Terberg | Change in the Board of Directors.
At Royal Terberg Group, the current Chairman of the Board, George Terberg, has handed over the reins to his cousin, Godfried Terberg, after almost 45 years of service. Godfried Terberg has been Vice President of the family-owned company for the past ten years and is operationally responsible for the environmental department. "George has taken the group of companies to a higher level. I am proud to be his successor. I want to maintain what is good and continue to implement necessary changes," he said of his predecessor. Rob van Hove joins the board as a new member. He is operationally responsible for the Special Vehicles business. Outgoing CEO George Terberg will become Member of the Supervisory Board. With its Headquarter located in Ijsselstein (The Netherlands), the expert for special transport vehicles operates branches in twelve countries and generated sales of more than one billion euros in 2020 with a total of 3000 employees.
Godfried Terberg
© Terberg
Akka | Expansion of the Leipzig Site.
Akka Technologies is expanding its presence at the Leipzig site in Germany with the opening of a "Digital Center of Excellence" location. The development service provider is thus responding to the growing demand for digital expertise in the region. In total, this will create 250 new jobs for skilled workers. The newly opened location of the digital center of excellence and the company's training academy, which is also housed there, are situated at the Alte Messe in Leipzig. On 1000 m², Akka offers graduates and engineers modern office space and flexible workplace concepts for collaborative development projects.
Opening of the digital competence center at the Alte Messe in Leipzig
© Akka
Huf | Arad Plant Expanded.
Huf, provider of vehicle access and authorization, has commissioned an expansion of its plant in Arad (Romania), celebrating the 15th anniversary of Huf Romania. In Arad, the company manufactures mechanical and electronic components for Mercedes, BMW, Dacia, Volvo, Stellantis and Volkswagen. The production portfolio includes plastic injection molding and assembly of door handles, bearing brackets, kick sensors, lock sets and fuel filler caps. The newly established center for requalification in Arad is intended to bundle all rotational quality tests for OEM series products in Europe.
Opening of the plant expansion in Arad with Lars Placke, Călin Bibart, Nicolae Viasu, Csaba Toth and Dirk Fischer (from left)
© Huf
Thyssenkrupp | Transformation of the Drive Business.
Thyssenkrupp's automotive segment is driving forward the transformation of its drive unit. The former business unit Camshafts will thus be geared to stronger growth in the area of electric mobility. For example, the company has already entered the development of complete rotors for electric drives. At the same time, further development projects are underway for new products in the field of thermal management for battery-electric vehicles. The repositioning of the business with a significantly expanded product portfolio is also to be expressed by a new name. At the start of the new fiscal year, the business unit will operate in the automotive division under the name Dynamic Components.
Production of electric motor rotor shafts instead of camshafts
© Thyssenkrupp
Vitesco | Wolf Heads Supervisory Board.
The supervisory board of Vitesco Technologies Group has unanimously elected Prof. Siegfried Wolf as its Chairman. The 63-year-old Austrian investor and entrepreneur has thus been appointed until the company's first Annual General Meeting. He will stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting in May 2022. Wolf already sits on the supervisory boards of Porsche, Continental, Schaeffler, Miba, CMBlu Energy and is Chairman of the Board of Sberbank Europe. In June 2020, he was reappointed as a member of the Supervisory Board of OJSC GAZ Group. Ralf Schamel was elected as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board from the employee side. In addition, Klaus Hau, Head of the Sensing and Actuation Business Unit, and Thomas Stierle, Head of the Electrification Technology Business Unit, move up to the Executive Board with immediate effect.
Siegfried Wolf
© Vitesco
Impulses.
Götterdämmerung
Unfortunately, the IAA Mobility did an excellent job of highlighting the current mood of uncertainty in the automotive industry caused by the technological transformation and the Covid-19 pandemic. The exhibition had a new format and was held in exhibition halls and outdoor experience areas across a large part of the city of Munich. Alongside a selection of the latest electric vehicles and some new concept cars, the focus of the exhibition, in particular among the automotive industry suppliers, was on new technologies for batteries, electric powertrains, electronic systems and fuel cells, plus solutions for the charging infrastructure. The automated, software-based driving functions of the future also played a prominent role.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer Editor in Charge ATZ | MTZ | ATZelectronics | ATZheavyduty
No one is questioning the need for technological and structural change in our future mobility system or for rapid, sustainable and integrated action. But what we should be asking ourselves is whether it makes sense to put limits on the technology transformation in Germany and in the rest of Europe by introducing restrictive policies and taking a one- sided approach with barely any attempt at integration. Strict bans on a regional level and solutions that focus on only one technology will not lead to greater innovation or competitiveness in the research field or in the automotive industry itself. This will not help Europe to become a technology leader. In free, democratic societies, only global technological competition can safeguard prosperity and jobs.
The car as an individual means of transport can and will remain at the heart of our mobility systems if we succeed in promoting technological competition between all types of powertrains on the basis of non-fossil, renewable energy sources. The leading representatives of the automotive industry in Asia are doing just this, but they did not attend the IAA.
Inalfa | Gao Appointed President.
Inalfa Roof Systems has announced the appointment of Linda Gao as the company's new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. She had succeeded Jörg Buchheim on an interim basis in May 2021 and will now assume full responsibility. Gao is an engineer as well as a chemist and brings more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. In her role, she said she will continue to lead the company's transformation program, which will serve as a blueprint for its long-term growth ambitions in the global automotive market. Inalfa Roof Systems manufactures roof systems for nearly all of the world's major car and truck manufacturers.
Linda Gao
© Inalfa
Allison Transmission | Hino | Cooperation on Electric Trucks.
Allison Transmission, a developer and manufacturer of vehicle driveline solutions, has been selected by Hino Trucks as a development partner for e-axles for battery electric trucks. The two companies have signed a strategic agreement on joint cooperation. "We are pleased to continue our long-standing collaboration with Hino with innovative solutions for our mutual customers," said Rohan Barua, Vice President of North America Sales, Global Channel and Aftermarket at Allison. As part of this cooperation, Allison announced the launch of the new e-axle product, eGen Power 100S, to complement the eGen Power product line. With a continuous output of 212 kW per motor and a peak output of 324 kW, the axles were among the most powerful e-drive systems in their classes. ATZheavyduty 04/2022 reports in more detail on the e-axis.
Rohan Barua
© Allison Transmission