What Preh GmbH does

Preh GmbH is a privately held German automotive electronics supplier headquartered in Bad Neustadt an der Saale, owned by China's Joyson Group (Jeff Wang serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board). Founded in 1919, the company operates six manufacturing sites across Germany, Portugal, China, Romania, Mexico, and the United States, employing approximately 6,968 people as of end-2024. Preh designs and manufactures tier-1 automotive components sold directly to OEM customers under an enterprise field sales model.

The company's product portfolio spans two main technology pillars. The Human Machine Interface (HMI) line covers car HMI (climate control, ambient lighting, center stacks, central controls, multi-functional steering wheel switches, and sensors) and commercial vehicle HMI for both on-highway and off-highway applications. The E-Mobility pillar provides Battery Management Systems (BMS), On Board Chargers with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capability, DC-DC converters, High Voltage Boosters, and integrated Combo Box units. Preh also offers Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) at three locations (Bad Neustadt, Dippach, Ningbo) as a secondary revenue stream. The company maintains a comprehensive certification footprint including IATF 16949, multiple ISO standards, TISAX, and ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation.

Financially, Preh generated €1.48 billion in revenue in 2025 (down 4% from €1.53 billion in 2024, which itself was down 9% from €1.69 billion in 2023), with EBIT of €64 million in 2024. The company secured new contracts exceeding €2 billion in total turnover over product lifetime (TTO) in 2024, but is undergoing significant restructuring including 420 job cuts at the German headquarters through 2025, with additional restructuring expected in 2026. The North American and Chinese operations are profitable while the German headquarters remains in deficit. Executive leadership includes CEO Zhengxin 'Charlie' Cai, COO Zhao 'Chris' Jiang (since January 2025), and CTO Norbert Bauer (since August 2025).

Name

Preh GmbH

Legal name

Preh GmbH

Website

https://preh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Preh GmbH is a German tier-1 automotive electronics supplier (founded 1919, owned by Joyson Group) that designs and manufactures Human Machine Interface components and E-Mobility products — including BMS, On Board Chargers with V2G, and DC-DC converters — sold directly to automotive and commercial vehicle OEMs across six global manufacturing sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Neustadt An Der Saale

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Automotive Electronics Components: Preh designs, manufactures and sells automotive electronics components including HMI systems (climate control, ambient lighting, center stacks, steering wheel switches, sensors) and E-Mobility products (BMS, On Board Chargers, DC DC Converters, High Voltage Boosters, Combo Units) directly to automotive OEMs as a tier-1 supplier.
2. Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS): Preh provides contract manufacturing services for automotive electronics at multiple locations (Bad Neustadt, Dippach, Ningbo), offering manufacturing capabilities to external customers alongside internal production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Preh GmbH designs, manufactures and sells automotive electronics as a tier-1 supplier to OEMs, specializing in Human Machine Interface (HMI) products for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, plus E-Mobility components including Battery Management Systems, On Board Chargers with V2G, DC DC Converters and High Voltage Boosters. The company also operates Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) at facilities in Bad Neustadt, Dippach and Ningbo.

