 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1901 [1] |
| Headquarters | , Germany |
Key people | Jörg Buchheim (CEO) |
| Revenue | 4,6 Mrd. Euro (2023) [2] |
Number of employees | 16,600 (2023) [2] |
| Website | webasto.com |
Webasto SE is a company headquartered in Stockdorf, Germany, which makes sunroofs, hardtop convertible modules, electric-car chargers and air-conditioning systems. [3]
The company was founded by Werner Baier in 1901 as a bicycle spoke manufacturer. [3]
In 1997, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated Webasto sunroof modules that shattered or blew off of 1991-1994 the Ford Explorer and Mazda Najavo. [4]
In 2021, after causing delay in the launch and delivery of the new [Ford Bronco#Sixth generation (U725; 2021)|Ford Bronco]] with low hardtop production, Webasto delivered roof modules with cosmetic defects, turning to a discolored honeycomb pattern. Already-sold models had their tops replaced. Ford scrapped the replaced parts. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Webasto owns 11 locations in China, including in Wuhan. [9] In late January 2020, the company disclosed that five of its workers had tested positive to SARS-CoV-2. [10] [11] [12] This was reportedly one of the first cases of person-to-person transmission of the virus outside China. [12]
The outbreak was handled internally within the company. [13] The story was initially reported in The Wall Street Journal as a case of successful containment of the outbreak. [3] By March 2020, genome studies tracking mutations of the virus suggested that the Webasto outbreak had not been successfully contained, and was linked to a 'decent part' of the overall coronavirus outbreak in Europe. [14] Genetic sequencing also linked the cluster of cases at Webasto's headquarters to the virus outbreak in northern Italy. [15] In May 2020 some medical disprove this assumptions and confirm that the Webasto case remained isolated, [16] while in July other studies identified the most common Italian strain as coming from Germany. [17]
In 2022, Webasto joined forces with Bosch to develop a self-driving car that will enable autonomous driving at Level 4. [18] The company has integrated 25 sensors from Bosch into the roof of a prototype vehicle for this purpose. [18]
Webasto purchased AeroVironment's charging division in 2018. [19]
Webasto has offices in Monrovia, California and Planegg, Germany, for the EV charging division, as well as manufacturing facilities in Guanajuato, Mexico, Schaidt, Germany, and Wuhan, China. [20] [21]
General Motors had to recall over 9000 Webasto charging cords in 2023. [22]
After looking for a buyer for two years, Webasto sold a majority stake of the charging business to Transom Capital Group in 2024. The company had taken heavy financial losses from the division. [23] [6] [24]
Because the new plant in Detroit opened late, Webasto could not deliver a significant Ford order for the Bronco SUV on time, forcing Ford to postpone the market launch. Later, Ford had to replace thousands of hardtop roofs manufactured by Webasto due to quality problems.
As a supplier, you have to be prepared to handle the volume proposed by your customer, the vehicle manufacturer. ... Customer interest to the number of people on wait lists," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions based in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. "Not having the capacity to support Ford's plans is a dramatic misstep by the supplier.
Webasto ... directly handled coronavirus cases within the company's Germany office in January.
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