ElringKlinger presents innovative products for all drive types at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show

SHANGHAI, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At this year's Shanghai International Auto Show, ElringKlinger will celebrate its 30th anniversary in China and will showcase innovations in lithium-ion battery and fuel cell technology, lightweight construction and traditional business areas related to gasket technology at its booth (Hall 1.2, Booth 1BH008).

With the motto "#transformationpioneer", ElringKlinger underlines its early and sharp focus on alternative drive technologies. With its first-mover advantage, ElringKlinger has established pillar products and rounded out its product portfolio in the ongoing transformation of the automotive industry and the supplier sector.

At the press conference held on the second day of the media day, Mr. Chen Hu, Vice President of Sales for Asia Pacific of ElringKlinger Group, shared the strategy of ElringKlinger Group, the latest developments in the Chinese market, and innovative products and technologies. At the same time, EKPO Fuel Cell Technology, a joint venture between ElringKlinger Group and Plastic Omnium Group, also brought the latest hydrogen energy solutions, which attracted about 20 domestic and foreign media to participate. ElringKlinger is willing to work with its partners to solve future travel problems.

Various products that meet the requirements of zero-emission travel are installed on a demonstration vehicle, demonstrating the group's solutions for current and future vehicles and highlighting its forward-looking layout. "ElringKlinger is at the forefront of the development trend of electric vehicles. We will use the Shanghai Auto Show, one of the world's largest travel display platforms, to showcase our comprehensive product portfolio," said Chen Hu, General Manager of ElringKlinger Automotive Components (China) Co., Ltd., when talking about the purpose of this exhibition.

In recent years, ElringKlinger has become famous in the field of lithium-ion battery technology. For example, the company provides a cell connection system for the pure electric car BMW i3, a key component that provides current conduction as well as voltage and temperature monitoring functions. ElringKlinger has rich experience and technical accumulation in the design and manufacture of large plastic components, so it can also provide cell connection systems for CTP (module-free technology) applications. At the Shanghai International Auto Show, the company will showcase a cell connection system for square batteries using a single-layer flexible circuit.

In the field of lightweight solutions, ElringKlinger will highlight its protection solution for lithium battery systems - ElroSafe, which is made of glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic sandwich materials. It provides good impact resistance as well as thermal and insulation properties for lithium battery systems in electric vehicles, and ensures high strength and high stiffness with low density.

In addition, components of the electric drive system (EDU) are also on display at the Shanghai Auto Show. In the EDU, seals and other components are used in areas such as electric motors, gearboxes and inverters. They cover different needs and high-end solutions. ElringKlinger has a wide range of product portfolios in this field, which will be presented simultaneously at the booth of the Shanghai Auto Show.

EKPO's innovative fuel cell technology

In 2021, the joint venture EKPO Fuel Cell Technology (EKPO) between ElringKlinger (60%) and Plastic Omnium (40%) was officially established. The company is continuously strengthening its hydrogen energy business in China. EKPO's test laboratory in Suzhou is equipped with a fuel cell test bench. At the end of 2022, the semi-automated fuel cell stack assembly line has also been debugged, and the first fuel cell stack produced by EKPO in China has officially rolled off the production line.

"This move shows its confidence in the Chinese market and its commitment to providing product solutions for different applications," said Mr. Chen Hu, General Manager of EKPO Fuel Cell (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. "The deployment of the test laboratory and assembly line is a milestone in EKPO's localization strategy in Asia, especially in China."

EKPO further strengthened its investment and determination in China by establishing a Chinese subsidiary. In addition, EKPO and the local government also signed an investment and subsidy agreement.

At the Shanghai Auto Show, EKPO showcased three different specifications of low-temperature fuel cell stack modules (PEMFC), all with integrated system functions.

The NM5-EVO fuel cell stack module with metal bipolar plates consists of 335 cells with a power of up to 76 kW. This stack module is designed for mass production in the automotive industry.

The NM12 Single fuel cell stack module also uses metal bipolar plates and consists of 359 cells with a power of up to 123 kW. It focuses on applications with high power requirements (>100 kW) in the automotive industry (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles).

The last NM12 Twin fuel cell stack module based on metal bipolar plates consists of 598 cells (2 x 299 cells) with a power of up to 205kW. This stack is specially designed for heavy trucks, rail transit and marine vessels with high power requirements (>150kW).

China is an important market for ElringKlinger

This year marks the 30th anniversary of ElringKlinger in China. In 1993, the joint venture Changchun Elring Gasket Co., Ltd. was officially established. Today, ElringKlinger has four factories in China - Changchun, Suzhou, Qingdao and Chongqing, with 1,400 employees and sales of RMB 1.373 billion in 2022. "There is no doubt that China, as the world's largest automotive market, has always been key to our business. We will continue to systematically strengthen our core business and deepen our strategy in the field of alternative drive technology, so as to respond more accurately to travel trends and changes," said Dr. Stefan Wolf, global CEO of the ElringKlinger Group.

ElringKlinger and EKPO are looking forward to your visit at booth 1BH008 in Hall 1.2 at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show!