Schaeffler is launching its MultiMode dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) into volume production this year with multiple European and Asian vehicle manufacturers, the company announced at the 2026 Vienna Motor Symposium. The launch comes as the company reports growing customer demand for hybrid powertrain solutions—not just as a transition technology, but as a long-term product category in markets outside Europe.

The MultiMode DHT is a compact integrated unit weighing 125 kg with up to 145 kW of peak power. It packages two electric machines, power electronics and hydraulics for clutch actuation, cooling and parking lock into a single module. Schaeffler supplies the associated software and control functions from a single source. Three driving modes are supported: electric-only, serial and parallel. In serial mode, the internal combustion engine runs at a fixed efficiency point decoupled from wheel demand—a well-established approach for keeping ICE fuel consumption low during mixed-mode operation.

The company also highlighted production-ready components aimed at hybrid ICE applications. The spoke damper, a torsional vibration absorber mounted directly in the crankcase, eliminates the need for an external crankshaft seal, cutting friction and packaging volume. It’s already in volume production at Chinese manufacturers, with additional production starts planned for later in 2026. Schaeffler’s latest-generation camshaft phasing—which use a brushless DC motor with integrated electronics for variable valve timing across load and speed ranges—entered production at the company’s Taicang, China plant last year.

Through its 2024 merger with Vitesco Technologies, Schaeffler added a Flex Fuel sensor to its portfolio. The sensor mounts between fuel tank and engine to measure ethanol content in real time before injection, targeting markets where renewable fuel blends are in use.

Schaeffler projects roughly 30 percent of global new vehicle production will be hybrid in 2035, with ICE-only vehicles at around 20 percent. Demand is uneven by region: in Japan, the company expects hybrids to reach approximately 77 percent of new production by 2035. CEO Matthias Zink summarized the position at Vienna: “Every gram of CO₂ saved counts.”

Source: Schaeffler