Tier 1 supplier MAHLE has announced its financial results for 2024. The company shared despite a turbulent economic landscape and declining global sales, it ended 2024 on a resilient note with an EBIT of EUR 423 million, up from EUR 304 million in 2023, consolidated net profit saw a slight to EUR 22 million. Sales fell to EUR 11.7 billion, a 5.6 percent organic decline, driven by weak markets in Europe and North America and slower EV adoption outside China.

CEO Arnd Franz credited the gains to rigorous transformation efforts under the MAHLE 2030+ strategy, including streamlined operations, a sharper focus on electrification, thermal management and efficient combustion engines and a EUR 186 million reduction in debt.

While most business units saw declining revenues – such as a 9.9 percent dip in Thermal Management and 8.0 percent in Engine Systems – Aftermarket emerged as a bright spot with 6.2 percent growth, bolstered by strong performance in Asia-Pacific. MAHLE also improved its equity ratio to 20.1 percent, marking the first upward trend in five years, while reducing headcount in line with falling sales. The company’s innovation pipeline remained robust, with EUR 630 million invested in R&D, leading to 536 new inventions and 427 patent applications. Among 2024’s highlights was a bionic high-performance fan that cuts noise by half in electric and fuel cell vehicles, a new evaporative cooling system for fuel cell trucks and the integration of electric drive components in heavy truck axles.

Order momentum was strong, with EUR 10.3 billion in new bookings across all strategic areas and powertrain types. These included over EUR 1 billion in battery cooling systems and electric compressors. The company also introduced a new group structure to strengthen focus areas and improve internal agility, consolidating business units and streamlining leadership. MAHLE sees promising growth potential in non-automotive applications, driven by its expertise in thermal management and compact electric motors.

Looking ahead, the company remains cautious amid geopolitical tensions and calls for clearer regulatory support for technology diversity in Europe. Franz emphasised that with the right political and economic framework, MAHLE is well-positioned to continue creating jobs and shaping a sustainable mobility future.

Uno Minda, a tier 1 automotive supplier to OEMs, has introduced projector headlights for seven-seater MPVs in the Indian aftermarket.

The new headlights are designed to improve visibility and meet safety needs during night driving and adverse weather. They feature a hard-coated lens to prevent yellowing and damage and include Japanese optics with an integrated projector for better beam focus.

Anand Kumar, Head of Product & Strategy – Aftermarket, Uno Minda, said, “At Uno Minda, we believe that style and safety should go hand in hand. Our newly launched headlights for 7-seater cars are designed to enhance both visibility and aesthetics, ensuring a superior driving experience. The bright and advanced headlights, featuring Japanese optics technology with an integrated projector, deliver a superior beam pattern for enhanced visibility and a well-illuminated driving experience. Engineered for safety, they ensure optimal performance during nighttime and adverse weather conditions. These headlights come with a 100 percent coated lens that provides a shatterproof surface, preventing discoloration and maintaining long-term clarity. The rust-free silicon-coated reflectors ensure extended durability while sustaining optimal light output.”

The headlights are priced at INR 5,200, come with a one-year warranty, and is available across online and e-commerce platforms in India.

Aditya Birla Group’s flagship company Hindalco Industries has delivered 10,000 aluminium battery enclosures for Mahindra Group’s electric SUVs the BE 6 and XEV 9e. The aluminium casing is claimed to slash 40 percent weight reduction compared to its steel counterpart, which improves 8-10 percent vehicle range, enhanced crash safety and better thermal management.

Furthermore, the company unveiled its new INR 5 billion dedicated EV component manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune, which marks Hindalco’s foray into supplying lightweight, crash-resistant battery enclosures. The company expects to generate 1,000 jobs, with nearly 100 percent of machine operators being women, thus reinforcing its commitment to gender diversity.  

The company shared that the Chakan facility will be able to initially produce 80,000 enclosures annually, which will be scaled up to 160,000 units eventually. What’s more, it has already supplied aluminium battery packs for over 3,000 Mahindra EVs currently plying on Indian roads. 

Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said, “Our Chakan facility represents a strategic shift in India’s EV ecosystem from import dependence to high-performance, localised aluminium solutions. We are proud to partner with Mahindra in this journey, which not only reflects our commitment to the mobility transition but also highlights Mahindra's leadership in driving the electrification of mobility in India. With our engineering strengths and sustainability focus, we are well-positioned to co-create the next generation of automotive solutions.” 

Rajesh Jejurikar, ED and CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), said, "Mahindra is excited to partner with Hindalco in the creation of the EV journey. Their expertise in developing materials and strong engineering capabilities to offer new solutions have played a key role in developing efficient and sustainable battery enclosure solutions. We believe this will play a transformative role in shaping the future of mobility, delivering cutting-edge solutions that will accelerate electrification in the sector.” 

Going forward, Hindalco has plans to support other Indian and global OEMs with its aluminium product range.

German technology company Continental Group has revealed that its Automotive Business will now be called ‘Aumovio’. The announced was made at the Auto Shanghai Show 2025.

The new branding will combine the strong market position, heritage and technological expertise in the automotive industry with the ambition to shape the mobility of the future with innovations.

Aumovio will focus on electronic products and advanced mobility solutions for the software-defined vehicle (SDV) and safe, exciting, connected and autonomous mobility. As per a Berylls report the automotive value of solutions per vehicle in the above segments is estimated to grow by 4.7 percent annually till 2029.

Post approval from the Continental shareholders meeting, Aumovio is scheduled to list on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in September 2025.

Philipp von Hirschheydt, Member of the Executive Board of Continental and CEO of Automotive, said, "As an independent company, we gain significantly more creative power and speed. Aumovio will be characterised by a triad of technologically leading products, a consistent value creation strategy and a global synergetic network, combined with a strong local presence for our customers. Our aim is to further expand our position in the future fields and growth markets of mobility. This strategy is particularly evident in China. Among other things, we are relying on our strong local presence by producing and developing locally for the Chinese market."

Automotive supplier MAHLE has unveiled a bionic radial blower for vehicle air conditioning systems, designed to boost efficiency while significantly reducing noise. Inspired by the streamlined fins of a penguin, the innovative component is claimed to deliver 60 percent less noise and 15 percent more energy efficiency than comparable systems.

The development has been tailored for vehicles with limited installation space and is being showcased publicly for the first time at Auto Shanghai 2025, held from 23 April to 2 May at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai.

“The development of the new bionic radial blower underscores our comprehensive systems expertise in thermal management and benefits from the use of artificial intelligence,” said Jumana Al-Sibai, Member of the MAHLE Group Management Board and head of the Thermal and Fluid Systems division.

The blade design of the blower mimics the fin of a penguin – an animal renowned for its ability to glide through water with minimal resistance. This bio-inspired aerodynamic shape results in not only quieter operation but also reduced energy consumption, as the blower’s motor requires less power to circulate air.

Dr Uli Christian Blessing, Vice-President R&D Thermal and Fluid Systems, MAHLE, said, “Evolution has equipped the penguin with fins that allow it to glide through the water with minimal resistance and ultrahigh efficiency. The fin shape served as a model in the optimisation process of the impeller of our radial blower.”

This approach is not new to MAHLE, which has previously drawn on natural principles to develop a bionic cooling plate and high-performance fan for electric vehicles – both designed to enhance thermal efficiency.

A key enabler of the rapid development process was an in-house artificial intelligence tool. Engineers worked with the AI system, feeding it design parameters and performance data. In turn, the tool generated over 30 million virtual design iterations in a short time, allowing engineers to identify the optimal blade geometry and quickly move to prototyping.

Positioned in front of the evaporator, the new blower supports a more symmetrical and compact HVAC design, which frees up space – especially valuable in electric vehicles where packaging constraints are tight.

The bionic radial blower is suitable for integration across all classes of passenger cars, as well as light and heavy commercial vehicles, offering OEMs a high-performance alternative to conventional fan technologies.