Siemens opens new location for eCar Powertrain Systems Business Unit

Siemens is expanding its electromobility business by establishing a new location for the development, production and testing of electric powertrains for hybrid and electric vehicles. The company manufactures converters for powertrains for electric cars in a facility covering 1,200 square meters. An inspection and testing area has been constructed on an additional 1,300 square meters and houses various test rigs and laboratories, in which the development department can work on complete powertrains as well as charging technologies for hybrid and electric vehicles. By combining development and production on one site, Siemens is able to respond faster to the individual demands of its customers from the automotive industry. At the new site in Frauenauracher Strasse, Erlangen new offices have also been built: the international headquarters of the eCar Powertrain Systems business unit. In total, the location will accommodate a workforce of around 400. Jörg Grotendorst, CEO of eCar Powertrain Systems, opened the plant today at an inauguration ceremony attended by numerous guests from economics and politics.

“With our new development and production center for converters in Erlangen we have moved toward series production of powertrains for the European electromobility market”, declared Grotendorst.

“In combination with our motor production in Bad Neustadt, we are now in a position to equip tens of thousands of vehicles per year with our innovative electric powertrains. Siemens is committed to sending a clear signal in the market for electromobility.”

Siemens has invested tens of millions of euros in the new buildings and production facilities of the eCar Powertrain Systems business unit in Erlangen. By locating the plant very close to the development department and headquarters of the Motion Control business unit and the Equipment Manufacturing Plant in Erlangen (GWE), Siemens has pooled its converter technology expertise at the Frauenauracher Strasse site in Erlangen. The company has been making converters for industrial use at the GWE since 1969 and is one of the world's leading suppliers of electrical drive systems for industry. In 2014, Siemens opened a new production line for the manufacture of electric motors for hybrid and electric vehicles at its plant in Bad Neustadt. Motors and converters are the key components of electrical powertrains for hybrid and electric vehicles.

“Electromobility is a mega topic. We have recognized its huge importance, and we are working to drive this technology forward with our “Electromobility future offensive”. With its groundbreaking commitment to the field of electromobility, Siemens is helping to further strengthen the innovative capability of Bavaria's economy. The achievements of its leading corporations and scientific institutions have placed Bavaria firmly at the forefront of the electromobility sector”, emphasizes Ilse Aigner, Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology.

“This new Siemens plant means that the region is making a significant contribution to expanding electromobility far beyond the borders of Bavaria”, said Joachim Herrmann, Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, for Infrastructure and Transport.

“Siemens is committed to the Erlangen site and investing in the technologies of the future. But it's not only the business location of Erlangen that will benefit from the new eCar Powertrain Systems site. The site also provides answers to questions, such as how mobility in cities can be established on a sustainable basis: electric vehicles conserve resources, have low emissions and therefore represent an important contribution to the mobility of the future,” said Dr. Florian Janik, Mayor of Erlangen.

For further more information on the topic of electromobility, please see
www.siemens.com/electriccar

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing basis.

Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com

Reference Number: PR2015040193DFEN

Contact
Mr. Peter Jefimiec
Digital Factory Division
Siemens AG

Gleiwitzer Str. 555

90475 Nuremberg

Germany

Tel: +49 (911) 895-7975

peter.jefimiec​@siemens.com