BorgWarner gears up to buy electric firm

Drivetrain and engineering powerhouse BorgWarner has agreed to acquire Sevcon Inc., a global developer of electric technology.

Sevcon is a manufacturer and supplier of AC and DC electrical inverters, converters and system components for many global companies. Sevcon itself owns Bassi, a battery charger designer and manufacturer.

“This acquisition supports our existing strategy to supply leading technology for all types of propulsion systems; combustion, hybrid and electric,” says president and chief executive officer James Verrier. “We look forward to welcoming Sevcon’s talented employees of BorgWarner,” he adds.

The American OEM and aftermarket drivetrain supplier currently manufacturers from 62 facilities globally in Asia, Canada, Europe and the US, with about 27,000 employees in 17 countries.

Sevcon supplies controller and power solutions for zero-emission, electric and hybrid vehicles. Its components are found in on-road and off-road vehicle speed and movement controls, and optimise energy consumption to reduce excessive air pollution.

The Bassi battery charger division supplies power management and power source systems for industrial, medical and telecommunication systems, as well as instruments for battery labs.

BorgWarner’s Sevcon acquisition is valued at around US$200 million (A$270 million) and is expected to close in quarter of 2017.

BorgWarner adds Sevcon to its extensive history as developer of countless transmissions systems and components. Some include TorqTransfer Systems in Hyundais, Porsche 911s and Volkswagen AG, and 1990s Ford Torque-on-

Demand and Mercedes 4WD transfer cases. Honda also uses BorgWarner’s lightweight front-drive systems. Peugeot and Renault adopted its turbos in the early 2000s, as did several brands mentioned. Famous was the BorgWarner

Variable Geometry Turbine (VGT) turbocharger in the 997 Porsche GT2 supercar, now common in Euro 6 compliant Hyundai/Kia drivelines.

In 1971, before the 1973 oil crisis when turbocharging became increasingly popular, BorgWarner set up manufacturing in Albury, NSW employing 1251 men and women in its 1982 peak.