BorgWarner: Lightweight Design Leads Power Technology R&D

Brian E. Leising, Director of Product Technology, BorgWarner DS

Gasgoo.com: What are the advantages of BorgWarner's power system technology development for new energy vehicles?

Brian E. Leising: First of all, BorgWarner started as a transmission business. We have more than 100 years of history in the design of gears and transmissions. As the leader of similar products in the industry, we have great advantages in product control and design. Second, we have a research and development center in China to ensure that sufficient technical personnel support the development of new energy vehicles in the Chinese market and have established a rapid response mechanism. Finally, we can carry out independent research and development in China based on the local customer's new demand for products.

Gasgoo.com: The research and development of the new energy power system is to reduce the power output of the vehicle and achieve the goal of energy saving by reducing the torque. How does BorgWarner solve the problem that the power generated by new energy vehicles is weakened in the research and development of the power system?

Brian E. Leising: In the overall R&D process of new energy products, we implemented a lightweight design that uses an aluminum housing to simplify parts and reduce product weight. Once the weight is reduced, the vehicle can be driven with little energy. At the same time, our products still maintain a high efficiency, reaching more than 97%. In general, all parts of the vehicle's power system are depleted. The higher the product efficiency, the lower the internal components of the entire power system are. The more energy is used to drive the wheels, the better the performance is. However, efficiency is unlikely to reach 100%, it can reach 96%, and 97% is already very good. At present, new energy vehicles also have a trend of lightweight design, which is very helpful for energy conservation and emission reduction.

Gasgoo.com: It is generally believed that the cost of new energy vehicle power systems is relatively high, affecting the penetration of new energy vehicles. How does BorgWarner control the cost of related power products in researching new energy vehicle power technologies?

Brian E. Leising: For example, our current reducer product was originally developed as a single speed ratio reducer, which has fewer components and is competitive in cost. At the same time, we also develop multi-speed ratio reducers, such as three-speed ratio reducer, which can make customers' vehicles get better driving force. Different speed ratios correspond to different customer needs. In terms of overall price strategy, there will be different price products to meet customer needs in different stages.

Gasgoo.com: In addition to the distinction between single-speed and multi-speed ratio reducer products, are there cost considerations in other areas?

Brian E. Leising: In addition to the ordinary speed reducer just mentioned, we also apply the existing chain technology to new products. If it is a new development, the development cost itself will be higher, and the overall product price will also be higher. However, the use of our existing chain technologies, including gears, bearings, shifting technology, can reduce the overall cost of the developer, thus reducing the price of the product after mass production.

In addition, from the point of view of the Chinese market, for products with large demand, we will produce at our factory in Beijing and use localized production and processing to reduce costs. We also adopt localization strategies in the United States and Europe. BorgWarner has 61 plants in 18 countries around the world. By doing so, it can effectively reduce costs.

Gasgoo.com: Where are the breakthroughs in the industrialization of new energy vehicles?

Brian E. Leising: For new energy vehicles, batteries are a big challenge, including the development of power systems. For other systems, such as transmission systems, and electrical drive technology, are the bottleneck. Of course, the state's supporting facilities are also an important aspect. The industrialization of new energy vehicles needs the support of charging stations and national policies. From these perspectives, the industrialization of new energy vehicles requires long-term plans and there is still a long way to go.

Gasgoo.com: What measures has BorgWarner taken in quality control?

Brian E. Leising: BorgWarner has a uniform quality control standard at its factories around the world, and has very strict control over product consistency. Second, we have a comprehensive quality control system that includes quality control of global suppliers. We have a dedicated team responsible for the global supplier management system, and their control over supplier quality and product consistency is very strict.

Gasgoo.com: What is the degree of localization of BorgWarner?

Brian E. Leising: We try to use localized production methods, but the premise must be to ensure that the quality and performance are still maintained at a high level, can not affect the performance of the product due to the localization of suppliers. We will make localized purchases on the basis of guaranteeing product performance and reduce overall costs. From a foreign point of view, as a leading supplier with a long history, we have very strict quality control, and the cost will be reduced because of the large quantity. Therefore, some products will be purchased from abroad.

We now have subsidiaries that produce parts for use by BorgWarner. Therefore, our suppliers are divided into two categories. One is our own factory in the BorgWarner system, and the other is an external supplier that does not belong to BorgWarner.

Gasgoo.com: Please tell us about the global division of labor of BorgWarner.

Brian E. Leising: We have a global technology center PTC in Detroit, USA, and a Chinese technology center CTC in Shanghai. The entire technology team is a global team. For current products, R&D starts from PTC, because the strength of CTC is not enough, but if small quantities are formed in the United States, or if R&D has already been completed, then China can come and China's R&D team can support the application of current products. At present, CTC and PTC's technical experts will have many opportunities for cooperation and will grow in cooperation projects. In CTC, the ratio of foreign experts to Chinese technicians is 1:20.

Gasgoo.com: Please tell us about BorgWarner's future R&D trends in new energy technology.

Brian E. Leising: Based on the development direction of BorgWarner, we now only do this part that we are best at, such as power transmission technology. The battery or pure engine is not within our plan. After all, our 100 years of experience has focused on drive technology, turbocharging and cooling pumps. For new energy products, such as retarders, dual clutches, electronic cooling pumps, superchargers and heaters, etc., we have been doing products for many years. We will continue to develop this type of corresponding products for new energy vehicles.