Brake system manufacturer Knorr-Bremse – the parent company of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC – said it is buying tedrive Steering Systems GmbH based in Wülfrath, Germany, as part of a larger effort to craft more “highly integrated systems” for autonomous vehicle operation.
Neither company disclosed the purchase price, with Knorr-Bremse adding that the acquisition is subject to approval by the anti-trust authorities.
With some 320 employees and locations in Germany, Turkey, Russia and the U.S., tedrive manufactures rack-and-pinion as well as recirculating ball steering gear systems across all vehicle segments; systems that including its intelligent Hydraulic Steering Assist (iHSA) technology.
That particular hydraulic system, equipped with electric steering actuation, will help meet demands of autonomous commercial vehicle operations, noted Peter Laier, a Knorr-Bremse executive board member responsible for the commercial vehicle systems division.
“For us as a manufacturer of braking systems, entering the steering market is the logical next step in expanding our systems expertise,” he explained in a statement. “Through the smart connection of systems and subsystems we will be able to generate added value for our customers, be they commercial vehicle manufacturers or operators, in the development, production and operation of their vehicles.”