90 years of Kärcher: Focus on vehicle wash
Published on: Jun 12, 2025
Advertorial
From its first steam cleaner to today’s advanced gantry systems, Kärcher’s long-standing commitment to innovation and sustainability continues to shape the future of vehicle wash.
The year 2025 marks Kärcher's company anniversary. Founded on January 2, 1935 by Alfred Kärcher as a tinkerer's workshop for heating technology in Stuttgart, the family-owned company developed over the decades into a world-renowned brand for cleaning technology. Early on, the products were defined by technical innovation - a quality that still characterizes the company's DNA today. In addition to innovation and a broad portfolio of over 3,000 cleaning and care products, sustainability plays a central role. Kärcher is committed to reducing emissions, conserving resources, avoiding waste and recycling management with numerous measures and has received several awards for this.
However, not only the 90th anniversary of the company, but also the 75th anniversary of high-pressure cleaning will be celebrated in 2025. The company has now been selling high-pressure cleaners for a quarter of a century. Kärcher has been awarded a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title as the current best-selling brand for high-pressure cleaners. The company entered the world of cleaning technology in 1950 with the development of the first European hot water high-pressure cleaner (Steam cleaner “DS 350”).
More than 40 years of Vehicle Wash
Kärcher has been producing vehicle cleaning systems for over 40 years. The foundation stone for activities in the field of vehicle washing was laid in 1982. In that year, Kärcher developed the SHD-R 600, the first pump for self-service wash bays, which was installed in a modular design in the technical room, depending on the number of wash bays. It was suitable for the wash programs high-pressure wash, brush wash, rinsing and gloss drying.
The first Kärcher clean park was then introduced in 1987: The proven washing system concept established itself as a top solution with self-service washing with high pressure and systems with 2-8 self-service washing stations.
Over the following years, the Vehicle Wash division developed into a new Kärcher business unit in its own right and has been continuously expanded ever since. From 1993, Kärcher offered a gantry car wash system completely tailored to the end customer.
The largest of the three CWP gantry washing systems (CWP 8000) was launched in 1997 and offers a washing width of up to 2.40 meters. Kärcher offers the tandem system variant as an accessory. With the tandem washing system, the cleaning process is accelerated because two gantries can be used simultaneously.
With the CHH 8000 Optiwash, Kärcher developed a touchless car wash in the early 2000s. Using high pressure of up to 80 bar, the system also cleans areas that a brush cannot reach. Another advantage for users and operators is that there are no costs for cleaning and maintaining the brushes and there is no risk of damage to add-on parts such as mirrors and aerials. Sustainability also plays a special role in the system: the optional recycling system, with which up to 85% of the wash water can be reused, enables particularly economical and environmentally friendly operation.
And even today, the Vehicle Wash division at Kärcher is constantly evolving: With the CW 5 Klean!Star iQ, Kärcher has launched a premium gantry system for service station entrepreneurs and private investors with many functions and features, such as the patented rear cleaning system, an intelligent side brush or the eccentric wheel washing system.
Kärcher is not only a cleaning specialist, but has been shaping the cleaning market for many years with its strong inventive spirit and great innovative strength, which, coupled with the demand to always achieve the best cleaning results, has led to a large number of innovative, efficient and successful products.
Lear more about Kärcher's solutions!
