What Eberspächer makes

Eberspächer operates across three divisions, each covering a distinct set of vehicle systems. The company's own materials describe it as a system developer and supplier across exhaust technology, thermal management, and automotive controls.

The exhaust technology work runs under the Purem by Eberspaecher brand, which develops and produces exhaust aftertreatment and acoustic systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment. Products include catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, and mufflers. In recent years, Purem has extended into adjacent areas: battery housings made of high-strength steel (with customer nominations in China), components for fuel cell balance-of-plant systems, solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) pressure vessels for hydrogen production in partnership with Danish company Topsoe, and Direct Air Capture technology for atmospheric CO2 removal. A new plant in Mexico opened to serve North American emissions programs.

Climate Control Systems covers the full range of vehicle thermal management: fuel-operated and electric parking heaters for passenger cars and trucks (an aftermarket and OEM product line dating to the mid-20th century), high-voltage heaters for battery-electric vehicles up to 800 volts, HVAC systems for buses and coaches, and thermal management solutions for commercial, agricultural, and construction vehicles. The Eberspaecher catem subsidiary handles electric heater design and production; a joint venture with Zeliox (Netherlands) targets stationary energy storage. Eberspaecher delivered its AC135-230 roof-mounted air conditioning system to 52 Skoda battery trolleybuses for Esslingen's public transport in 2026, a local reference program.

Automotive Controls, the smallest of the three divisions, produces electronic control modules, power distribution components, and battery management systems. The Vecture subsidiary handles non-automotive battery management for medical, military, industrial, and portable applications. These products appear in OEM safety systems, autonomous-driving switch functions, and energy storage across sectors outside the core automotive supply chain.

Financial performance

The Eberspaecher Group reported consolidated revenue of €4,979.8M for FY2025, a decline of 6.6% from €5,333.2M in 2024, per the company's published annual results (May 2026). The company attributes the drop to geopolitical influences and exchange rate effects across all three divisions, not to structural volume losses. Net revenue adjusted for transitory items such as monolith pass-throughs came in at €2,531.3M, down 7.3% from €2,731.7M.

The operating result, adjusted for extraordinary items and non-recurring expenses, was €86.3M, producing a margin of approximately 1.7% on consolidated revenue. Cash flow from operating activities improved to €194.0M from €160.1M the prior year, a figure the company highlights as evidence that its cost and transformation actions are working. Research and development expenditure was €137.1M in 2025, down from €340.2M in 2024, a significant reduction reflecting prioritization decisions.

The company employs 10,374 people worldwide as of FY2025, roughly flat with 10,680 a year earlier. Approximately 3,300 employees are in Germany; more than two-thirds work outside Germany. The group operates around 40 production sites in more than 30 countries across 80 total locations.

At the top line, the 2025 revenue represents a contraction from a peak of €6.4B in 2023, a decline partly attributable to market conditions across the automotive supply chain and partly to the reduction in pass-through monolith content in the net revenue figure.

Ownership and history

Jacob Eberspacher founded the business in Esslingen am Neckar in 1865 as a metalworking craft operation. The company has remained family-owned through more than 160 years of operation, currently in the fifth generation. Martin Peters, a Managing Partner since 2001, represents that fifth generation, which also included Heinrich Baumann, who died unexpectedly in 2020. Hans Eberspacher, former long-time Managing Partner, died in the same year.

The business diversified from its craftsman origins through the 20th century: exhaust technology became the core industrial competency, air heaters for vehicles were developed mid-century, and electronics entered the portfolio in the late 1980s. The company expanded internationally across India, China, Russia, Korea, Japan, and the Americas in the 2000s, and opened a Research and Development Center in Detroit alongside a North American catalytic converter plant. A production plant in Romania opened for exhaust aftertreatment systems; Portugal followed. Through the 2010s, the company entered electric vehicle thermal management, bus and coach air conditioning, and battery management systems.

In 2023 and 2024, the company disclosed partnerships and joint ventures pointing toward hydrogen and energy storage: the Zeliox JV for stationary energy storage, the Topsoe partnership for SOEC pressure vessels, and a stake in Vairex Air Systems for hydrogen air compression technologies. Eberspaecher also acquired Kalori SAS in France to expand commercial vehicle climate control.

