Bosch is expanding its portfolio of products and solutions to support the transition of commercial vehicles to alternative powertrains. At the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hannover, Markus Heyn, Member of the Bosch Board of Management and Chairman of the Mobility business sector, emphasised the importance of a technology-neutral approach to drive this change. “Commercial vehicles’ transition to alternative powertrains will succeed only if we remain technology neutral and continue to develop all forms of powertrains and make them more efficient,” Heyn stated.
In response to the growing demand for alternative powertrains, the company is reorganising its commercial vehicle business within the Mobility sector. Starting in January 2025, the company will pool system development and product management for trucks and off-highway applications into a new business unit led by Jan-Oliver Röhrl. This new setup aims to increase efficiency and customer collaboration in developing commercial vehicles.
The company’s focus includes battery-electric and fuel-cell powertrains as well as improvements to modern combustion engines. According to Bosch's internal forecasts, by 2030, around 20% of newly registered commercial vehicles heavier than six metric tonne will be battery-electric, and fuel cells will account for around 3%. By 2035, the company expects that one in three trucks will have a battery on board, while one in ten will feature a fuel cell. The company stresses that infrastructure development, such as electric charging stations and hydrogen filling stations, is crucial to achieving these targets.
Bosch is also exploring other technologies, such as an e-axle for heavy commercial vehicles in China, hydrogen engines in India, and a cryogenic pump in partnership with FirstElement Fuel in the US, which aims to make hydrogen refueling faster.
Assistance systems continue to play a key role in Bosch’s strategy. The lane-keeping support system, for example, can potentially prevent one in eight truck accidents. The electronic horizon system optimises fuel efficiency by collecting data on topography and traffic signs, enabling intelligent speed adjustments. For vehicles with combustion engines, this can reduce fuel consumption by up to 5%, and for electric vehicles, it extends their range.
Bosch also focuses on software-defined mobility for commercial vehicles. With the growing need for connected services, it aims to simplify vehicle architecture, reducing the number of vehicle computers. The company supports the integration of connected services for logistics through its digital service platform, L.OS, and collaborates with partners like Amazon Web Services. Additionally, the Retrofit Efficiency module allows fleet operators to optimise fuel consumption by slightly adjusting truck speed based on stored data, potentially reducing fuel use by up to 4%.
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