Bosch Group sells starter motor division to ZMJ  

The Bosch Group’s well-established starter motor and generator division has completed its transition to an independent company and will operate as SEG Automotive, effective immediately, including the local division SEG Automotive India.

The company’s new owner is Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co (ZMJ) and an investment group. SEG Automotive India is an integral part of the global growth and production strategy.

Set up in 1958, ZMJ is one of the largest developers and manufacturers of mining machinery. With the acquisition of ASIMCO, a significant Chinese automotive supplier, ZMJ established the automobile sector as a second pillar of its business operations. In acquiring SEG Automotive, the Group is taking another logical step to becoming a global player in this sector. The Group comprises a total of 22 subsidiaries, stock companies and holdings worldwide.

According to Anil Kumar M R, managing director, SEG Automotive India, "The name is new, but SEG Automotive is committed to continuity, especially in terms of location strategy and our employees. Their many years of experience in the company, competence and commitment contribute significantly to our success. In the future, our locations in India will play an even more important role in the worldwide SEG Automotive business, and continue to be an attractive employer in India. We strongly collaborate with our customers to remain as the preferred partner in the automotive industry”

More than a century ago – in March 1914 – Bosch presented its first electric starter motor for vehicles. It replaced the arduous and often hazardous cranking by hand. The year before had seen the introduction of the ‘Bosch light’. It powered the first electric lights for cars – and is the origin of the generators still commonly in use today. This Bosch division went on to continuously improve the efficiency and functionality of starter motors and generators for passenger cars and commercial vehicles – by inventing the trend-setting start/stop, for example. With its highly innovative BRM (Boost Recuperation Machine), SEG Automotive is now paving the way for a cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly hybrid technology for vehicle manufacturers and their customers: the BRM enables regenerative braking and energy storage via a 48-volt electrical system to save fuel, enable a performance boost when passing or even to ‘coast’ with the engine switched off.

CO₂ reduction for all drive technologies

The new company is committed to further expanding its contribution to the reduction of CO₂ emissions from passenger cars and commercial vehicles in order to address the challenge of climate protection – globally and across all drive technologies. Even though e-mobility continues to gain ground: the combustion engine will remain a pillar of individual mobility worldwide for many years to come. This presents vehicle manufacturers with major challenges with regard to reducing fleet consumption and requires new solutions to achieve climate protection goals (i.e. CO₂ regulations).

With the BRM, SEG Automotive already offers a technology for hybridising petrol and diesel engines in a cost-effective manner. Through the use of BRM, fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions can be reduced by about 15 percent. Advanced start/stop technology, as well as high-efficiency generators from the SEG Automotive portfolio also provide significant CO₂ savings.

From the outset, the new company will be one of the most significant suppliers in its market segments. With 16 locations worldwide, over 8,000 employees and a powerful product range, SEG Automotive says it is strongly positioned across the world to meet the current and future challenges of automobile manufacturers. At the crucial points, the company goes for continuity: all locations will be retained, the focus remains on highest product quality and innovation through powerful engineering – and the journey towards e-mobility that started with the development of the BRM will continue.