- New company name entered into commercial register on March 11, 2015
- Integration in the Bosch Group as own division
- Bosch further expands systems competence in Mobility Solutions business sector
- Electric steering is basic technology for driver assistance systems, automated driving, and electric vehicles
The company formerly known as ZF Lenksysteme GmbH is now called Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH. The corresponding entry in the commercial register was made today, March 11, 2015. Prior to that, Bosch completed the acquisition of the 50-percent share in the former joint venture ZF Lenksysteme GmbH that was held by ZF Friedrichshafen AG on January 30, 2015. The domestic and foreign subsidiaries of Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH will also change their names in the weeks ahead. The company will be managed within the Bosch Group as an independent division named Automotive Steering. “We are adding an important new area of expertise to our portfolio in the form of steering technology,” says Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, on the importance of the new division.
Bosch has arrived in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The Bosch logo now adorns plant 7, which used to belong to ZF Lenksysteme.
As a leading manufacturer of modern, fuel-saving electric steering systems, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH expands the Bosch Group’s systems competence in the Mobility Solutions business sector. Electric steering systems offer potential savings of up to 0.8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers and are a basic technology for driver assistance systems, automated driving, and electric vehicles. In doing so, they make an important contribution to improving driving safety, comfort, and energy efficiency. Bosch customers benefit from the expanded product range that now includes steering systems. “The key to success in the past was the components business. Today, those manufacturers who offer customers intelligent systems as integrated solutions in addition to that are the ones enjoying success,” says Christian Sobottka, president of Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH.
Maneuvering 40-ton vehicles by smartphone with Bosch technology
One main focus of Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH’s research and development activities is using specific software to connect components and create complete systems. The company has developed a solution that makes it possible to maneuver a car-trailer combination by smartphone. This solution is now ready for series production. Thanks to Servotwin, an electro-hydraulic commercial-steering system developed especially by Automotive Steering, this principle now also works with trucks with a payload of over 40 metric tons. The innovative Servotwin commercial-steering system therefore marks the entry into the electrification of commercial-vehicle steering, which is a key prerequisite for the introduction of driver assistance systems in the commercial-vehicle segment. “Innovations such as these are based on our strong engineering expertise with more than 1,400 highly qualified associates in research and development,” Sobottka says.
Today, Automotive Steering already generates around 60 percent of its sales with electric steering systems. A compact, locally developed, and particularly inexpensive electric power steering for cars for Asian markets shows that the company offers more than just solutions for premium vehicles. As a result, customers with lower-cost compact cars also benefit from the products’ advantages.
