At IAA Transportation (commercial vehices show in Hanover), Mahle is showing a fuel cell truck exhibit with fuel cell peripherals and stressing that commercial vehicles are a key lever for carbon-neutral mobility.

In view of an expanding global economy and population growth, Mahle says road transport volumes are expected to grow by over 40 percent by 2030, compared with 2019. “We are committed to shaping a sustainable transportation sector with a view to strengthening the foundations for economic growth,” said Arnd Franz, Mahle CEO, speaking at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover.

At this year’s international commercial vehicle show, Mahle is showcasing a complete system for a fuel cell truck with fuel cell peripherals, thermal management and a fully functional heavy-duty electric axle.

Other Mahle product innovations include a high-performance, fuel-saving evaporative cooling system for demanding fuel cell and electric vehicles as well as a bionic fan that it says ‘makes an electric truck considerably quieter at full load or during rapid charging by halving the sound pressure level’.

Mahle says all electrified trucks now available contain significant volumes of Mahle products and the group is involved in all major development projects for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen engines currently in progress.

Speaking to journalists, Arnd Franz emphasized that the growing electrification of the transportation sector offered considerable potential for the company. He said that the volume of Mahle  components per vehicle was twice as high in the case of battery-electric trucks as with conventional internal combustion engine trucks and would be doubled again in the case of fuel cell trucks. The sustainable commercial vehicle sector is a significant business area for Mahle. The group’s customers currently include more than 120 international commercial vehicle brands in the on-highway and off-highway segments. The commercial vehicle sector accounts for about one-fifth of Mahle’s OEM business and the share is growing, the company reports.

The company also points out that factors such as use cases, distances travelled, payloads and the infrastructure available differ considerably throughout the various regions of the world. “We are committed to technological diversity with a view to decarbonizing the transportation sector, with its wide range of requirements, as rapidly as possible. Mahle offers the technologies needed,” Arnd Franz said. “Our products are developed, tested and ready for volume production.”