Bosch and Daimler finalize EM-motive electric motor joint venture
13 September 2011
Robert Bosch GmbH and Daimler AG have concluded negotiations and signed an agreement for the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture, named EM-motive GmbH, to develop and manufacture electric motors. (Earlier post.) By 2020, the joint venture expects to produce more than one million electric traction motors.
The contract is subject to approval by the responsible antitrust authorities. The new company will be headquartered in Hildesheim, where a manufacturing site will also be located.
The cooperation between Bosch and Daimler in the area of e-mobility aims to pool expertise and utilize synergies to speed up the development of high-quality traction machines for electric vehicles with batteries, fuel cells or range extenders.
The joint venture’s development site will be located in the Stuttgart area, where both parent companies are headquartered. Some 100 associates will begin working for the joint venture in the fourth quarter of 2011. EM-motive GmbH will be headed by two executives of equal status from each of the parent companies.
From 2012, the joint venture’s traction machines will be featured in vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands. The new generation of the smart fortwo electric drive, which is set to be launched in the spring of 2012, will be the first vehicle to be equipped with EM-motive technologies.
A feature of the joint venture's electric motors is their modularity. It will enable Bosch to offer its customers a broad range of motors that are suited to vehicles of different classes, including a range of purely electric vehicles. The motors can be adapted to different performance requirements, and can be fitted in many types of vehicle, including cars, vans, and delivery vehicles.
Bosch will be able to sell EM-motive products to third party customers, creating economies of scale, which will help keep costs down.
Bosch + Mercedes can certainly mass produce high quality, high efficiency e-motors for future e-vehicles. A JV (Bosch - Siemens) could do even better. Other large JVs will compete in this huge future market.
Posted by: HarveyD | 13 September 2011 at 05:26 PM
"By 2020, the joint venture expects to produce more than one million electric traction motors."
When never bankrupt Goliaths like this state.. "By 2020, the joint venture expects to produce more than one million electric traction motors." - EVs are here to stay.
Gas is already around $10/gallon in most of the world. When the price again doubles or range exceeds 200 miles or battery recharges/swaps require only a few minutes, one million traction motors won't be near enough.
Posted by: kelly | 14 September 2011 at 06:23 AM
You are right kelly.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 14 September 2011 at 10:24 AM