"Europe is and will continue to be very important for us"

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AR.- How would Borgwarner weigh up its participation in the Frankfurt Motor Show?
James R. Verrier.- It’s the first time that we have participated in the Frankfurt Motor Show and we are very pleased to have taken part. Personally, I had already visited the fair several times and it always seemed to me to be one of the best. It has been very positive in terms of contact with customers, potential investors. Of course, it is an excellent stage on which to showcase our technological capabilities, which strengthens the company’s brand image and reflects the work and effort of its staff.

AR.- Although in this case it was your first time, BorgWarner normally has presence at these types of events across the world, such as CES in Las Vegas, for example?
J.R.V.- We are more accustomed to carrying out individual presentations with each one of our customers. It is a practice that we have consolidated, so much so that we carry out one presentation a week somewhere in the world.

We design and manufacture to help our customers have the best and most efficient propulsion systems

AR.- In which of the technologies that are currently setting trends is BorgWarner focusing its efforts on the most?
J.R.V.- Our principal focus is propulsion. The approach is very simple: all the vehicles must move from point A to point B. The vehicle may be autonomous, connected or electric, but the only way that it moves in such a way is through a propulsion system. We are leaders in this field, which encompasses internal combustion, hybrid solutions and purely electric solutions. We design and manufacture to help our customers have the best and most efficient propulsion systems.

AR.- What kind of challenges do emission standards, both in Europe and in other parts of the world, pose to a company like BorgWarner?
J.R.V.- Our vision is and always has been to develop efficient and clean products from the point of view of energy consumption. Standards, requirements and demands from the perspective of the environment do not mean additional effort in terms of our activity, since we already work with that dynamic. For decades, BorgWarner has been working on the development of products focused on reducing fuel consumption and contaminating emissions in vehicles. It is something that forms a natural part of our DNA and our day-to-day work. We make sure to bring value to the development of safe, comfortable and, of course, clean driving vehicles.

45% of our income is generated in Europe. The remaining 55% is evenly divided between Asia and America, which translates into a really good overall balance

AR.- As a company from the United States, what is BorgWarner’s contribution in Europe?
J.R.V.- The good news is that we have a strong position in Europe. Our central headquarters are in the United States, but we are a completely global company. 45% of our income is generated in Europe. The remaining 55% is evenly divided between Asia and America, which translates into a really good overall balance. Europe is, therefore, very important for our company and will continue to be so in the future.

AR.- Is the company exploring new locations such as North Africa?
J.R.V.- One of the key factors of our strategy as a company consists on being very close to our customers, in all facets of engineering, design, sales, etc. We offer a very high level of technological engineering in different applications. We are not directly stationed in North Africa, but our customers in the region, such as Renault in Tangiers, are attended to well from other nearby locations.

AR.- When do you think the electric car will become fully established?
J.R.V.- We will continue to talk about a combination of different forms of propulsion, including the internal combustion engine, which will vary in different parts of the world, due to the different types of development in each region. In any case, we are as equally prepared for the forthcoming evolution of vehicles powered by both internal combustion engines and purely electric and hybrid vehicles.