Together for more climate action

Effective climate protection requires a high degree of agility and adaptability. As one of the world’s leading automotive and industrial suppliers, Schaeffler develops solutions and components for a sustainable energy and mobility transition – and plans to introduce carbon-neutral production by 2030.

Establishing climate protection

Effective climate protection requires management-oriented targets. With three specific targets, Schaeffler promotes climate-friendly measures throughout its value chain:

  • Carbon-neutral production by 2030
  • An increase in energy efficiency of 100 GWh by 2024
  • 100 % of the power supply generated through renewable sources by 2024

“A-”

CDP climate rating
achieved in 2020

Promoting carbon-neutral production

Schaeffler has laid the groundwork to achieve carbon-neutral production by 2030, which includes measures to increase energy efficiency and the purchase of green electricity. As of 2020, 100 % of the company’s purchased power in Germany comes from renewable sources. Other Schaeffler locations, e.g. those in India, Mexico, and Austria, are also making the switch to green electricity. The needle-bearing plant in Elgoibar, Spain, has already achieved an important milestone, as its production has been 100 % carbon-neutral since 2020. In addition to introducing energy efficiency measures and compensating for unavoidable CO2 emissions, the company managed to plant more than 2,000 native trees by the end of 2020, which not only helps to trap CO2, but also promotes biodiversity in the region.

More information on reducing CO2 in production
Carbon-
neutral
production

by 2030

Promoting the mobility and
energy transition

Above all, sustainable mobility will be achieved through an interplay of renewable energy generation, CO2-efficient drives, and the extension of the life cycle in accordance with the latest environmental standards. This topic is represented throughout Schaeffler’s core business: In addition to developing future-oriented solutions that make the switch to renewable energies more economical – e.g. with low-friction bearings for wind turbines – Schaeffler also provides tailored solutions for a mix of different drives, with a key focus on E-Mobility. Schaeffler’s product portfolio is full of drive solutions for electric vehicles that are ready for series production, including an electric axle used in a highly effective powertrain for increased efficiency.

More information on innovative mobility and industrial solutions

Learn more about the subsystems

1 E-motor

To cover all vehicle classes, Schaeffler’s portfolio includes a wide variety of electric machines in the capacity range from 60 to 300 kW. On the one hand, the design can be adjusted via the active length of the rotor and stator and, on the other, optimized for 400- and 800-volt systems. The machines used are either permanently excited synchronous motors or asynchronous machines.

2 Power electronics

Power electronics units have to be adjusted to the application-specific performance requirements in accordance with the electric machines. Power electronics units include the system’s intelligence and primarily serve to control the drive system and to operate actuator output stages (e. g. decoupling, gear selector or parking lock). In addition, the power electronics unit includes the power path to deliver performance. To efficiently cover the entire performance spectrum and various voltages, Si and SiC semiconductor technologies are used.

3 Transmission

As a rotational speed and torque converter, the transmission provides the connection between the traction motor and output. The various types and gear set designs featuring spur gear or compact planetary versions make it possible to cost-efficiently develop customer-specific solutions. For various electric motor performance ratings, the transmission ratios can be flexibly adjusted via the gear set geometry. For optimized starting power and top speed, individual two-speed solutions are available. They are based on single-speed transmissions and extend the functional spectrum and efficiency potential. The gearshift logic is integrated in the power electronics unit as a module and enables convenient gear changes – with or without interruption of traction – depending on the customer’s requirement. For twin-drive systems, individual provision of torque to the wheels for enhanced agility and stability is available.

Great driving experience, low fuel consumption - the dedicated hybrid transmission

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