Webasto has inaugurated its new roof plant and battery centre in Jiaxing (Zhejiang Province) near Shanghai.
“With the opening of our new location in Jiaxing, we are continuing to consistently pursue the implementation of our dual strategy of strengthening our core business with roofs and expanding our new business area with solutions for electromobility in China, the biggest single market for Webasto worldwide,” said Webasto chairman, Holger Engelmann.
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Since last autumn Webasto has been manufacturing electric heaters and charging stations – in addition to roofs – at its new site in Wuhan. In Jiaxing, the automotive supplier has now established a battery centre in addition to a roof production facility.
“Having successfully entered the European market with electromobility solutions, we are now pleased to be able to offer our Chinese customers our complete extended product range,” added Engelmann.
“Despite the challenges of the market we see further growth potential for Webasto here.”
Entering the Chinese market in 2001, Webasto supplies most global and local automotive manufacturers. Webasto China produces around 6.5m roofs for Chinese customers annually, plus high-voltage heaters and charging stations. Jiaxing is the 11th wholly-owned site Webasto has in China.
With 36,000 square metres of constructed area, the new plant has a production capacity of 1.5m roofs a year. The new battery centre provides capabilities for testing, prototyping and producing battery systems.
Across an area of 9,600 square metres the centre is equipped to test performance of cells, modules and entire battery packs in extreme temperatures.
The overall production and testing area in Jiaxing totals 44,000 square metres. The number of employees at the site is expected to rise from around 200 to 460 in 2020.
