Schaeffler bets long on hybrid powertrain demand

German Tier 1 Schaeffler is positioning hybrid powertrains as a long-term product line rather than a bridging technology, citing customer demand past 2035 in the Americas, Southeast Asia and Japan. The company expects hybrids to take 30% of global new vehicle production in 2035, alongside 50% pure electric and 20% pure combustion.

Powertrain & Chassis Chief Executive Matthias Zink set out the forecast at the 2026 Vienna Motor Symposium. He flagged Japan as the most hybrid-heavy market, with hybrids set to reach 77% of new production within ten years. Zink contrasted that with EU policy moving toward a combustion ban.

Schaeffler’s MultiMode dedicated hybrid transmission begins volume production this year at European and Asian automakers. The 125 kg unit integrates two electric machines, power electronics and hydraulics for clutch and parking-lock control, with peak output of 145 kW. It supports full and plug-in hybrids in electric, serial and parallel modes.

The supplier is also rolling out spoke dampers, already in volume production at Chinese automakers, and a next-gen electromechanical camshaft phasing unit launched in Taicang, China, in 2025. Both target combustion-engine refinement to make hybrid switchover less perceptible to drivers.

Sensor capacity gained through the 2024 Vitesco Technologies merger underpins emission-control and exhaust aftertreatment products, including a Flex Fuel sensor measuring ethanol content for renewable-fuel applications.

Source: Schaeffler