At IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, MAHLE is showcasing a range of production-ready innovations aimed at advancing sustainable mobility and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions in road transport.
“Our products are not just concepts—they’re ready for the road and designed to solve real-world challenges,” said Arnd Franz, CEO and Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board, during a press briefing at the event.
Key highlights include:
- A highly efficient range extender system with a high-voltage generator capable of extending the range of battery-electric vehicles up to 1,350 km, positioning it as the “motor of e-mobility”.
- A compact thermal management module with an integrated heat pump that can boost EV range by up to 20% in cold conditions.
- Engine components compatible with up to 100% ethanol, enabling an immediate reduction in emissions from the existing internal combustion vehicle fleet.
Franz emphasized MAHLE’s commitment to decarbonizing road transport across all technologies, urging European regulators to embrace tech-neutral CO₂ policies in line with other global markets.
“This is not just about climate protection—it’s also about preserving Europe’s competitiveness and securing jobs,” he added.
IAA Mobility 2025 runs from September 9–14, with MAHLE’s exhibit located in Hall A1.
Guided by its mission, “Efficiency in Motion,” the MAHLE Group is presenting cutting-edge solutions at IAA Mobility under the banner of “Efficiency³”, highlighting dvancements in its three core areas: electrification, thermal management, and sustainable internal combustion engines.
“Our customers demand quality, reliability, value, and efficiency—MAHLE delivers on all fronts,” said Arnd Franz, CEO and Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board.
Range Extender: The Engine Driving E-Mobility
One of the key innovations on display is MAHLE’s range extender system—a compact, resource-efficient drive solution designed to enhance the practicality of battery-electric vehicles.
As part of MAHLE’s strategy to support e-mobility adoption, the range extender addresses range anxiety by allowing for smaller, more cost-effective batteries while enabling faster recharging on long journeys. The global market for EVs equipped with range extenders is projected to grow at 15% annually through 2030, with particularly strong demand in China.
This system exemplifies MAHLE’s commitment to delivering efficient, production-ready technologies that meet the real-world needs of today’s mobility landscape.
Technical specifications:
System performance:
- Maximum range with one battery charge: up to 1,350 km (WLTP) depending on vehicle model and battery size
- Rated continuous output: 85 kW
- System voltage: 800 V
High-voltage generator:
- Peak efficiency: over 97 percent
- Continuous performance density: over 50 kW/liter
- Permanently excited electric motor with fully integrated cooling system
- Direct rotor cooling reduces the need for rare earths used in permanent magnets
Internal combustion engine:
- Efficiency: over 42 percent
- MAHLE jet ignition combustion technology
- Turbocharging
- Miller valve timing for efficient combustion
- Quiet operation
- Developed for the use of biofuels
System benefits:
- Compact, lightweight design
- Easy integration in vehicle platforms
- Minimized material and space requirements
Thermal management module: the efficiency and range booster
The new thermal management module from MAHLE resolves the key challenge of e-mobility – the loss of range caused by heating at low temperatures. As the central interface for the entire cooling and refrigerant cycle of the vehicle, it ensures that each component of the drive and energy storage system is maintained at the right temperature at all times under all climate conditions at the same time as ensuring a comfortable climate in the passenger compartment. The problem of the lack of waste heat in electric drive systems is elegantly solved by integrating a high-efficiency heat pump. Additional heating systems are no longer needed.
Technical specifications:
System performance:
- Range increased by up to 20 percent compared with systems using electric heaters
- Air-conditioning compressor, heat exchanger, refrigerant pumps, sensors and valves are integrated in a compact unit
- Reduction in number of refrigerant pumps per vehicle from four to three
- Start of series production within the next two years
Refrigerant compatibility:
- Current standard: R1234yf
- Future-proof thanks to unproblematic change-over to R290 (propane)
- Without comprehensive design modifications to existing vehicle platforms
System benefits:
- Reduced space requirements thanks to compact, modular design
- Lower development costs for OEMs
- Cost optimization through integrated solution
- Perfect harmonization of key components as a result of in-house development by MAHLE
- Future proofing of present vehicle platforms
Ethanol Power cell unit: reduces CO2 emissions and saves fuel
Specially developed engine components (power cell unit – PCU) for ethanol operation underscore MAHLE’s commitment to sustainable, high-efficiency internal combustion engines. This technology can increase the share of renewable fuels in road traffic and accelerate the decarbonization of the transport sector with immediate effect.
Technical specifications:
- Specially developed pistons and optimized piston pins and rings for ethanol requirements
- Adapted valve sets
- Holistic system optimization of all components
Material properties:
- High wear resistance
- Increased corrosion resistance
- Improved heat resistance
- Minimized lubricating oil consumption
System benefits:
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions; life cycle analyses indicate a CO2 reduction of up to 70 percent with E100 operation – on the basis of sustainable bio-ethanol production, almost carbon-neutral E100 operation is feasible
- Conservation of valuable resources; additional fuel saving of up to 2 percent
Can be used immediately on the existing vehicle fleet without any compromises in terms of performance or reliability
Bionic radial blower: penguin makes for efficiency
With a view to further improving the efficiency of its products, MAHLE has repeatedly been inspired by nature. The most recent example is a revolutionary bionic radial blower for vehicle air conditioning systems. In this case, the development engineers at MAHLE took their inspiration for the design of the blower blades from penguins’ flippers. They were supported by an in-house AI tool. MAHLE refers to the process of engineers guiding AI and providing data as “superhuman engineering”. This approach allowed more than 30 million virtual designs to be generated within a very short space of time and the first prototypes were rapidly produced. The innovative blower can be used in a wide range of passenger cars and commercial vehicles and sets new standards for the sector.
System benefits through optimized design:
- 4 decibels quieter (-60 percent) than conventional components
- 15 percent higher energy efficiency
- The compact, symmetrical design of the air conditioning unit creates more space for other components, a key advantage especially for battery-electric vehicles.
MAHLE Showcases Smart Charging, Battery Diagnostics & Aftermarket Solutions at IAA Mobility 2025
At IAA Mobility 2025, MAHLE is highlighting a range of innovations designed to support the growing ecosystem of electric vehicles:
- Smart Charging with chargeBIG: MAHLE’s chargeBIG solution has installed thousands of scalable, cable-connected charging points across Germany and France. The latest generation, launched in summer 2025, includes the world’s smallest wall box and a new mobile charging solution ideal for construction sites and events.
- Inductive Charging: MAHLE’s wireless charging system offers over 92% efficiency and includes a globally standardized vehicle positioning system, as recognized by SAE International, ensuring optimal alignment for energy transfer.
- E-HEALTH Charge: This innovative diagnostic tool can assess an EV’s high-voltage battery performance in just 15 minutes, providing fast, reliable insights for maintenance and service.
- AI-Driven Climate Control: In the test drive area, MAHLE is demonstrating AI-powered air conditioning that adapts to each occupant, along with advanced air purification technology for improved in-cabin comfort.
- Workshop Heroes Van: Part of MAHLE’s Aftermarket division, this mobile unit is touring Europe’s repair shops to showcase the latest service and diagnostic tools—including equipment for battery testing, air conditioning service, calibration, and vehicle diagnostics—letting workshops try the tools first-hand.
Together, these innovations reinforce MAHLE’s focus on making e-mobility smarter, more efficient, and service-friendly for both users and technicians.
