Mahle: “Sustainability is an integral part of us, from OEM to IAM”

Philipp Grosse Kleimann: In 2024, Mahle Lifecycle and Mobility achieved sales of €1.3 billion. In 2025, the market weakened in Europe, but also in MEA and North America. We had to fi ght to achieve similar sales levels. We have rapidly rolled out our latest solutions and set up 
dedicated product management teams. We are present in EMEA, North America, South America, India, Southeast Asia, and China, where we have employees who help us connect with wholesalers, retailers, specialists, and workshops. We have focused heavily on China, as the vehicle fleet is ageing and entering our core target: vehicles that are 6 to 7 years old. We already o er a range of 15,000 parts in China.

P.G.K.: We cannot disclose any figures for 2026, but we are forecasting growth and want to focus on our most productive product ranges, particularly the portfolio of parts for electric vehicles and heavy goods vehicles. And we want to get closer to workshops. We help our direct customers with their sales to garages by providing them with a high level of technical information through the Mahle Workshop Heroes programme. We are developing our training strategy in line with the market: in Germany, we have a global training centre that can accommodate 15 people at a time. In China, for example, we have a digital training channel on WeChat, which has 100,000 participants.

P.G.K.: Sustainability is an integral part of Mahle and we have integrated it from our OEM agreements to the aftermarket. On the one hand, we offer a range of parts suitable for electric vehicles. On the other hand, we are analysing the potential for remanufacturing and working on our packaging to review sustainability aspects. We have been awarded a score of 82/100 by EcoVadis, placing us among the top 5% of the 150,000 companies assessed. By 2040, we will be CO2 neutral worldwide, and in Germany we have already been CO2 neutral since 2021.

P.G.K.: It depends on the region. Globally, the market remains dynamic and we believe that the growth of the car fleet will continue, with 1.7 billion cars expected in 2030. Growth is particularly strong in China, Eastern Asia and India. In China, if you can manage your organisation quickly enough to meet market needs, you can be successful. Elsewhere, growth is low, in the single digits. Europe is experiencing a slowdown in growth.

P.G.K.: We have a strong presence in South America, which is one of our largest markets, with a very interesting portfolio and a dedicated team. We are growing well in Brazil, for example. But in North America, several waves of tari s were introduced in 2025. It is not easy to understand where the American market is going. We have had to tell our customers four times that we would be increasing prices. But thanksto a streamlined commercial policy, we have been able to offset the tariffs. However, we firmly believe in free trade and think that it benefits the end consumer.

P.G.K.: Yes, we are feeling it. Mahle has 135 production sites worldwide, and fortunately we can switch between them if necessary. We are currently seeing a transfer from China to Malaysia or Thailand, mainly organised by Chinese companies. We have to act in line with our global supply chain.

P.G.K.: The Chinese parts market is one of the most dynamic. We have just returned from the Automechanika Shanghai trade fair, which brought together more than 7,000 exhibitors. Impressive! We are well prepared for competition in China and we must prepare to face competition from Chinese parts manufacturers in other parts of the world. We have adapted our workshop equipment for Chinese car brands in all regions.

P.G.K.: It’s a question of speed and efficiency. At MAHLE Lifecycle and Mobility, we have OE expertise because we are the ‘supplier of choice’ even for Chinese car manufacturers. And on the service side, we have the advantage of being partners with equipment manufacturers. We invest 5.4% of our turnover in R&D, which helps us in the aftermarket.