Siemens VDO
Encyclopedia
VDO is a manufacturer of information and cockpit systems, navigation
, telematics
, communication and audio systems, and control and fuel systems.
The company was founded by Adolf Schindling at the end of the 1920s in Frankfurt
, Germany
by joining DEUTA and OTA. The company made and continues making speedometer
s and instrument clusters for passenger cars
and commercial vehicles.
In 1991 the company was bought by Mannesmann
. In 1999 Mannesmann was itself bought by Vodafone
and VDO was put up for sale. In 2000 the company was bought by Siemens AG
Automotive and the companies merged under the name Siemens VDO.
Siemens VDO is a leading international supplier of automotive electronics and mechatronics
which manufactures products relating to the drivetrain
, engine management electronics and fuel injection
, which are designed to simultaneously improve engine performance and reduce emissions.
On 25 July 2007, Continental AG
announced its offer to purchase Siemens VDO for €11.4 billion ($15.6 billion). The decision was approved by the Siemens Supervisory Board. On 3 December 2007, Continental AG took over Siemens VDO Automotive AG. Continental eventually paid $16.7 billion for the automotive unit of Germany-based Siemens AG. The acquisition nearly doubles the size of Continental, making it the world's fifth largest automotive supplier. The company has since dropped "Siemens" from its name.
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, telematics
Telematics
Telematics typically is any integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, also known as ICT...
, communication and audio systems, and control and fuel systems.
The company was founded by Adolf Schindling at the end of the 1920s in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by joining DEUTA and OTA. The company made and continues making speedometer
Speedometer
A speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
s and instrument clusters for passenger cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and commercial vehicles.
In 1991 the company was bought by Mannesmann
Mannesmann
Mannesmann AG was a German corporation with headquarters in Düsseldorf. The company was founded in 1890 originally to produce seamless steel tubes. It was traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company had 130,860 employees worldwide and revenues of €23.27 billion.Over time, Mannesmann...
. In 1999 Mannesmann was itself bought by Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
and VDO was put up for sale. In 2000 the company was bought by Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
Automotive and the companies merged under the name Siemens VDO.
Siemens VDO is a leading international supplier of automotive electronics and mechatronics
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, control engineering, and systems design engineering in order to design, and manufacture useful products. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, that is...
which manufactures products relating to the drivetrain
Powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
, engine management electronics and fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, which are designed to simultaneously improve engine performance and reduce emissions.
On 25 July 2007, Continental AG
Continental AG
Continental AG, internally often called Conti for short, is a worldwide leading German manufacturer of tires, brake systems, vehicle stability control systems, engine injection systems, tachographs and other parts for the automotive and transport industries. The company is based in Hanover, Germany...
announced its offer to purchase Siemens VDO for €11.4 billion ($15.6 billion). The decision was approved by the Siemens Supervisory Board. On 3 December 2007, Continental AG took over Siemens VDO Automotive AG. Continental eventually paid $16.7 billion for the automotive unit of Germany-based Siemens AG. The acquisition nearly doubles the size of Continental, making it the world's fifth largest automotive supplier. The company has since dropped "Siemens" from its name.