Webasto and IAV Agree on Technology Collaboration for Electric Commercial Vehicles

In light of ever stricter emissions guidelines, manufacturers of commercial vehicles and buses are increasingly investing in models with alternative drive systems. Webasto and IAV are taking the next step in this growing market, offering customers seamless system development for e-commercial vehicles onwards.

Webasto provides expertise in components including battery, HighVoltage Heater (HVH) and heat pump. IAV contributes its expertise in the area of complete vehicle development and system integration, e.g. in high-voltage integration and overarching thermal management. Customers thus receive comprehensive solutions adapted to the performance and product requirements of the vehicle in question and seamlessly integrated into the vehicle. Rapid system integration, including fuse protection and all necessary safety approvals, enables vehicle manufacturers to get products on the road faster and more cost-effectively.

Heike Niehues, globally responsible for the aftermarket business at Webasto, emphasizes the importance of partnerships in the field of electromobility: “In order to be able to offer our customers solutions that meet their needs, collaborations like this one are important drivers. They serve sustainable mobility for our common end customers – so that electromobility will also be a success story in the field of e-commercial vehicles.”

Matthias Kratzsch, Chief Executive Officer at IAV, said: “In light of the increasing complexity and variance of models and technologies, our customers want integrated and efficient development more than ever.”

With their open-ended collaboration agreement, the companies are placing a proven partnership on a new foundation: They know and appreciate each other from joint projects. For example, IAV has already successfully collaborated with Webasto on the development of its modular E-toolkit for commercial vehicles. The modular system is to be used to convert diesel double-decker buses for tourist trips to electric drive.

In the future, the partners will work together both at the request of customers and on their own initiative. However, the collaboration agreement equally provides that Webasto and IAV can continue to work independently and with other partners.

Employing over 8000 members of staff, IAV is one of the world’s leading engineering partners to the automotive industry. The company has been developing innovative concepts and technologies for future vehicles for over 35 years, generating sales in excess of around € 896 million in 2020. Its customers include all the world’s prominent car manufacturers and component suppliers. Besides vehicle and powertrain development, IAV entered the segment of electric mobility and autonomous driving at an early stage and is now one of the leading engineering service providers in these fields. In addition to its development centers in Berlin, Gifhorn and Chemnitz/Stollberg, IAV also has further operations in Munich, Sindelfingen and Ingolstadt as well as in Europe, Asia and North and South America.