BorgWarner takes over Delphi
BorgWarner has now taken over its competitor Delphi also to retain its expertise in power electronics and thus be better equipped for the change to e-drives. In addition, the US supplier has concluded a contract with an unnamed European car manufacturer to supply its eTurbo for a passenger car.
The US-American company BorgWarner sees itself as a “global product leader in the field of clean and efficient technology solutions for vehicles” with all kinds of drives. To strengthen its position when it comes to electric drives, BorgWarner has acquired the US supplier Delphi, as both companies have now confirmed. Previously, Automotive News Europe reported on the negotiations with reference to insiders – but indicated that the negotiations could still fail.
With the takeover, the two suppliers want to better position themselves for the transformation of the automotive industry to hybrid and electric cars. BorgWarner, in particular, is still strongly anchored in the world of combustion engines, and the takeover will enable the company to acquire a great deal of expertise – power electronics are explicitly mentioned in the press release corresponding to the takeover.
As part of the takeover, the enterprise value of Delphi is estimated at 3.3 billion dollars. According to the press release, current BorgWarner shareholders will hold 84 per cent of the shares after the deal is completed, while Delphi shareholders will hold 16 per cent.
Delphi itself emerged in 1999 from the supplier business of General Motors. In 2017, the company was split up, the Delphi Technologies division to focus on drive technologies, while the spin-off company Aptiv to focus on vehicle electronics, networking and autonomous driving. Aptiv is not affected by the takeover.
Shortly before the takeover, BorgWarner, known among other things as a specialist for turbochargers, announced an order for the mass production of the eTurbo, which is to start in early 2022. While the eTurbo will initially be used in a passenger car, BorgWarner expects further applications in the commercial vehicle sector in the future. In addition to a 48-volt variant, the company also offers “high-voltage-compliant architectures”. This would enable the technology to be used not only in mild hybrids with 48-volt vehicle electrical systems but also in PHEVs with significantly higher traction battery voltages.
The eTurbo consists of a mechanical turbocharger with an electric motor directly connected to the turbocharger shaft. The electric machine can either be used as a motor and thus eliminate the turbo lag, for example. If it is switched as a generator, the unit can use excess energy from the exhaust gas flow and convert it directly into electrical energy that can be used for additional power or to charge the traction battery. According to BorgWarner, this even allows the battery size to be reduced.
“BorgWarner’s eTurbo is a powerful and efficient solution, capable of delivering crucial benefits for our customers, including improved performance, better fuel economy, reduced emissions and more efficient energy usage,” says Joe Fadool, President and General Manager BorgWarner Emissions, Thermal and Turbo Systems.
BorgWarner already offers a similar component in the form of the e-booster, which is used in the Mercedes S-Class, among others. Audi also uses an electric compressor in some engines, such as the V8 diesel in the SUV SQ7, although they use a compressor from Valeo.
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