Product overview

Preh GmbH is an automotive electronics supplier offering a portfolio of Human Machine Interface (HMI) products for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, combined with E-Mobility components and electronic manufacturing services. The Car HMI product line includes Climate Control, Ambient Lighting, Center Stacks, Central Controls, Multi-Functional Steering Wheel Switches, and Sensors. The Commercial Vehicle HMI division serves both On Highway and Off Highway segments. The E-Mobility portfolio comprises Battery Management Systems (BMS), On Board Chargers with V2G capability, DC DC Converters, High Voltage Boosters, and Combo Box integrated units. Additionally, Preh provides Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) at three locations: Bad Neustadt (Germany), Dippach (Germany), and Ningbo (China).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Car HMI - Climate Control Climate control interfaces for passenger vehicles providing intuitive user control over heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
• Car HMI - Ambient Lighting Ambient interior lighting control systems that enhance the vehicle cabin atmosphere through customizable lighting options.
• Car HMI - Center Stacks Center console and infotainment control interfaces positioned between the driver and front passenger seats.
• Car HMI - Central Controls Central control systems for vehicle-wide HMI management and integrated command interfaces.
• Car HMI - Multi-Functional Steering Wheel Switches Multi-functional steering wheel controls enabling drivers to operate various vehicle functions without removing hands from the wheel.
• Car HMI - Sensors Sensor-based input systems for vehicle Human Machine Interface applications.
• Commercial Vehicle HMI - On Highway HMI solutions for on-road commercial vehicles including trucks and buses, focused on robustness and cost efficiency.
• Commercial Vehicle HMI - Off Highway HMI solutions for off-road commercial vehicles including agricultural and construction equipment, designed for harsh environments.
• Battery Management Systems (BMS) Intelligent battery management systems for electric vehicles providing monitoring, balancing and safety functions for high-voltage battery packs.
• On Board Charger Vehicle-mounted battery charging systems with V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) functionality enabling bidirectional power flow between vehicle and grid.
• DC DC Converter DC-DC power conversion systems for electric vehicles to transform voltage levels between vehicle battery systems and auxiliary power networks.
• High Voltage Booster High-voltage power boosting systems for electric vehicle drivetrain and auxiliary systems.
• Combo Box Integrated combo units combining multiple e-mobility functions in a single housing.
• Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) - Bad Neustadt Electronic manufacturing services at the Bad Neustadt headquarters location for automotive control units and power electronics assemblies.
• Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) - Dippach Electronic manufacturing services at the Dippach, Germany production facility for automotive control units and power electronics assemblies.
• Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) - Ningbo Electronic manufacturing services at the Ningbo, China production facility for automotive control units and power electronics assemblies.

Quantifiable outcome

• New contracts exceeding 2 billion EUR TTO (total turnover over product lifetime) won in 2024, securing mid-term growth

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aptiv PLC: Global technology company focused on making mobility safer, with active safety, user experience, and advanced driver assistance. Competes with Preh on connected cockpit/UX and on E-Mobility high-voltage power electronics and BMS for global OEMs.
• Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned German automotive supplier specializing in HMI switches, steering column modules, roof modules, and power electronics. Strong direct overlap with Preh's steering-wheel switches, climate control, and E-Mobility power electronics offerings for European OEMs.
• Marquardt GmbH: Privately held German tier-1 supplier of HMI systems, switches, sensors, and mechatronic components to automotive OEMs. Directly comparable product portfolio to Preh's Car HMI line including switches, sensors, central controls and cockpit interfaces.
• Visteon Corporation: Major tier-1 supplier focused on cockpit electronics, instrument clusters, displays, and domain controllers for global OEMs. Directly comparable to Preh's Car HMI business (climate controls, center stacks, ambient lighting) and competes for the same OEM cockpit/infotainment programs.
• Forvia (formerly Faurecia/Hella): Global automotive technology group with Hella as its electronics pillar, supplying instrument clusters, body electronics, steering column switches, and lighting/HMI. Closely comparable to Preh's passenger-car and commercial-vehicle HMI portfolio and competes head-to-head in HMI switches and cockpit electronics.
• LG Electronics Vehicle Components: Vehicle component business of LG supplying infotainment, instrument clusters, telematics, EV power electronics (BMS, OBC, DC-DC converters), and motors. Direct competitor to Preh in both automotive HMI displays and EV power electronics.

Broad incumbents

• Continental AG (Automotive / AUMOVIO): Diversified German tier-1 supplier with a wide automotive electronics portfolio spanning HMI, instrument clusters, infotainment, telematics, and E-Mobility. Broadly comparable across all Preh's product categories, but operates as a much larger incumbent.
• ZF Friedrichshafen (Electronics & ADAS): Major German tier-1 supplier with significant automotive electronics including power electronics/E-Mobility and HMI-related controls. Comparable as a broad incumbent across E-Mobility and HMI, though automotive electronics is one of several ZF businesses.
• Robert Bosch (Mobility Solutions / Automotive Electronics): Largest tier-1 automotive supplier globally, with broad portfolio including HMI/instrument clusters, EV powertrain electronics (BMS, OBC, DC-DC), and EMS. Overlaps with Preh across both HMI and E-Mobility but as one part of a much broader mobility portfolio.

Others

• Joyson Electronics / Joyson Group (parent portfolio): Preh's parent conglomerate, with sibling operations including JoySon Safety Systems (airbags/seatbelts) and Joyson Auto Safety. Relevant as ecosystem/sister-line context for Preh's automotive electronics role within the broader Joyson portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PrehGmbH
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/PrehGmbH
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/preh
• Instagraminstagram.com/preh_group
• TikToktiktok.com/@preh.gmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Preh GmbH