Schaeffler develops solutions for future mobility

In a comprehensive study on mobility, supplier Schaeffler has investigated customer demand and behavioural patterns to the year 2025 and identified developments for future mobility requirements in different regions in the world.

The study concludes that, despite continuing globalization, there is not one overall solution to the subject of mobility. The megatrends of globalization, urbanization, digitalization, scarcity of resources, renewable energies and the growing requirements for affordable mobility are leading to changed, much more dynamic market requirements and business models.

On the basis of this mobility study, Schaeffler has developed its growth strategy to fulfill these changed market and customer requirements and utilize the enormous growth potential. Environmentally-friendly drives, urban and interurban mobility as well as the energy chain are the areas of focus, which the company is actively shaping by carrying out its own research and development in cooperation with its customers and business partners. As a global automobile and industrial supplier, Schaeffler offers relevant solutions for the "mobility for tomorrow".

Schaeffler is a development partner with a comprehensive understanding of drivetrain systems both for vehicles with internal combustion engines and for hybrid and electric mobility solutions. Its strength, the company says, lies in its breadth of knowledge which encompasses not only the automotive sphere but also all other urban and inter-urban modes of mobility such as two-wheeled transport, rail and aviation. In the field of energy, Schaeffler is a development partner for both conventional and regenerative energy production as well as the most efficient possible use of applied energy through products with minimum friction.

Schaeffler's mobility study developed four specific areas of future mobility which represent the challenges which Schaeffler can help to overcome. These are:

An assessment of the whole energy chain: Future mobility solutions will take the CO2 balance in the whole energy chain into consideration; particular attention is to be given to the production and storage of electricity for electric cars as well as to hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles; the overall static infrastructure must be taken into consideration. Dwindling resources and the major challenges of climate change mean that the global requirement for clean energy is on the increase. A global change in approach is needed, including an optimization of all stages in the energy chain. In this context, renewable energy sources begin to play a central role. Water, wind, and solar power also constitute future-oriented growth fields for Schaeffler.

New mobility ideas for cities: In the future, there will be a demand for an intermodal traffic system in a limited amount of space with a seamless interchange between different modes of transport. This will require new technical solutions. Schaeffler is actively helping to develop this trend, for example, through the eWheelDrive electric wheel hub drive. The compact packaging of the drive modules in the wheel rim creates more space in the interior of the vehicle and increases the vehicle's maneuverability. Highly integrated wheel hub drives are a key component in the new vehicle designs required in megacities. With its innovative sensor bottom bracket technology and the FAG Velomatic automatic gearshift system, Schaeffler is looking to establish e-bikes as the means of transport of the future.

Eco-friendly drive systems: The energy efficiency and therefore environmental compatibility of mobility will, to a large extent, be determined by vehicle drive systems. The development of energy efficient drive systems will therefore be the number one priority for the future. Schaeffler covers the entire spectrum, from the optimization of conventional internal combustion engines and hybrid solutions through to products for all-electric mobility, under the title Efficient Future Mobility.

As a leading global high-tech company, Schaeffler also develops market-specific concepts for fulfilling regional environmental standards and enables its customers in all regions to comply with future emission standards. For this purpose, demonstrator vehicles suited to the market were developed for each region, for example, the concept vehicle Efficient Future Mobility India with electronic clutch management or Efficient Future Mobility North America, which demonstrate how a further fuel consumption reduction of up to 15 percent can be achieved using Schaeffler innovations for the drive train.