Marco Warth, Mahle’s Vice President for Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering, used the company’s International Media Tech Day on 3 June to make a simple but important point. The future of mobility will not be shaped by one technology alone. It will be defined by a mix of solutions, each suited to different markets, energy systems and transport needs.
Warth’s presentation was rooted in engineering rather than slogan-driven debate. He argued that future mobility is being shaped not only by politics and market pressure, but by the practical work of improving drivetrains, thermal systems, filters, electronics and software. For Mahle, those shifts are not just challenges facing the industry. They are opportunities to innovate.
A key part of his argument was that Mahle is built to think long term. Owned by a foundation rather than stock market investors, the company reinvests its earnings into products, research and broader social goals. Warth suggested that this gives it a different perspective in a period of rapid transition. Rather than chasing a single fashionable answer, Mahle is trying to prepare for a more complex and varied future.
That future, he said, will be more diverse than many assume. Battery electric vehicles will grow. So will hybrids. Hydrogen has a role. Renewable fuels also matter. Even the internal combustion engine, if made more efficient and paired with cleaner fuels, still has a place in the transition. In Warth’s view, there is no universal solution because there is no universal transport system. A bicycle, a passenger car, a heavy truck and a stationary engine all face different operating realities.
That has obvious relevance for markets such as South Africa, where affordability, infrastructure and energy supply remain decisive. Warth made the point that the climate impact of a vehicle depends not only on the vehicle itself, but on the source of the energy powering it. Electric mobility delivers the greatest benefit when the electricity comes from renewable sources. The same logic applies to fuels. Cleaner inputs can significantly change the emissions picture.
Cost, he stressed, will remain a determining factor. In freight and logistics, technology must make business sense. Operators will choose the solution that moves goods reliably and economically. Warth showed how the case for hydrogen, battery electric or other systems can shift depending on energy prices. That uncertainty strengthens the argument for flexibility and for technologies such as hybrids, which allow operators to adapt to changing conditions.
At the heart of Mahle’s strategy is efficiency. Warth described it as the company’s central organising idea. Efficiency means achieving the greatest possible result with the least possible input, whether that input is time, energy, money or raw materials. It is a principle that applies to every part of the vehicle.
He illustrated this with clear examples. In cold weather, an electric vehicle must use energy both to travel and to heat the cabin. Better thermal management can preserve range while keeping passengers comfortable. Faster charging improves the practical value of electric mobility. In both cases, efficiency is not just a technical measure. It directly affects how useful and attractive a vehicle is in real life.
Warth pointed to several Mahle innovations designed to meet that challenge. These included range extenders, electric drive systems and advanced thermal management modules. He also highlighted a quieter blower design inspired by the shape of a penguin’s fin. By using simulation, cloud computing and generative artificial intelligence, engineers were able to test millions of variations and identify a design that reduced noise while improving efficiency. For Warth, that showed how even familiar components can still be significantly improved.
Hydrogen also featured in his vision, especially for regions with strong renewable energy potential. He referred to Namibia as a promising example of how solar and wind resources could support future hydrogen production, opening industrial and export opportunities alongside cleaner transport.
Warth’s message was consistent throughout. The transition to cleaner mobility will be shaped by diversity, efficiency and adaptability. Mahle is not trying to force a single answer onto a complex global market. It is positioning itself to support multiple paths, each matched to the realities of different regions and applications.
