BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems. From Portland to Munich

Our visit to the BorgWarner stand at bauma was an enlightening experience. We gave you a preview of our chat with Bernd Fritsch on the hot topic of batteries. Now we’ll introduce you to the PowerDrive Systems division.

PowerDrive Systems – Cascadia Motion

Guiding us through this area of the BorgWarner universe is Jesus Molina, Head of Sales at BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, based in Portland, Oregon (d.b.a. Cascadia Motion, LLC). “Our focus is on electric powertrains, motors, inverters, gearboxes, specifically on low-volume, niche and emerging Commercial Vehicle applications. We leverage BorgWarner’s experience in high-volume, passenger car serial production to develop catalog-based solutions, which we tailor to these smaller, highly customized markets. What we do is take BorgWarner’s active motor components, rotors and stators, and package them into compact Drive modules that are efficient, robust and ready for integration.”

About the PowerDrive Systems IM-575

“Our latest and most advanced module, the IM-575, displayed at bauma 2025, is based on BorgWarner’s HVH 320 high-voltage hairpin motor, which is already in serial production with a major European CV OEM,we integrate it with our own CM350 silicon carbide inverter, built around our in-house developed Viper power module. That’s a big competitive advantage: because we make the entire system ourselves, from motor to inverter, we can optimize everything—mechanically, electrically, thermally—without relying on external interfaces. The result is a highly integrated unit that makes full use of the inverter’s capabilities. The IM-575 includes an oil sump and both mechanical and electrical oil pumps for efficient lubrication and thermal management. The motor itself is internally oil-flooded to maximize heat dissipation and efficiency, while the inverter is cooled via a water/ehtilene/glycol (WEG) mix. Everything is routed through a common cooling loop, passing through heat exchangers. The entire system is extremely compact and well-packaged. This unit delivers over 412 kW of continuous power and peak torque of 18,150 Nm. The Inverter can be rear-mounted or side-mounted, and it’s also stackable—allowing us to scale power up toward the megawatt range in a compact footprint. We’re currently testing it in Portland, with full production targeted by the end of this year. We expect the IM-575 to achieve world-class efficiency above 97%, making it ideally suited for high-power Class 6 and above commercial vehicles.”

And IM-425

“All our motors can also work as generators, other examples of our drive modules include our IM-425, which delivers 2600 Nm of torque and around 280 kW of power. It uses the same inverter architecture, offered with both IGBT and SiC power modules, which is ideal for applications like Class 8 On-and-Off-Highway, construction and mining equipment. These systems are often used as electric generators, replacing diesel engines while delivering comparable torque levels. Many of our customers stack these units to build extremely powerful machines in a small space.”

Now, let’s focus the ePTO module

“And finally, our ePTO module, the IM-225W. This one is water-cooled (WEG) and produces 80-110 kW continuous power, making it a powerful and compact solution when paired with our smaller CM200 inverter. It’s designed to accommodate direct mounting of a standard SAE B/C hydraulic pump and is widely used across industries—for example in concrete mixers and hydraulic systems. Thanks to its water-cooled design, it can be mounted vertically or in any position. Like the rest of our lineup, it’s manufactured using aluminum die casting for durability and thermal performance.”