Mahle strengthens EV spare parts business
According to the company, this move responds to “the growing number of registrations worldwide and the accompanying increase in maintenance and repair orders for battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in automotive workshops.” The spare parts will be distributed via parts wholesalers to workshops, Mahle says. At the IAA, the company’s aftermarket division is also showcasing the TechPRO 2 diagnostic tool with artificial intelligence (AI) functionality, as well as the E-HEALTH-Charge battery diagnostic solution.
The first products in the new portfolio will be input filters from October 2025 and onboard chargers by the end of the year. “Both components come directly from the original equipment manufacturing of the MAHLE Group and fulfil the highest quality standards. They will initially be available for Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, DS, and Opel models,” the company states. Additional power electronics and high-voltage components will follow over the course of next year.
Onboard chargers are familiar to many EV drivers: they convert alternating current (AC) from the grid into direct current (DC) so it can be stored in the vehicle’s high-voltage battery. Input filters are less well known, but equally important: they protect the high-voltage battery and the power and charging electronics from voltage spikes or unwanted signals during charging. “Like all other electrical and electronic components, high-voltage components are subject to wear and tear due to ageing, vibration, penetration of moisture, or superheating,” Mahle explains. “This means their importance in the spare parts and service business will grow significantly.”
However, many Stellantis vehicles fitted with Mahle onboard chargers have suffered defects. Replacement costs – if not covered under warranty – can quickly exceed €2,000, with waiting times of several months in some cases. There are also reports of onboard chargers failing again, even after full replacement. Leipzig-based EV rental firm Nextmove covered the issue in a YouTube video (around one in three Opel Corsa-E vehicles in its fleet were affected), and EV Clinic, a repair specialist for electric cars, has also published a report.
“By consistently expanding our product range for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, we are already positioning ourselves for our workshop partners in this growing market segment,” says Armin Messerer, Head of Product Management and Purchasing at Mahle Lifecycle and Mobility. “Workshops and end customers benefit from the strong position MAHLE holds in original equipment for drive, charging, and thermal management systems because the Group’s expertise is directly incorporated into the spare parts and service business in equal measure.”
This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.
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