- Acquisition positions HORIBA as a leading solutions provider in the development and validation of battery and fuel cell systems for electrified vehicles
- With this acquisition, HORIBA now has a comprehensive product and service offering for the development and validation of increasingly complex powertrains and future powertrain technologies, allowing it to respond to the increasing global demand for these E-mobility solutions
- This acquisition allows FuelCon to access HORIBA’s global network, accessing lucrative markets where demand for increasingly complex vehicle test solutions is high
HORIBA Europe GmbH has today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of FuelCon AG (“FuelCon”). FuelCon – now to be called HORIBA FuelCon – has become part of HORIBA Automotive Test Systems – a leading supplier in the fields of engine, driveline, brake and emissions test systems.
Founded in 2001 and based in Barleben, Germany, FuelCon is a leading manufacturer and supplier of R&D and EOL (end of line) test beds and turnkey solutions for the E-Mobility sector, with expertise in battery and fuel cell applications. FuelCon has an enviable reputation for design and manufacture of precision high performance solutions and is trusted for its deep technical know-how by global OEMs and Tier 1s as well as international research laboratories.
This acquisition is a key milestone as HORIBA realises its strategy to provide world class measurement products, enhanced by targeted engineering consultancy and testing services that allows the global automotive industry to transition to an Electrified, Autonomous and Connected world. This acquisition will increase HORIBA’s presence in the vehicle electrification market and allows HORIBA to respond to the growing need for increasingly complex development and validation solutions required for engineering the latest generation of battery and fuel cell related powertrain technologies.
This acquisition will enable existing FuelCon customers to access the global HORIBA service and support network, whilst increasing the breadth and capability of the range of HORIBA products available to existing customers.
Dr George Gillespie, Executive Vice President, HORIBA Automotive Test Systems said: “In line with global megatrends, we are witnessing the continued electrification of transport with a mix of pure EV and complex hybrid solutions. With this in mind, HORIBA needed to find a suitable industry leader who offered a range of validation solutions that complement our existing automotive test systems business, and our position of global leadership in emissions measurement. In FuelCon we have found the perfect for battery and fuel cell test solutions.”
Mathias Bode, Managing Director, FuelCon commented: “Over the past 18 years, FuelCon has become a leader in battery and fuel cell validation solutions. With an increasing number of challenging requests, we need to provide solutions that meet complex validation needs across the globe. With HORIBA we have found a partner who will give us that international reach and with their track record in the manufacture of complex test and measurement solutions, they understand our need to continue to be able to respond promptly to complex customer demands.”
Dr Robert Plank, COO, HORIBA Europe GmbH said: “We regard FuelCon as the perfect fit for our strategic ambitions. With their range of products and their applications expertise, we see a great future ahead of us. We will now be able to offer an increasingly comprehensive suite of test and validation solutions for a full range of automotive propulsion technologies moving from combustion engines to electrified powertrains. By bringing FuelCon into the HORIBA group of companies and developing their Barleben facility as our global centre of competence for fuel cell and battery test systems, we take another step in future-proofing our automotive business and achieving our aim of becoming the number one partner for validating vehicle efficiency and performance.”
For further information about HORIBA Automotive Test Systems, please contact
Grayling on +44 121 265 2760 or email bethany.haller@grayling.com
About HORIBA
Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, the HORIBA Group is a global leading supplier of measurement technology and systems for various fields from automotive testing, process and environmental monitoring, in-vitro medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing and metrology to scientific R&D and QC measurements.
About HORIBA Automotive Test Systems
A business segment of the HORIBA Group, Automotive Test Systems (ATS) which has developed global leadership in the fields of engine test systems, driveline test systems, brake test systems, wind tunnel balances and emissions test systems. HORIBA ATS is able to offer its customers complete solutions with full turnkey capability for all industries using electric motors, internal combustion engines and turbines. These include the automotive, heavy-duty, off-road, consumer goods, marine, aerospace and locomotive sectors.
About FuelCon
FuelCon is a global leading supplier of test systems for fuel cells and batteries. For years, the name has been recognized for innovative engineering, high quality, the highest safety standards and close consultation with its customers.
With testing systems for fuel cells FuelCon offers optimal solutions for all typical technologies such as PEM or SOFC with a power range up to 250+ kW. In addition, innovative test systems for evaluating electrolysers are also available.
With the “Evaluator-B” series FuelCon has developed a concept that fulfils the challenging testing requirements of modern batteries in R&D as well as in production, with high accuracy and flexibility.