# BHTC
BHTC (Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH) is a German automotive supplier specializing in climate-control electronics and human-machine interface (HMI) systems, founded in 1999 as a 50/50 joint venture of Behr GmbH & Co. KG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co, and owned since 2024 by Taiwan's AUO Corporation.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) • [2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures)
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999, as a 50/50 joint venture of Behr GmbH & Co. KG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures) |
| Headquarters | Lippstadt, Germany[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) |
| Sector | Automotive climate-control electronics and HMI systems[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) |
| Scale (2024) | 3,150 employees worldwide; turnover of €717 million[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures) |
| Ownership | 100% AUO Corporation (TWSE: 2409) since April 2024, at a €600 million enterprise value (approximately NT$20.4 billion)[3](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group) |
| Customers | Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Chrysler, Dacia, DAF, FAW-VW, Freightliner, GM, Mack, Mahindra & Mahindra, among others[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures) |
| Footprint | Subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, China, India, Japan, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Finland[3](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group) |
| Status (2026) | Operating under AUO, integrated into the AUO Mobility Solutions brand[4](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bhtc_bhtc-gmbh-is-now-part-of-auo-mobility-solutions-activity-7413885672031195136-sCqj) |
## History and founding
BHTC was founded in 1999 as a 50/50 joint venture between Behr GmbH & Co. KG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures) MAHLE's press release describes the company as founded in 1999 as a joint venture between the two equal shareholders [MAHLE](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahle) and HELLA, the parties that sold it in 2023.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800)
Talks between the shareholders were initiated against the backdrop of a change-of-control clause in the joint venture agreement after the technology company Faurecia acquired a majority stake in HELLA.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) HELLA's chief executive Michel Favre described the divestment as a continuation of the company's portfolio management, strengthening focus and resource allocation on its core business groups of Lighting, Electronics, and Lifecycle Solutions.[5](https://www.hella.com/press/assets/media/20231002_HELLA_Press_Release_MAHLE_and_HELLA_sell_BHTC_shares_to_AUO.pdf)
## Products, technology and customers
BHTC is a specialist for system solutions in the field of HMI, offering both classic climate-control devices and displays with touch and gesture control.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) • [6](https://weltmarktfuehrer-sw.de/en/unternehmen/bhtc-gmbh/) An IHK-affiliated profile describes the company as the global market leader for automotive climate control.[6](https://weltmarktfuehrer-sw.de/en/unternehmen/bhtc-gmbh/)
Its customer list spans premium and volume automakers and commercial-vehicle makers: Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Chrysler, Dacia, DAF, FAW-VW, Freightliner, GM, Mack, and [Mahindra & Mahindra](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahindra-and-mahindra), among others.[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures)
## Business, customers and footprint
At the October 2023 announcement BHTC employed around 2,900 people worldwide and generated sales of €619 million in 2022.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) The company's own facts page reported 3,150 employees and turnover of €717 million for 2024, its first year under AUO.[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures)
BHTC has subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, China, India, Japan, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Finland, plus research and development and engineering services in Europe and India.[3](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group) A German profile lists the locations as [Lippstadt](https://www.edgepedia.org/lippstadt) (headquarters), Novi, Michigan (USA), [San Miguel de Allende](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-miguel-de-allende) (Mexico), Shanghai (China), Pune (India), Tokyo (Japan), Sofia (Bulgaria), Tampere (Finland), and Jhubei (Taiwan), with around 2,960 employees including more than 670 development engineers.[6](https://weltmarktfuehrer-sw.de/en/unternehmen/bhtc-gmbh/)
## The 2024 acquisition by AUO
On October 2, 2023, MAHLE and HELLA signed an agreement to sell their respective 50 percent stakes in BHTC to [AUO Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/auo-corporation), with the total purchase price based on an enterprise value of €600 million.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) HELLA's parallel press release confirmed the same terms.[5](https://www.hella.com/press/assets/media/20231002_HELLA_Press_Release_MAHLE_and_HELLA_sell_BHTC_shares_to_AUO.pdf)
The transaction was subject to approval by foreign trade and antitrust authorities, with closing expected by mid-2024.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800) Closing came early: in early April 2024 AUO announced completion of the acquisition at the €600 million enterprise value (approximately NT$20.4 billion), holding 100 percent of the equity after fulfilling all closing conditions and obtaining approval from the relevant national authorities.[3](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group) • [7](https://www.ledinside.com/news/2024/4/2024_04_03_02)
**By the numbers.** The €600 million enterprise value against BHTC's 2022 sales of €619 million implies roughly 0.97 times annual revenue.[1](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800)
## Under AUO ownership: 2024–2026
AUO's stated rationale is to combine BHTC's automotive HMI and climate-control product lines with AUO's display HMI solutions and advanced Micro LED technology to redefine smart-cockpit design, a combination that positions AUO as a Tier 1 automotive supplier.[3](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group) BHTC continued to report its own figures for 2024, with headcount and turnover both up on the 2022 baseline.[2](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures)
A late-2025/2026 company post announced that BHTC GmbH is now part of AUO Mobility Solutions and directed followers to a new AUO Mobility Solutions page, indicating the BHTC brand is being folded into AUO's automotive umbrella.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bhtc_bhtc-gmbh-is-now-part-of-auo-mobility-solutions-activity-7413885672031195136-sCqj) The same post, a self-reported profile, lists BHTC GmbH with 500–600 employees (down about 30 percent year over year) and annual revenue in the $600 million to $700 million range, headquartered in Lippstadt.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bhtc_bhtc-gmbh-is-now-part-of-auo-mobility-solutions-activity-7413885672031195136-sCqj)
## References
1. [MAHLE and HELLA sell BHTC shares to AUO](https://newsroom.mahle.com/press/en/press-releases/mahle-and-hella-sell-bhtc-shares-to-auo-100800)
2. [Facts & Figures - BHTC](https://www.bhtc.com/en/company/facts-and-figures)
3. [BHTC is now part of AUO Group - BHTC](https://www.bhtc.com/de/news/bhtc-is-now-part-of-auo-group)
4. [BHTC GmbH is now part of AUO Mobility Solutions - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bhtc_bhtc-gmbh-is-now-part-of-auo-mobility-solutions-activity-7413885672031195136-sCqj)
5. [HELLA press release: MAHLE and HELLA sell BHTC shares to AUO (PDF, October 2, 2023)](https://www.hella.com/press/assets/media/20231002_HELLA_Press_Release_MAHLE_and_HELLA_sell_BHTC_shares_to_AUO.pdf)
6. [BHTC – IHK Weltmarktführer](https://weltmarktfuehrer-sw.de/en/unternehmen/bhtc-gmbh/)
7. [AUO Announces Completion of BHTC Acquisition - LEDinside](https://www.ledinside.com/news/2024/4/2024_04_03_02)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Business and work › Business and work overview › Companies and corporations › Venture-backed startups and growth companies › Deep-tech, hardware, industrial, climate, and mobility startups › Autonomous driving technology*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license