Since the beginning of January, equipment manufacturer Bosch Group’s motors and generators division has started operating under independent company SEG Automotive.
The new name is testimony to over a century of history in the development and production of starter motors and generators as well as a future-oriented focus on e-mobility. The company will continue its success story under a new owner, under the leadership of mining machine manufacturer Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co (ZMJ) and an investment group.
More than a century ago – in March 1914 – Bosch presented its first electric starter motor for vehicles. It replaced the arduous and often hazardous cranking by hand. The year before had seen the introduction of the "Bosch light". It powered the first electric lights for cars – and is the origin of the generators still commonly in use today.
This Bosch division went on to continuously improve the efficiency and functionality of starter motors and generators for passenger cars and commercial vehicles – by inventing the trend-setting start/stop, for example.
With its highly innovative Boost Recuperation Machine (BRM), SEG Automotive is now paving the way for a cost-efficient and environment-friendly hybrid technology for vehicle manufacturers and their customers. The BRM enables regenerative braking and energy storage through a 48 V electrical system to save fuel, enable a performance boost when passing or even to "coast" with the engine switched off.
CO2 Reduction for all Drive Technologies
The new company is committed to further expanding its contribution to the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from passenger cars and commercial vehicles across all drive technologies in order to address the challenge of climate protection.
Even though e-mobility continues to gain ground, the combustion engine will remain a pillar of individual mobility globally for many years to come.
This presents vehicle manufacturers with major challenges with regard to reducing fleet consumption and requires new solutions to achieve climate protection goals, i.e. CO2 regulations.
With the BRM, SEG Automotive already offers a technology for hybridising gasoline and diesel engines in a cost-effective manner. Through the use of BRM, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced by about 15%.
Advanced start/stop technology, as well as high-efficiency generators from the SEG Automotive portfolio also provide significant CO2 savings. The efficiency gains accomplished by these technologies are not just a matter of theory and only relevant on the test bench. SEG Automotive products reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions under real-world conditions every day.
Continuity Despite Change
From the outset, the new company will be one of the most significant suppliers in its market segments. With 16 locations globally, over 8 000 employees and a powerful product range, SEG Automotive is strongly positioned globally to meet the current and future challenges of automobile manufacturers.
At the crucial points, the company favours continuity. All locations will be retained, with the focus remaining highest product quality and innovation through powerful engineering – the journey towards e-mobility that started with the development of the BRM will continue.
“The new name is testimony to the importance of this product segment for the company. The established starter motors and generators (SG) is being expanded by an E for "components for electrification". The management team that has made SG so successful in previous years will continue to ensure SEG Automotive grows profitably over the long term.
SEG Automotive CEO Ulrich Kirschner sets the new name in the context of the corporate strategy: "With our product range, we efficiently support vehicle manufacturers globally in the reduction of CO2 emissions – regardless of the drive technology. Together with the new owner ZMJ, SEG Automotive has a great potential for innovations and further global growth, in particular in the significant Chinese market."