Bosch Completes Acquisition Of ZF Lenksysteme

The Bosch Group has successfully completed the full acquisition of ZF Friedrichshafen AG’s 50% share in the joint venture ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (ZFLS). The recent development comes following the approval of antitrust authorities. ZFLS will be incorporated into the Bosch Group as a new division with the name Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH.

ZFLS develops, manufactures, and sells steering systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles worldwide. The company can be found in 20 locations worldwide, including places such as such as Europe, the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and Malaysia, employing over 13,000 associates. In 2013, the company spent roughly 238 million euros on research and development. Since its establishment some 15 years ago, the company has filed around 750 patents.

Electric steering systems manufactured by ZFLS are one of the primary pieces of technology of assistance systems in cars as well as automated driving. Features like lane-keep assist and start-stop coasting are linked to electric steering systems.

The company also focuses on R&D activities – having introduced the Servotwin commercial-vehicle steering system, which marks the first step into the electrification of commercial vehicle steering. They’ve also introduced a solution to series production which allows a car hooked up to a trailer to be maneuvered from outside the vehicle with a smartphone. Both technologies were presented at the 2014 International Motor Show Cars (IAA).

A compact, locally-engineered, and cost-effective electric power steering system for Asian markets shows the company not only offers solutions for the premium segment. Customers who drive more affordable compact cars can benefit from the increased efficiency offered by these products.