Varta Buys Delphi Battery Business

Varta is set to strengthen its already dominant position of OE car battery supplier in Europe through the acquisition of the European battery business of Delphi Corporation. The acquisition came into effect 1 July, following approval by the European Commission under antitrust laws.

Varta is a subsidiary of Johnson Controls and claims a 50 per cent share of the European OE car battery business. It is anticipated that the additional five million annual Delphi battery capacity will allow Varta to increase European sales by at least 20 per cent.

“Our aim,” said Walther Wever, chairman of Varta Automotive AG, “is to supply previous Delphi customers with the same high quality products and services as before and maintain successful business relations.”
Paul Matarewicz, managing director of Varta Automotive Batteries Ltd, explained that the benefits of the Delphi acquisition for the UK aftermarket would be access to a sophisticated product range and additional production capacity.