As the automotive industry worldwide makes the transition to electric mobility, component and technology companies are benefitting from the shift. One example is Bosch, whose product portfolio includes everything from e-bikes to construction equipment, from silicon carbide chips to pre-integrated e-axle modules. Bosch says it is growing twice as fast as the market and expects to generate more than 1 billion euros (Rs 8,267 crore) in sales from the e-mobility industry this year.

By 2025, Bosch expects sales to increase fivefold. At IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich yesterday, Dr. Volkmar Denner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bosch and Chairman of the Bosch Group, said,  “Electric mobility is Bosch’s core business and CO2-free mobility is growing. We are turning challenges into opportunities. This is how Bosch works.”

Bosch has till date invested 5 billion euros  (Rs 41,335 crore) in electromobility and has what it says “the most efficient electric powertrain solutions on the market.” Upfront investment will reach 700 million euros (Rs 5,787 crore) this year alone. 

Dr Stefan Hartung, member of the Bosch Board of Directors and Chairman of the Bosch Mobility Solutions business unit, said: “We are preparing for the growing demand for electric vehicles worldwide. Globally, by 2035, we predict that 60% of new registered vehicles will be electric.”
“In the case of e-bikes, Bosch has shown that innovation can create a market over the past decade,” said Denner, chairman of the Bosch Group. "Bosch's goal is to create a mobility of the future that encompasses the full range," he said. “This is the only way people and cargo can be mobile in the future,” he added.

To make this happen, the company is pursuing a technology-neutral approach, providing climate-friendly solutions for all forms of mobility that meet the requirements of national policy. It is investing in fuel-cell powertrains as well as battery-electric powertrains and is participating in customer projects in China, the United States and Europe. The first trucks with Bosch technology are already on the roads in China.

New flexible charging cable 
Charging plays a decisive role in electric driving. At the IAA 2021 in Munich, Bosch is showcasing its new flexible charging cable for electric vehicles for the first time. It includes adapters for integrated control, safety technology, Type 2 and household plugs. 

Bosch’s new flexible smart charging cable with integrated control and safety technology also does without the usual bulky in-cable control box.

Even when charging from a 230 volt power socket, it can be charged without an in-cable control box, resulting in a total weight of 3kg, which is 40% lighter than a conventional charging cable including a control box. In addition, to relieve drivers of the burden of finding a place to charge while driving, the Bosch web-based charging service guides them to more than 200,000 charging stations in Europe, including hassle-free and convenient payments.

Dr. Volkmar Denner: “Electromobility will become a core business for us, and CO₂-free mobility a growth area. We are turning challenges into opportunities.”