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Bosch and NIO sign strategic partnership agreement

09.07.2018

Press release

Business/economy

Bosch and NIO sign strategic partnership agreement

Berlin, Germany – The Bosch Group and electric vehicle company NIO signed a strategic cooperation agreement focused on sensor technology, automated driving, electric motor controls, and intelligent transport systems. The signing ceremony took place in Berlin in the presence of German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. NIO began delivering its 7-seat high performance electric SUV, ES8, to its users in China in June. The vehicle contains key components from Bosch, such as driver assistance systems, control units, sensors and the iBooster electromechanical brake booster. The components will be further developed for NIO’s future models.About Bosch in China Bosch has been present in China since 1909 and is active in all of its business sectors today. In the Mobility Solutions sector, the supplier of technology and services works together with international and local manufacturers as well as startups in China. Today, Bosch employs more than 60,000 associates at 60 locations in China and achieved sales of 14.9 billion euros on the Chinese market in 2017 – a double-digit growth year on year . Bosch focuses on strong localization in China. In addition to local partnerships, the focus is on local manufacturing, research and development for the Chinese market. In total, Bosch has invested more than 4.8 billion euros in its Chinese locations over the past ten years – in 2017 alone, the sum was almost 840 million euros. In Wuxi, the company has begun construction of a new mobility solutions facility, which will be the world’s first manufacturing facility for 48-volt batteries for electric cars. In November 2018, the first Bosch iBooster manufacturing site in Asia Pacific will be officially inaugurated in Nanjing to fulfill the increasing demand for electrified and autonomous solutions in China. Also this year, the second phase of the automotive electronics plant in Wujin, Changzhou, will be completed. Additionally, it is planned to open a center for artificial intelligence in China in 2018. About NIO NIO’s mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle by offering smart, premium electric vehicles and providing the best user experience. NIO was founded in November 2014 as a global electric vehicle company, with world-class research and development, design and manufacturing centers in Shanghai, Beijing, San Jose, Munich, London and nine other locations. Headed by Kris Tomasson, Vice President of Design, NIO’s global brand and product design is being developed in Germany. In November 2017, NIO’s German branch, NIO GmbH, was given an innovative leader award by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany. The NIO Formula E Team secured the inaugural Drivers’ Championship title in 2015. In 2016, NIO unveiled one of the fastest electric cars in the world, the EP9. The EP9 set the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and three other world-renowned tracks. In 2017, NIO unveiled its vision car EVE. NIO officially began deliveries of the ES8, a seven-seat high performance electric SUV, on June 28, 2018.

Bosch scores big in Japan with clever technology

07.06.2018

Press release

Business/economy

Bosch scores big in Japan with clever technology

Tokyo – The Bosch Group is scoring big in Japan thanks to its innovative and intelligent solutions for the local market as well as for the global Japanese automotive industry. “Bosch has made impressive progress in Japan. We are working with Japanese automakers to drive forward the automation, electrification, and connectivity of mobility. In addition, we are increasingly focusing on IoT solutions, such as smart agriculture,” says Klaus Meder, the president of Bosch Japan. Last year, the leading supplier of technology and services recorded sales of 2.3 billion euros in Japan, an increase of roughly 10 percent over the previous year. Bosch Japan also made a good start to 2018, mainly due to strong growth for the Mobility Solutions business sector, which generates a significant share of the company’s sales in Japan. In 2017, the company grew twice as fast in this area as the local market. The Industrial Technology business sector also performed well. Bosch has been operating in Japan since 1911 and currently employs some 6,600 people in the country.Business with Japanese automakers sees double-digit growth In 2017, Bosch’s global sales to Japanese automakers rose year-on-year by around 11 percent, which makes it the sixth year in a row these have posted double-digit growth. Looking ahead, Bosch expects this trend to continue over the medium term. Bosch not only supplies Japanese automakers locally, but also works closely with them around the globe. In the ASEAN region, for example, Japanese automakers enjoy a market share of around 90 percent. Accordingly, the region is a focus of investment for the Bosch Group. For instance, at the end of 2017, the company opened its second plant for mobility solutions in Thailand, representing a total investment of 80 million euros. The new smart factory in Hemaraj manufactures components including injection valves, interconnect technology, and knock sensors. The site also houses a research and development center at which around 60 associates work on the further refinement of gasoline injection systems. Bosch is also expanding its manufacturing operations in Vietnam. Since 2008, the company has been producing push belts for continuously variable automatic transmissions in Dong Nai, which is located about 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City. Bosch is currently investing around 60 million euros to convert this plant into a smart factory and increase its production capacity. By the end of 2018, total investment in the site will have exceed 320 million euros since 2011. Expanding IoT business: smart farming solutions In addition to its mobility solutions business, Bosch is also focusing on developing connected solutions in Japan, for which it is drawing on the country's high degree of innovative strength. Last year, for example, saw the launch of Plantec, a smart system for optimizing tomato cultivation in Japanese greenhouses. The solution is tailored to the local market, as greenhouse cultivation is particularly widespread in the country. Plantec uses sensors to measure humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and sunlight. These environmental parameters are crucial for plant growth and data on them is collected and sent via a gateway to a cloud server. There, a system analyzes the data and takes into account additional important agricultural parameters as well as the weather forecast. The results of the analysis are displayed in an app. The system can analyze the risk of infection and use artificial intelligence to plan the use of pesticides in advance. It can thus help farmers minimize crop loss. Work on this project is being carried out in conjunction with the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI). At the end of 2018, the company plans to expand this service to strawberry and cucumber cultivation. Bosch's goal is to supply around 10 percent of Japan's greenhouses by 2020.