BorgWarner's Latest Compact Electric Drive Module is Being Used by 3 'New Energy Vehicle' Manufacturers in China

author: Eric Walz   

BorgWarner's eDM enables China's New Energy Vehicle manufacturers to meet stringent standards for vehicle emissions.

China is currently the world's biggest auto market, the country also leads the world in electric  vehicle sales. Roughly 47% of the world's EVs are sold in China, boosted by generous government subsidies to encourage drivers to switch to zero emission electric cars or hybrid models. In China, these models are referred to as "New Energy Vehicles" (NEVs) and include fully-electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The growing popularity of NEVs in China has also led to rising demand for electric powertrain components. As a result, global auto suppliers are ramping up production of electric motors and related components to meet demand, including one of the world's biggest automotive powertrain suppliers BorgWarner. 

BorgWarner announced that it started supplying its latest eDM for three new electric models in China, including the Ford Territory, AIWAYS SUV U5 and the Leading Ideal (Lixiang) One smart electric SUV. All three vehicles are more affordable EV options for customers in China.

The Ford Territory crossover is produced by Jiangling Motors Corporation Limited (JMC), which is U.S. automaker Ford's joint venture partner in China.

BorgWarner's compact electric electric drive module (eDM) is designed to help automakers build more affordable NEVs. The eDM optimizes weight, cost and size for electric vehicles. It integrates the company's eGearDrive transmission and high voltage hairpin (HVH) electric motor technology in a single unit. 

The compact design includes a lightweight aluminum housing, internal permanent magnet rotor and simplified parts, making it easier for automakers to integrate into vehicles during production. The overall design of BorgWarner's eDM offers a balanced mix of power, torque, packaging and efficiency, the company says. 

A key benefit is that BorgWarner's eDM can provide primary or secondary propulsion for fully-electric or hybrid vehicles. The high-precision gear process enables it to reduce power losses, while improving noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and increasing overall power density.

"We are honored to support these three customers, with whom we have valued relationships, by delivering our eDM to power their vehicles," said Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager of PowerDrive Systems, BorgWarner. "We are proud that our eDM is being recognized by customers for its extraordinary performance. We will continue to invest in research and development of our electric drive products, to further our mission of helping develop a clean, energy-efficient world."

The Ford Territory SUV for the China market is using BorgWarner's compact Electric Drive Module (eDM).

In addition, the flexible design of the BorgWarner's eDM is versatile enough for front wheel or rear-wheel-drive applications for NEVs, offering automakers a high level of system integration, performance and durability.

The eDM delivers efficiency of more than 95 percent, Borg Warner said. 

BorgWarner's eDM is integrated into the front axle of the Ford Territory EV and delivers motor torque of up to 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) and peak power of 120kW.  It's also used on the front axle of the U5, delivering torque of up to 315Nm (232 lb-ft), and peak power of 120kW in the SUV U5.

In the Leading Ideal One extended-range SUV, the eDM system is integrated in the rear axle, producing up to 290Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque and peak power of 140 kW, according to Borg Warner.

The use of the Borg Warner's eDM in three vehicles built by different manufacturers shows its versatility for automakers as they boost production of NEVs in China.

The first EV model in China to use BorgWarner's eDM technology was the 2018 Great Wall Motors C30, a fully-electric compact car equipped with a 37 kWh battery.

Production of Borg Warner's latest eDM has already started at the company's China manufacturing facilities in Beijing and Wuhan.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.