M. Van Der AA (Hella-Forvia): “Our growth will be driven by our numerous new product launches”

Marco van der Aa: We should end the year with business on a par with 2024, which is far from the targets we were aiming for! But comparatively speaking, our year wasn’t so bad, given the tensions experienced by some of our competitors! The market is under pressure, as we can see from the difficulties experienced by many major European wholesalers. In addition to a strained political environment, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, the loss of consumer purchasing power is having a significant impact on new vehicle sales, with manufacturers reducing their production volumes, which in turn is affecting the business of OE suppliers, particularly through strong pressure on prices. And although our aftermarket
business is supported by an ageing fleet, we have nevertheless lost a percentage point in growth on that market!

M.V.D.A.: The French and German markets are stable for us. We are still not very present in Scandinavia, but we are expanding there. Finally, in the United Kingdom, where Hella is more developed, we are growing rapidly with the implementation of new product ranges. And in the BRICS countries, we can still achieve strong growth, even though these are very competitive markets.

M.V.D.A.: I don’t foresee a significant recovery in 2026 in general. But Hella is launching many new products that will support its growth in the aftermarket. For example, we have returned to the thermal management market after pulling out in 2018, when we sold our shares in the Behr Hella Service joint venture to Mahle. There is the same potential for growth in the braking market, which accounts for 40% of a garage’s turnover! We were already present in this market through our joint venture Hella Pagid, developed with the manufacturer TMD, whose shares we have bought up to bring everything under our brand. So this is not a return but a continuation, with the advantage that by controlling our purchasing, we are more competitive. And whether for the thermal management or the braking range, the Hella brand is very well received by European professionals.

M.V.D.A.: It is undeniable that in shrinking markets, it is sometimes necessary to find new products. But it is also necessary to know how to rationalise the portfolio. It is better to master three areas perfectly than to master five only halfway.

M.V.D.A.: We are working hard to develop this business with two main areas of growth for 2026: the launch of our ADAS, calibration tool, the CSC Tool Pro, and the latest version of our mega macs X diagnostics tool. Above all, we are very successful in the deployment of our remote diagnostics service. This is an essential support service for workshops, and will become even more so with the development of connected vehicles. Today, it is an integral part of equipment sales. We have also expanded our hotline teams in every European market where we operate. This is a game changer for equipment manufacturers like us, with 
service becoming increasingly central ensuring that workshops are able to carry out repairs in all circumstances. We try to make the mechanic’s job as easy as possible. Thanks to our AI solutions, our software enables workshops to follow a precise protocol and even carry out predictive maintenance. This is all the more important as maintenance intervals are getting longer.

M.V.D.A.: There is talk about tariffs that affect some of our customers and which obviously have an indirect impact on us. But what is having the greatest impact is the situation of European manufacturers, while their competitors continue to grow. Added to this is the fact that the electric fleet in Europe is not following the expected trajectory. This combination of factors is a subject in its own right.

M.V.D.A.: Maintaining an older fleet in good condition and developing biofuels could be just as effective in decarbonising the European fleet as widespread electrification. However, putting the deadline back to 2040 will further strengthen the lead enjoyed by Chinese manufacturers, with the risk of permanently excluding ourselves from the market.