Webasto Brings the Heat

Tier-1 supplier Webasto is best known for its convertible tops and sunroof systems for cars, but the company has expanded into other components, including electric heat systems for both cabin climate control and EV battery thermal conditioning.

The company has been selling its 800-volt coolant heater since 2019 and at this year’s Munich Motor Show, it showed off a second-generation product scheduled to reach customers in two years.

Imaginatively dubbed the Next Generation Coolant Heater, the new product is modular, with both 400- and 800-volt vehicle architectures and heat output that scales between three, six, and nine kilowatts. A 12-kilowatt version for commercial vehicles is also planned.

The new model is specifically designed to meet customers’ increasingly tight installation space constraints and saves both weight and raw materials. “For example, the aluminum content of the Next Generation Coolant Heater is reduced by almost 50 percent compared to the actual 10-kilowatt variant, ensuring a weight reduction of 30 percent”, explained Marcel Bartling, Chief Technology Officer of Webasto SE.

“The new platform gives our customers a flexible interface,” he added. “By taking a modular approach we are able to achieve a high level of production automation, offering excellent flexibility in terms of the higher volumes we can manufacture.”

The compact heater will debut with a European carmaker in 2025, according to Bartling.