Webasto Opens New Roof Plant and Battery Center in Jiaxing

Stockdorf / Jiaxing – January 13, 2020 – Webasto, global innovative systems partner to the automotive industry, celebrated the inauguration of its new roof plant and battery center in Jiaxing (Zhejiang Province) close to Shanghai on January 13. “With the opening of our new location in Jiaxing, we are continuing to consistently pursue the implementation of our dual strategy of strengthening our core business with roofs and expanding our new business area with solutions for electromobility in China, the biggest single market for Webasto worldwide,” commented Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Webasto SE.

Since last fall, Webasto has been manufacturing electric heaters and charging stations – in addition to roofs – at its new site in Wuhan. In Jiaxing, the automotive supplier has now established a battery center in addition to a roof production facility. “Having successfully entered the European market with electromobility solutions, we are now pleased to be able to offer our Chinese customers our complete extended product range. Despite the challenges of the market we see further growth potential for Webasto here,” Engelmann pointed out at the opening ceremony in Jiaxing.

Entering the Chinese market in 2001, Webasto has become the roof systems market leader and supplies most global and local automotive manufacturers. Webasto China produces around 6.5  million roofs for Chinese customers annually, plus high-voltage heaters and charging stations. Jiaxing is the 11th wholly-owned site that Webasto has in China.

With some 36,000 square meters of constructed area, the new plant has a production capacity of 1.5 million roofs a year. The new battery center provides capabilities for testing, prototyping and producing battery systems. It enables Webasto to provide full-scale battery solutions to local customers. Over an area of 9,600 square meters the center is equippped to test the performance of cells, modules and entire battery packs under extreme temperatures and strong movements. With these local testing facilities that meet the highest global quality and safety standards, Webasto China is able to provide the full gamut of battery validation, as required by local customers and regulations. The overall production and testing area in Jiaxing totals some 44,000 square meters. The number of employees at this site is expected to rise from currently around 200 to 460 in 2020.