What Schaeffler makes

Schaeffler is organized around four product-oriented divisions, a structure that took its current form after the October 2024 merger with Vitesco Technologies completed and the group adopted what it calls a "Motion Technology Company" positioning.

The Bearings & Industrial Solutions division is the historical core, producing rolling and plain bearings, linear technology, direct drives, and precision components for industrial machinery, wind turbines, and aerospace applications, under the FAG and INA brands that trace to the family's original acquisitions. The Powertrain & Chassis division covers engine and transmission components, clutch systems under the LuK brand, and chassis applications, with published FY2025 revenue of €8.9 billion and an EBIT margin before special items of 10.5%. It is the most profitable division and the segment that supplies most of the group's traditional original equipment manufacturer (OEM) contracts.

The E-Mobility division, created to house Vitesco's former product lines alongside Schaeffler's own electrification work, reported €5.0 billion in FY2025 revenue, a 7% year-on-year increase, but an EBIT margin before special items of -16%, reflecting the investment phase of program ramp-ups. Its product catalog includes 4-in-1 electric axles combining motor, transmission, power electronics, and thermal management; e-motors rated up to 315 kW; hybrid modules; and high-voltage power electronics. The division reported an order intake of approximately €15.5 billion across drive types in FY2025, which the company presents as validation for the pipeline.

The Vehicle Lifetime Solutions division covers the aftermarket: replacement bearings, clutch kits, and repair systems for in-service vehicles including aftermarket E-Axle RepSystem kits for EVs already on the road. Revenue was €3.0 billion in FY2025, with a 14.8% EBIT margin before special items.

Schaeffler also publicly announced in early 2026 that it is targeting humanoid robotics and defense as new growth areas, with a goal of up to 10% of revenue from new growth categories by 2035. The humanoid robotics move is both a customer play (actuator supply agreements with robot manufacturers) and an operational one (the company announced it would purchase a four-digit number of humanoid robots for use in its own plants by 2032, with first systems in Germany by end of 2026).

Financial performance

Schaeffler's financial position in FY2025 reflects the early period of a large-scale integration and simultaneous restructuring, with the numbers carrying more texture than the headlines suggest.

The Berylls by AlixPartners Top-100 study 2026 ranks Schaeffler at 15th among global automotive suppliers by automotive-sector revenue, reporting €19.7 billion in FY2025 automotive revenue, essentially flat at +0.1% year on year, with a reported automotive EBIT margin of 0.6%. That 0.6% is the reported figure after the significant one-off expenses the company itself flagged, not a normalized margin.

The group's own FY2025 investor release, published March 3, 2026, shows total group revenue of €23.5 billion (the additional €3.8 billion above the Berylls automotive figure comes primarily from the Bearings & Industrial Solutions segment and non-automotive work). On a pro-forma constant-currency basis, group revenue declined 0.6% compared with the enlarged 2024 perimeter. EBIT before special items was €936 million, a 4.0% margin, up from 3.5% pro forma in 2024. Free cash flow before M&A turned positive at €266 million, compared with -€694 million pro forma in the prior year, a substantial swing the company attributes to working capital discipline and reduced one-off costs. The board raised the dividend to €0.30 per share.

The group employs approximately 110,753 people worldwide as of December 31, 2025. Headcount in Europe will be reduced as part of the restructuring program announced November 2024, which targets savings of approximately €290 million per year by end-2029 through about 4,700 job cuts concentrated in Germany and two European site closures. Per the March 2026 investor release, the earnings improvement program is ahead of plan.

The 2024 profitability figures in the Berylls study are not shown for Schaeffler, because the post-Vitesco-merger perimeter makes year-on-year comparisons with the prior structure not directly meaningful, per the notes accompanying the study row.

Ownership and history

Wilhelm Schaeffler and his brother Georg founded the company in 1946 in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria. The INA brand and needle roller bearing technology emerged in that decade; FAG was acquired in 2001 and LuK, the clutch-system specialist, had been acquired years earlier and is part of the same family-built group. The Schaeffler family's holding company, IHO Gruppe, retains 79.2% of Schaeffler AG's common shares as of December 31, 2025; the public free float is 20.8%. Schaeffler has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Xetra: SHA0) since 2015.

The Vitesco acquisition, which became final in October 2024, was the largest transaction in the group's history. Vitesco was spun off from Continental AG in 2021 and taken over by Schaeffler in a €3.6 billion deal, materially expanding the group's electrification portfolio and creating the current divisional structure. The merger also triggered a restructuring, as the combined group rationalized its European footprint.

