besides manufacturing bipolar plates [Ed. note: which deliver the hydrogen and oxygen to the elementary cell in fuel cells], both our divisions can cover the entire hydrogen value chain from production to use.

- Is it possible that in the near future the components of hydrogen propulsion systems will be manufactured in Schaeffler's Hungarian plants as well?

- I wouldn’t exclude the idea. The technical conditions exist in the new plant in Szombathely, and at one point, maybe the bipolar plates will be made there. Furthermore, the facility’s products can already be fitted into hydrogen-powered vehicles since all have electric motors as well.

- During the summer of 2021, the European Commission drafted a package of proposals that would effectively ban the sale of fossil fuel cars from 2035. If the proposal is accepted, how will it affect the strategy of the Automotive Division?

- The draft is, in fact, already having an effect, but I believe we have already done the necessary preparations. We want to be part of the transition and we are also working on the development of hybrid units, e-motors and we also deal with enhancement of performance electronics, and by 2035, these new products are likely to replace those units now producing components for internal combustion drives. It is a probability, because, if we look more closely, the Commission's proposal does not envisage a ban on the internal combustion engine, but rather an emission-free operation, which is the reason why I would not dare to state that the internal combustion engine will disappear by 2035. The proposal mentions synthetic fuels, and we are open to that technology, thus it might be that we will still be manufacturing elements for internal combustion engines in the middle of the next decade.

- Does this mean that Schaeffler will even be able to manufacture components for internal combustion engines that use hydrogen?

- Exactly. If required, we will be ready to adapt the components we manufacture to either synthetic fuels or hydrogen engines. There are manufacturers who would use hydrogen as fuel cells, while others in an internal combustion engine, and we support both solutions.