ebm-papst Showcases Air Technology Leadership at Busworld Europe 2025

At Busworld 2025, ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KGaA & Co. KG, a global leader in air technology solutions, presented its latest generation of high-efficiency fans and blowers for the bus and coach industry. The company’s pavilion reflected a comprehensive showcase of its air-movement technologies that serve as the backbone of HVAC systems in buses, trucks, and other mobile applications.

“Everything that needs cooling or air movement involves our technology,” said Martin Munz, Director – Global Air Technology Transportation, ebm-papst GmbH. “From compact fans to high-efficiency axial and radial blowers, our solutions set technical benchmarks in efficiency, noise reduction, and reliability.”

Product Range and Technology Highlights

At the exhibition, ebm-papst displayed products across three core categories: compact fans, radial blowers, and axial fans.

• Compact fans are designed for applications with limited space.
• Radial blowers, both forward and backward curved, offer excellent airflow at increased system pressure. Backward curved blowers can achieve efficiencies of up to 70% and more, making them ideal for battery-powered electric buses.
• axial fans deliver high airflow with low noise levels and top-tier energy efficiency.

“Our fan portfolio ranges from 50 to 800 watts and supports 12-, 24-, and 48-volt systems,” Martin explained. “For electric and fuel-cell vehicles, high-voltage options make sense, but we also have a strong range for combustion-engine platforms. The goal is to deliver optimal air-movement performance across all vehicle types.”

Efficiency, noise, Quality, and Longevity

According to Martin, efficiency and low noise are the company’s strongest technical differentiators. The brand’s long-standing reputation for quality continues to guide its development roadmap. “Our customers’ vision is our mission,” he said. “We always strive to offer the most efficient and reliable air-movement solution within their system.”

ebm-papst’s product portfolio includes two distinct lines:

• A premium line with a minimum lifetime of 40,000 operating hours, often reaching up to 60,000 hours under optimal conditions such as rooftop HVAC units and railway applications.
• A basic line for cost-sensitive applications, with a lifetime expectation of around 25,000 hours.

“The choice depends on application needs—some require extreme durability, while others prioritize compactness and cost efficiency,” he added.

A Global Footprint with Local Relevance

Headquartered in Mulfingen, Germany, between Würzburg and Heilbronn, ebm-papst operates 27 manufacturing sites worldwide and maintains around 49 sales and project management subsidiaries. Europe remains the company’s largest market, but Martin emphasized the growing importance of North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

“We follow a local-for-local strategy,” he noted. “That means production and R&D resources are established in India and China to serve regional customers efficiently.”
This localized approach not only reduces logistical costs but also strengthens supply chain resilience. “Each region—Europe, Asia, and the Americas—has its own supply network, currencies, and logistics ecosystems,” he explained. “Building strong partnerships with local suppliers is essential to maintain our flexibility and responsiveness.”

R&D and Early Customer Collaboration

While the company’s main R&D base remains in Germany, ebm-papst has distributed research teams specializing in aerodynamics, electronics, and measurement technologies across Asia and America. This structure enables closer collaboration with regional customers and allows faster adaptation to emerging requirements.

“Early involvement with our OEM and HVAC customers is key,” Martin emphasized. “When we co-develop solutions, we can optimize efficiency, noise performance, and product integration from the start. This results in better technical outcomes and longer service life.”

Applications Across Mobility Segments

The company’s air-technology Transportation solutions are not limited to buses. ebm-papst fans and blowers are widely used in trucks, transport refrigeration, railway systems, agricultural machinery, and refrigerated transport. “We design common platforms adaptable to multiple applications,” said Martin. “What matters most is quality, robustness, and reliability in mobile environments.”

The brand primarily serves HVAC manufacturers, OEMs, and bus bodybuilders, depending on the market. While ebm-papst focuses on supplying to OEMs, its customers typically manage aftermarket sales and service independently. “We maintain strong OEM relationships and let them handle spare-parts and after-sales operations,” Martin explained.

Growth Outlook and Future Priorities

In his role overseeing the transportation business, Martin is focused on scaling the company’s growth in line with—or above—market trends. “Our objective is to achieve double-digit growth, even amid challenges such as geopolitical disruptions or supply bottlenecks,” he said. “Our success depends on our customers’ success, so we plan together with them.”

As mobility transitions toward electrification, ebm-papst aims to remain the leading supplier of air-movement technology for next-generation vehicles. “We want to reinforce our reputation as the technology leader in fan systems,” Martin noted. “That means continuously improving energy efficiency, reducing noise, and enabling smarter integration with modern HVAC and cooling architectures.”

Positive Impressions from Busworld 2025

Reflecting on the exhibition, Martin expressed his enthusiasm for the event. “Busworld 2025 is an excellent platform,” he said. “You see major bus producers, innovative technologies, and countless applications where our fans and blowers are in use. It’s rewarding to see our technology contributing to sustainable and comfortable transport.”

With over six decades of innovation, a robust global presence, and a relentless focus on efficiency, ebm-papst continues to define the standard for air-movement solutions across the transport industry and lot of other business out of Transportation (e.g. Datacenter, Heating, Clean Rooms, Residential.) As buses and trucks evolve into cleaner, quieter, and more efficient machines, the company’s technology remains at the heart of their comfort and cooling systems—keeping the future of mobility moving smoothly.