BorgWarner invests in battery management specialist

BorgWarner announced it has made an investment in Qnovo, Inc., a privately held, Silicon Valley-based software and controls company. BorgWarner did not divulge the extent of its investment, but said it is the lead investor for Qnovo’s multi-million-dollar Series-C capital raise.

BorgWarner has invested in Qnovo, a specialist in battery management technology.

With Qnovo’s focus on battery health measurement and fast charging, the investment deepens BorgWarner’s capacity to further its battery solutions portfolio. Qnovo’s intelligent software offers multiple benefits, BorgWarner said, including predictive safety measures, faster charging and extended battery life. Additionally, Qnovo’s software implements adaptive charging algorithms and predictive tools into an application that runs on AutoSAR or an equivalent vehicle operating system.

“BorgWarner sees a great opportunity with our strategic investment to collaborate with Qnovo, allowing us to leverage its advanced battery management software in our electrification portfolio,” said Harry Husted, chief technology officer of BorgWarner. “We look forward to partnering with Qnovo as they enter the automotive industry to provide battery solutions to the electric vehicle market.”

Based in Newark, Calif., Qnovo is committed to fundamentally improving the user experience by reimagining the battery and how it’s managed. Augmenting battery chemistry with the company’s battery management intelligence software results in enhanced battery safety, enables fast charging, expands longevity and increases capacity utilization, the company said.

Qnovo said its Adaptive Charging technology charges up to two times faster than incumbent solutions without degrading the battery. Further, it can add as much as 20% to battery capacity, extending vehicle range without increasing cost and weight. It is also engineered to raise the depth of discharge (DoD), increasing usable charge capacity without degrading the battery.