BorgWarner has secured its first business award for its new aluminium-wire electric motor (eMotor) technology from a major Chinese original equipment manufacturer (OEM), marking the technology’s first market introduction. The motor will be used in hybrid vehicles across multiple applications, including generator motors and traction motors for auxiliary drives. Production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The new eMotor features aluminium-wire hairpin winding technology, representing an addition to BorgWarner’s electric motor portfolio. The award also extends the company’s relationship with the customer, with which it has collaborated across several product areas for more than 15 years. The latest programme introduces aluminium conductors and hairpin winding technology into BorgWarner’s hybrid product portfolio.
“We are proud to introduce BorgWarner’s aluminum-wire eMotor technology to the market through this program and to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with the customer,” said Isabelle McKenzie, Vice President of BorgWarner In. and President and General Manager, PowerDrive Systems. “The technology combines aluminum conductors with BorgWarner’s hairpin winding expertise to deliver significant weight and cost benefits. Supported by our comprehensive local product engineering and manufacturing capabilities, we have optimized the motor design, manufacturing processes and connection technologies to meet the requirements of hybrid generator and auxiliary drive applications.”
Compared with a conventional copper-wire motor offering comparable specifications, BorgWarner’s aluminium-wire solution maintains peak torque and peak power while reducing wire weight by more than 60% and cost by more than 80%. These benefits are intended to support vehicle manufacturers in improving component efficiency and managing costs across hybrid vehicle programmes.
The technology is suited to generator motors in hybrid applications as well as traction motors used for auxiliary drive functions. This gives manufacturers greater flexibility when developing different hybrid vehicle architectures. The new business award reflects BorgWarner’s continued development of electric motor technologies to address changing requirements in vehicle electrification. By combining aluminium conductors with its established hairpin winding expertise, the company is expanding the range of solutions available to customers across hybrid applications.
The programme also draws on BorgWarner’s local engineering and manufacturing capabilities, which support the optimisation of motor design, production processes and electrical connection technologies for specific customer requirements. With a strong focus on electrification and sustainability, BorgWarner is expanding its capabilities in electric propulsion and energy-efficient systems to support the industry’s transition toward cleaner mobility. Operating manufacturing and technical facilities across the Americas, Europe and Asia, the company combines engineering expertise with large-scale production to meet evolving regulatory and performance demands in the global automotive sector.With production scheduled to commence in Q4 2026, the award marks the first commercial application of BorgWarner’s aluminium-wire eMotor technology and strengthens its position in the evolving hybrid powertrain market.
