Electric mobility in India has already entered 2- and 3- wheeler space and is now gaining traction in the light and medium-duty commercial vehicles. Shawn Li, Vice President & General Manager Asia, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, in an interaction with Pushkar Oak, deliberates on the growth of commercial vehicles in e-mobility space.

BorgWarner has recently launched HVH-320 for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), do you see growth for this product? 
From our perspective, we see that in the Indian market the max. capacity in the ‘heavy’ commercial vehicle segment could go up to 8L(max) & power of ~200 kW. In the ‘light commercial vehicle’ segment a majority of the variants will probably be with power in the range of ~70-125 kW. BorgWarner offers a series of smaller high-voltage hairpin (HVH) motors, for example, HVH250, HVH220 and HVH200 which will be more suitable for the majority of LCVs in India. HVH320 can be targeted for the higher capacity trucks (>6L) where tonnages are very heavy. 

What will BorgWarner India look at in the coming Fiscal 2021-2022?
BorgWarner has a strong presence in the Indian market for example in the field of common rail fuel systems and diesel engine control units. In the coming fiscal years, one of the things we will be looking at is penetrating into the passenger vehicle segment with gasoline controllers and GDI and/or PFI systems. BorgWarner offers a wide range of gasoline engine controllers and fuel systems. We also offer controllers for smaller engines in 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler segment.

As for electric and hybrid vehicles, BorgWarner offers a wide range of products suitable for both 48V and high voltage applications, that include motors, inverters, mechanical gear systems, on-board chargers, DC-DC converters and many more.

Could you list out some key trends in Combustion, Hybrid and Electric Mobility in India? Also share BorgWarner's views on the same. 
When looking at the CAFÉ and emission regulations for India at this point of time, those could currently be achieved mostly through hybridisation in my opinion. Electrification will probably pick up faster in the 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler space. Scrappage policy should aid the growth in CV space. The medium duty market will scale up significantly and will have to comply with Trem-5 norms. This will drive Medium duty vehicles to adapt to Common Rail & also SCR technologies.

Do you think that EVs will pick up in India? You being a component manufacturer, do you find the Indian market attractive? If yes, why? 
2-wheelers and 3-wheeler will probably be starting the EV revolution in India. We are already seeing mild hybrids being used in PVs in India today. The 48V technology will see large traction for the next 2-3 years, followed by full hybrid (HV) considering the benefits and pace of advancement we are seeing in the hybrid technologies space. Small CVs with small payload will also start to adopt hybrids within the next 2 years. As the EV technologies and associated infrastructure gets established over the next 3-5 years, there will be increased adoption of EV.

Considering the rapid growth of India’s automotive market, it is definitely attractive. There is a lot to gain in long-term to pursue and invest in India.

In terms of hybrid or alternative fuel technology, which solutions from you are best suited for India and why? 
BorgWarner offers a wide range of products and technologies for hybrid and alternative fuel technologies. We are one of the very few automotive suppliers that have mechanical system, rotating electric machine, power electronics, software and system expertise within one company. We can support all hybrid architectures with our market-leading products and technologies at both system and sub-system level. As an example, we offer high-power 48V systems that include integrated motor and inverter, as well as mechanical gear systems. The system can be used in various mild hybrid applications or even in small 48V battery electric vehicles.

Among your diversified product portfolio, which products have shown better demand in recent time globally and in India? 
Globally, we are seeing greater interest and demand in high voltage electrification products, i.e., electric motors, inverters and integrated drive modules (iDM) where the gearbox, motor and inverter are fully integrated and optimised.

In the India market we have recently seen strong demand for 48V motors and inverters.