The company is registered as Eberspaecher Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG at the Stuttgart commercial register (HRA 212143), with a holding company structure. The managing partner for liability purposes is Eberspaecher Holding Verwaltungs-GmbH. No public listing exists; no private equity ownership is disclosed.

Certifications and quality

Eberspaecher holds IATF 16949 quality management certification across multiple production sites, issued by TUV SUD Management Service GmbH. Confirmed certified entities include Purem GmbH in Neunkirchen (Germany), covering design and production of exhaust systems; Eberspaecher catem GmbH in Herxheim (Germany), covering electrical heating systems for automotive applications; and Eberspaecher Catem Poland Sp. z o.o. in Olawa (Poland), covering electric heaters and parking heaters. The group describes IATF 16949 as a standard quality framework across its automotive manufacturing operations.

The IATF 16949 standard encompasses the sector's product design, development, and production quality requirements. Eberspaecher's engineering footprint includes approximately 900 engineers and technical experts for basic development, product, and system development, per the company's factsheet.

Known customers

Eberspaecher does not publish a named customer list, consistent with standard practice for a system supplier at this scale. The company's position in the automotive tier-1 hierarchy and its Berylls Top-100 ranking place it in supply relationships across major European and global OEMs. Press releases and product pages reference OEM heating solutions for passenger cars and trucks, OEM exhaust programs across emissions regulations in Europe, North America, China, Brazil, and India, and commercial vehicle programs including buses and coaches.

One documented program: Eberspaecher supplied its AC135-230 roof-mounted air conditioning system to 52 Skoda battery trolleybuses for Stadtwerke Esslingen, announced in 2026 (company press release). The Skoda supply relationship for the Esslingen electrification project is the only specifically named OEM-level program in recent public communications.

US import records for Eberspaecher North America list 9,011 shipments recorded through September 2026, with top trading partners including Eberspaecher Exhaust Technology and Wegu Leichtbausysteme, reflecting intra-group component flows to the North American manufacturing network based in Novi, Michigan.

Recent news

May 2026 -- Eberspaecher published its FY2025 annual results, reporting consolidated revenue of €4,979.8M and an operating result of €86.3M. CEO Joerg Steins described the year as "altogether successful" despite a demanding operative environment, citing improved cash flow and ongoing transformation progress (company press release).

June 2025 -- Purem by Eberspaecher delivered its first SOEC pressure vessels to Topsoe in Denmark, a milestone in the partnership for production of green hydrogen. The components are manufactured at Purem's Neunkirchen site and expand the company's industrial manufacturing scope beyond automotive (company press release).

January 2024 -- Eberspaecher and Zeliox (Netherlands) signed a joint venture agreement to develop and market energy management systems for stationary storage applications, extending the group's climate systems expertise into the stationary energy sector (company press release).

Frequently asked questions

What does Eberspächer make?

Eberspaecher is an automotive system developer and supplier with three main divisions: exhaust technology and acoustic systems (under the Purem by Eberspaecher brand), thermal management and climate control systems for a wide range of vehicle types, and automotive electronics and controls. The company also produces components for hydrogen and fuel cell applications and battery management systems for non-automotive uses.

Who owns Eberspächer?

Eberspaecher is 100% family-owned, now in its fifth generation of family leadership, per the company's own published materials. The legal entity is Eberspaecher Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG, registered in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany. The company is not publicly listed and has no disclosed private equity ownership.

What is Eberspächer's revenue?

Eberspaecher reported consolidated revenue of €4,979.8M for FY2025, a decrease of 6.6% from €5,333.2M in FY2024, per the company's annual results published in May 2026. Net revenue adjusted for monolith pass-through items was €2,531.3M.

Where is Eberspächer headquartered?

Eberspaecher is headquartered at Eberspächerstrasse 24, 73730 Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, where the company has been based since its founding in 1865. The company operates around 40 production sites in more than 30 countries.

Who are Eberspächer's customers?

Eberspaecher supplies major automotive OEMs and commercial vehicle manufacturers across Europe, North America, and Asia with exhaust, thermal management, and electronics systems. The company does not publish a named customer list. One documented OEM supply relationship in recent communications is Skoda (for Esslingen's public transit electrification) via the company's own press release.

Last verified September 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.