Auto Parts Asia — October 2017

66 | AutoPartsAsia | OCTOBER 2017

GLEANINGS International

Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the world’s first electrified Hummer

Kreisel Electric Presents

Electrified Hummer

APA Bureau

APA Bureau

BorgWarner’s 48-volt Tech To Electrify Vehicles

A

rnold Schwarzenegger

presented the world’s

first electric Hummer

from Kreisel Electric at

the opening of the company’s new

research and development centre in

Rainbach, Mühlkreis district, Upper

Austria. “Kreisel Electric electrified

my G-class last winter. And now a

Hummer. If Kreisel keeps it up at this

pace, I will soon be able to fly here

from LA in an electric airplane,” said

Arnold Schwarzenegger, friend and

patron of the high-tech pioneers,

who was clearly impressed with

the electrification of his big off-road

vehicle.

Kreisel Electric developed an off-

road prototype on the basis of the

H1 model in just two months. It is

equipped with high-performance

batteries from Kreisel Electric

featuring a 100 kWh capacity and two

electric motors on the

front and back axles,

with a system output

of 360 kW (490 PS).

The vehicle can reach

speeds of up to 120

km/h and has a range

of about 300 km and

a total weight of 3,300 kg.

The standard version of this American

off-road vehicle consumes up to 24

litres of fuel for every 100 km and

emits up to 470g CO2 per km. “With

our electrified prototypes, we want to

show what is possible using Kreisel

technology. We will certainly not

mass-produce these models. But our

Hummer is a powerhouse in wolf’s

clothing, one that drives so quietly

even the sheep are not disturbed,”

Markus Kreisel, one of the founders of

Kreisel Electric, said.

In the presence of the Austrian

Federal Chancellor Mag. Christian

Kern, and Arnold Schwarzenegger,

Markus Kreisel opened the new

development and manufacturing

centre in Rainbach, Mühlkreis district.

The new facility, which comprises

almost 7,000 sq. mt of space,

includes a prototype workshop and a

completely automated manufacturing

line for Kreisel Electric battery storage

devices for use in the small-batch

production of passenger vehicles,

utility vehicles, buses, boats and

airplanes, as well as in storage

solutions.

B

orgWarner, a

global leader in

clean and efficient

technology solutions

for combustion, hybrid and

electric vehicles, foresees

a global shift in propulsion

demands. In addition to

systems for full hybrid and

battery electric vehicles

(BEVs), BorgWarner

considers 48-volt mild hybrid

technologies as a crucial

step on the road to delivering the fuel

efficiency features and performance

that the consumers demand.

Bolstered by its 2015 acquisition of

Remy International and its agreement

to acquire Sevcon later this year, the

company has been developing one

of the broadest ranges of readily

available technologies for 48-volt mild

hybrids in the industry.“We are excited

about the demand and opportunity

for electrified vehicle technologies; it

is a turning point for the industry. We

believe 48-volt systems offer the high-

volume economics that will get us to

the ultimate destination of a cleaner,

more energy-efficient world,”James

R. Verrier, Chief Executive Officer,

BorgWarner, said.

BorgWarner expects 48-volt systems

to capture over 60 percent of the

global hybrid vehicle market, with an

annualized production rate of about

25 million units by 2027. BorgWarner’s

48-volt system solutions, which,

for example, include eBooster

electrically-driven compressors and

integrated belt alternator starters

(iBAS), capturing and using waste

energy in the most efficient way, and

providing more power, efficiency

and functionality. Mass production

of BorgWarner’s eBooster

solution is currently ramping

up with the innovative system

launching, first with three

global automakers, including

Daimler’s latest 3.0-litre

gasoline engine.

BorgWarner will showcase its

broad range of combustion,

hybrid and electric

technologies—including

eBooster electrically driven

compressors, iBAS, on- and off-axis

P2 modules, eAWD electric drive

modules, one-way clutches, electric

rear drive modules (eRDMs), electric

motors, power electronics and efficient

transmissions—at the upcoming

International Motor Show (IAA) Cars

in Frankfurt, Germany, and Electric &

Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo in

Michigan.

“Operating in multiple 48-volt product

areas allows BorgWarner to perfect

how the individual technologies

function as a system,” Christopher

P. Thomas, Chief Technology Officer,

BorgWarner, said.

BorgWarner 48 Volt Technologies