At Auto Shanghai 2025, MAHLE will present a radial blower for automotive air conditioning systems that improves efficiency while significantly reducing noise development. The development, which has been specially designed for vehicles with challenging installation space, has been guided by an example from nature. The aerodynamic shape of the fan blades has been modeled after the fins of a penguin, which glide swiftly and quickly through the water.

Due to this biomimetic design, the fan is 4 decibels (dB) or 60% quieter in comparison to similar components. At the same time, it is around 15% more efficient as the motor requires less energy due to the optimized design.

The bioinspired radial blower sits in front of the evaporator and makes the design of the air conditioner symmetrical and narrow. This creates more space for other components, a crucial advantage especially in battery electric vehicles.

The radial blower can be used in all passenger car classes as well as in light and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

The Group has already used nature as a guide on several occasions in the past. The bioinspired cooling plate and bioinspired high-performance fan for electric vehicles enable the automotive supplier to improve efficiency considerably.

The most crucial factor in the rapid development process was a company-owned AI tool.