MAHLE Calls for Technology-Neutral Approach to Africa's Automotive Transition
MAHLE advocates a mix of electric, hybrid, hydrogen, sustainable fuel and efficient internal combustion technologies to suit Africa's diverse markets, rather than copying Europe or China.
646
120 million
What Happened
MAHLE, a global automotive technology group, is advocating for a technology-neutral approach to Africa's transition to cleaner mobility. The company argues that due to varying infrastructure, affordability, and operating conditions across the continent, a mix of electric, hybrid, hydrogen, sustainable fuel and efficient internal combustion engines is necessary rather than a single solution.
“Africa’s automotive future will not be a copy-and-paste version of Europe or China.”
- Battery-electric vehicles
- Hybrid technologies
- Hydrogen
- Sustainable fuels
- Efficient internal combustion engines
MAHLE highlights thermal management as a key enabler for future mobility, especially in African conditions where vehicle durability and total cost of ownership are critical. The company's South African operations in Durban and Gqeberha manufacture thermal components and support local and export markets.
646full-time employees
Across operations in Durban and Gqeberha
Why this matters
Africa's automotive transition cannot rely on a single drivetrain due to varied infrastructure, affordability, and operating conditions; a technology-neutral approach helps maintain industrial competitiveness.
Terms in This Story
- Thermal management
- Systems that control temperature in vehicles, including cooling and heating, to ensure performance and durability.
- Nocolok-brazed
- A brazing process using a non-corrosive flux for joining aluminum components, common in heat exchangers.
- Aftermarket
- The market for replacement parts and accessories for vehicles after their initial sale.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.