Schaeffler's headquarters remain at Industriestraße 1-3, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany, the same site as its founding operation. The group now operates more than 250 locations in 55 countries, per company materials.

Certifications and quality

Schaeffler states that it has implemented IATF 16949:2016 across all relevant manufacturing plants worldwide, with the scope covering design and manufacture of rolling bearings, systems, engine elements, linear and mechatronic products, and engine-system products. Per-site certificates are published by the company. The group additionally claims ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100D for aerospace applications, and ISO/TS 22163 for rail applications, per its sustainability reporting. These are reported as company claims; multi-site certification of this form is sector-standard for tier-1 suppliers at Schaeffler's scale. No single current certification date applies across the portfolio; the company publishes individual plant certificates.

Known customers

Schaeffler does not publicly name its OEM program customers in company materials, which is standard practice for a supplier of this size. The documented specifics available on the public record are: an E-Mobility order intake of approximately €15.5 billion in FY2025, reported by division in the company's investor release, representing contracted future revenue across drive types; and a strategic partnership announced January 2026 with Humanoid, covering an actuator supply agreement and a commitment to purchase a four-digit number of humanoid robots for Schaeffler's own manufacturing plants by 2032, with first deployment in Germany by end of 2026.

US customs bill-of-lading records show more than 91,000 import shipments on file for Schaeffler's US entities through September 2026, dominated by intercompany transfers from the group's own plants in South Korea, Brazil, France, and Mexico -- consistent with a vertically integrated manufacturer shipping between its own facilities.

The aftermarket division publishes repair kit compatibility for named vehicle platforms, including the VW e-Golf, Hyundai Ioniq, and Stellantis EMR3 electric platforms. These indicate product applicability, not disclosed customer contracts.

Recent news

May 2026 -- Reporting expanded on Schaeffler's January 2026 humanoid robotics announcement, with the company confirming that first humanoid robot systems are targeted for Germany by the end of 2026. Coverage placed the deal in the context of the company's new growth-area strategy, which targets humanoid robotics and defense applications alongside its electrification programs (The Robot Report, Forbes, May 2026).

March 2026 -- Schaeffler published FY2025 results: group revenue €23.5 billion, EBIT margin before special items 4.0%, free cash flow before M&A €266 million (positive for the first time since the Vitesco acquisition on a pro-forma basis), dividend raised to €0.30 per share. CEO Klaus Rosenfeld stated the company is ahead of plan on its earnings improvement program (company investor relations release).

November 2024 -- The company announced a restructuring program affecting European operations, including up to 4,700 job cuts concentrated in Germany and the closure of two production sites. The one-time cost is approximately €580 million, with targeted annual savings of approximately €290 million by end-2029. The restructuring follows the Vitesco merger, and management described it as necessary to consolidate the enlarged European footprint (company announcement; multiple trade press).

Frequently asked questions

What does Schaeffler make?

Schaeffler makes bearings, transmission and engine components, electric axle systems, power electronics, and aftermarket replacement parts. Its four divisions are Bearings & Industrial Solutions, Powertrain & Chassis, E-Mobility, and Vehicle Lifetime Solutions. Product brands include INA, FAG, and LuK. The group reported €23.5 billion in total revenue for FY2025.

Who owns Schaeffler?

Schaeffler AG is majority-controlled by the Schaeffler family through IHO Gruppe, which holds 79.2% of common shares. The remaining 20.8% is public free float. Schaeffler has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Xetra: SHA0) since 2015. The company was founded by Wilhelm and Georg Schaeffler in 1946 and remains family-controlled.

What is Schaeffler's annual revenue?

Schaeffler reported total group revenue of €23.5 billion for FY2025. The Berylls by AlixPartners Top-100 study 2026 reports €19.7 billion in automotive-sector-specific revenue for the same period, ranking the group 15th among global automotive suppliers.

Where is Schaeffler headquartered?

Schaeffler is headquartered at Industriestraße 1-3, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany, the same location as the company's founding in 1946. The group operates more than 250 locations across 55 countries and employs approximately 110,753 people worldwide.

Who are Schaeffler's customers?

Schaeffler does not publicly disclose its OEM customer roster; this is standard practice for large Tier-1 automotive suppliers. The company reported an E-Mobility order intake of approximately €15.5 billion in FY2025. A January 2026 strategic partnership with Humanoid for actuator supply and in-plant robot deployment is on the public record. Aftermarket products are documented for VW, Hyundai, and Stellantis EV platforms.

Last verified September 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.