Eaton announced its Vehicle Group and eMobility businesses are continuing their expansion into Europe, a leading region in EV technology, with the establishment of a new office and research center in Karlsruhe, Germany.
This expansion will complement existing engineering and manufacturing sites in Montrottier, France, and Tczew, Poland. The new office in Karlsruhe will serve as a base for customer interaction and engineering service for Eaton’s Vehicle Group and eMobility customers in the region. The facility will include a new laboratory that enables rapid turnaround in testing Eaton’s latest eMobility products.
“The city of Karlsruhe is a central location in Europe near major automotive manufacturers and suppliers, allowing us to be closer to our customers and satisfy their needs in terms of research and development,” said Scott Adams, president, eMobility, Eaton. “The new facility is also close to several prestigious universities, which will allow us to attract talent for our research center.’’
This location will also host Vehicle Group employees from varying product lines and functions, ensuring an integrated approach and alignment with customers across the region.
Eaton is also expanding and upgrading its engineering and manufacturing capacity across its other sites in the region.
The Vehicle Group’s recent expansion of its Tczew facility includes investing more than $20 million (USD) to add an innovative laboratory and three new automated production lines to manufacture EV components for its eMobility customers.
Equipment for the new eMobility lines is currently being installed, with the start of production scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. The lines will initially produce traction inverters for a major European automaker that will save energy and help increase the range of EVs and contribute to extended battery life. Additional eMobility solutions will later be produced at the plant, including power distribution units.
In addition, Eaton’s eMobility location in Montrottier is undergoing expansion to support the demand for power electronics and power distribution products for EVs in the automotive sector. Due to its location, the Montrottier plant serves both European-based vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, as well as global customers.
Three new assembly lines will increase output at the facility up to four times that of current levels, and a new cleanroom will allow for testing in a sterile environment. Eaton also will be adding engineering, manufacturing, and support staff to sustain increased production.
“Eaton’s continued expansion in Europe is a crucial step to growing the traditional Vehicle and eMobility businesses and offering cutting-edge EV solutions to our global customers across the region,” said Marco Martini, president, Vehicle Group, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Eaton. “These upgrades will support Eaton’s efforts in delivering electric vehicle solutions to passenger car, commercial vehicle and off-highway OEMs globally.”
