Mahle acquires Amovis GmbH, invests in future clean engine technologies

The Stuttgart-based Mahle Group acquired all shares in Amovis GmbH, in line with its aim to drive forward its strategic commitment in the field of clean technology — products, processes, and services that increase efficiency while reducing the consumption of natural resources and pollutant emissions.

Amovis, which was founded in Berlin as a startup in 2003 and currently employs 25 people, has a high level of competence in intelligent exhaust gas heat recovery using the ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle).

ORC systems are an advanced development of the steam cycle, in which the waste heat from combustion engines is not released unused into the environment via the exhaust gas, but used to generate electrical or mechanical energy. This means that fuel consumption in commercial vehicles, for example, can be reduced by up to four percent, and thus contribute to a significant reduction in CO₂. Areas of application in the steady-state industry segment include combined cycle power plants in biogas installations.

Amovis is currently developing a highly efficient axial piston machine. Mahle already has considerable expertise in the field of heat transfer for ORC applications. Combined with the expertise of Amovis, the Mahle portfolio now includes essential key technologies for a complete ORC system. As customer interest in this future technology for CO₂ reduction is high, the first trucks featuring Mahle’s ORC technology are likely to be on European roads from 2020.

Mahle has a local presence in all major world markets. In 2014, some 66,000 employees at approximately 150 production locations generated sales of nearly 10 billion euros. At 10 major research and development centres in Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China, and India, almost 5,000 development engineers and technicians are working on forward-looking concepts, products, and systems.