TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. will start building electric power steering systems at existing plants in suburban Shanghai to supply its expanding customer base in Asia Pacific.  

TRW said the initial steering systems produced in Anting, a suburban of Shanghai, will be shipped and used by Ford Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. plants in the region.

Over the next 18 months, TRW will install new production lines in the facilities. The new lines will combine mechanical gear, column power head assemblies and electronic control units and allow TRW to fully localize output. The facilities will be able to produce around 450,000 steering systems a year. 

"Creating a regional production base for our Asian customers will provide a cost effective source for these fuel-saving and emission reducing technologies as we expand the footprint of EPS for the production of global platforms and for domestic customers," Peter Lake, executive vice president, sales and business development for TRW, said in a statement. 

Established in 2002, TRW Automotive Components Shanghai Co. makes airbag electronic control units, crash sensors, steering gear assemblies and anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability control. TRW also operates a technical center in Shanghai.