BorgWarner has unveiled a new electric vehicle based on the Ariel Nomad.
Dubbed the “high-voltage demonstration vehicle,” the modified Nomad has been stripped of its Honda-sourced 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 235 hp (175 kW / 238 PS) and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque.
It has been replaced by two high-voltage hairpin electric motors which each control a rear wheel. The motors operate independently from each other and have a torque vectoring function which offers improved steering response.
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The electric motors have a combined output of 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) and are powered by a liquid-cooled 30 kWh battery pack. However, the company noted the demonstration vehicle can be equipped with “different configurations of battery power” and this can be used to “test and validate particular battery pack applications for specific vehicle goals or driving experiences.”
The prototype was built in six months and BorgWarner used the Nomad as the donor vehicle as its open design allows employees to easily remove and install components. This is important as the company will use to the model to help expedite their research, development and validation of new technologies.
While the model won’t be going into production, BorgWarner’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Hakan Yilmaz, said the vehicle illustrates their “leadership in electrification and gives us a fantastic tool to showcase our extensive capabilities, collaborate with industry partners and evaluate BorgWarner’s current and future technology at a system-level.” He went on to say the company will embrace similar projects to help them validate next-generation technologies and “propel the industry toward a cleaner, more energy-efficient world.”