FEV Opens Office in Silicon Valley

German powertrain and vehicle engineering company FEV GmbH has opened a new facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., to support the development of electrification, driver-assist and connected vehicle technologies with new and existing customers in the region.

John Zelasko will head the California office. A 10-year veteran of FEV, Zelasko has been the director of business development for FEV North America since April 2015.

The California office will provide a local presence for FEV’s North American operations, which remain headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Michigan complex, which employs about 450 people, includes offices and a tech center.

FEV says the Silicon Valley office will employ a handful of permanent employees and serve as a project-by-project operating base for some of its technical staff in Michigan. The new facility will focus on advanced electronic components and systems for California’s burgeoning connected-vehicle community, according to the company.

In recent years FEV has expanded beyond its core powertrain design and development service into advanced electronics and connected vehicle systems. In addition to automotive, the California office will support FEV’s customers in the oil and gas and utility industries.