From June 10, Schaeffler exhibits will be on display at the Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan’s capital city Astana. The exhibits can be found in the German Pavilion where they are integrated into the exhibition room “City of the Future”. Following the National Day of Germany, Schaeffler customers and political guests are invited to attend the Schaeffler customer day in Astana. On July 12, 2017, Federal President Steinmeier and Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev came to see the Schaeffler Group’s innovations for themselves.

Schaeffler is showcasing its exhibits, the E-Wheel Drive wheel hub drive and a Formula E model, as the official partner of the working group insglück, gtp2 architekten and mac for the German Pavilion at this year’s world exhibition in Astana, Kazakhstan. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is responsible for Germany’s participation in the Expo.

Federal President Steinmeier visits Schaeffler exhibits

Accompanied by Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier took part in the official ceremony as an honorary guest of the National Day of Germany on July 12, 2017. After the ceremony, he visited the German Pavilion, where during a guided tour he was able to visit exhibit areas including the area “Future of Mobility”. Using mobility as an example, the exhibit area demonstrates how the energy revolution will strongly influence urban life. The Schaeffler exhibits form part of this exhibition.

“Schaeffler successfully invests in the technologies of tomorrow and has welcomed the opportunity to present this here as part of the world exhibition in Kazakhstan, the gateway between Asia and Europe ”, said Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner, CEO of the Central and Eastern Europe / Middle East and Africa subregions at Schaeffler. In a meeting with Federal President Steinmeier, Mr. Lindner introduced Schaeffler as an innovation company in the areas of mobility and energy of the future and thanked Mr. Steinmeier for the opportunity to collaborate with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

The Schaeffler customer day rounds off Expo participation

Dietmar Heinrich, CEO Europe, had the following to say about Schaeffler’s participation at the world exhibition: “The Schaeffler strategy ‘Mobility for tomorrow’ is also in keeping with the motto of Expo 2017 ‘Future Energy’ – we really couldn’t have wished for a better way to combine the two topics. The 1:11 scale Formula E model and the model of the E-Wheel Drive wheel hub drive show that Schaeffler is a leading expert in the fields of innovation and technology”. Kazakhstan and Central Asia are also the focus of the Chinese government’s “One Belt, One Road” project. Schaeffler sees enormous opportunities here for its business activities and is using the opportunity, following the exhibition’s National Day for Germany, to welcome customers from Kazakhstan and other states in the region as well as selected guests from the world of business and politics.

Information about our exhibits:

FIA Formula E: The race for a clean future using the drive technologies of tomorrow.

The FIA Formula E has been making history since 2014 when it became the world’s first racing series for electric vehicles – and all the more so since FIA regulations have allowed teams to develop their own drive trains. This has meant that various technical concepts have since then competed against each other. The differences lie in the electric motor, including the power electronics, transmission, rear axle, cooling system, and corresponding software. Formula E therefore makes an important contribution to the rapid further development of electric mobility.

As a technology company, Schaeffler has played a decisive role in the development of the entire drive train of the “ABT Schaeffler FE02”.

The electric motor, transmission, rear chassis, and software were developed and operate in a highly efficient manner delivering maximum performance. Schaeffler uses the findings from motor racing to develop sustainable and efficient technologies for the mobility of tomorrow.

E-Wheel Drive: Who says that the engine belongs under the engine hood?

The change towards electric mobility has called things into question that were previously a matter of course. Electric motors are, for example, considerably smaller and less complex than internal combustion engines – they no longer necessarily require all the space under the engine hood – which begs the question, can they perhaps be positioned elsewhere?

The so-called "E-Wheel Drive" demonstrates how Schaeffler has been able to incorporate drive technology into the wheels of the vehicle. In wheel hub drives, all the necessary components such as the electric motor, the power electronics, brakes, and cooling system are installed inside the wheel rim. This saves space and leaves room for ideas and future interior concepts. Other advantages are optimum maneuverability, easy parking and eco-friendliness for tomorrow's mobility.