Tighter emissions regulations and the push for more fuel-efficient vehicles are driving the need for more turbocharged engines. As a result, the U.S. turbocharger market is growing rapidly which has led to BorgWarner Turbo Systems announcing on May 7 that it is expanding its North Carolina manufacturing operations in Buncombe County.
The company expects production in North America to more than double over the next five years.
Globally, volumes for light vehicle turbocharger production are forecast to increase from 29 million in 2014 to 43 million in 2019.
The company plans to create 63 jobs and invest more than $32 million over the next three years in Arden, N.C.
BorgWarner Turbo Systems’ turbocharging technologies are designed to improve fuel economy, emissions and performance. The company has a wide range of vehicles, from commercial trucks and off-highway equipment to high-performance race cars. In fact, every car in the Verizon IndyCar Series is equipped with a BorgWarner EFR (engineered for racing) turbocharger.
“Since 1977, BorgWarner Turbo Systems has grown significantly in the Asheville area, employing over 650 people today,” said Frédéric Lissalde, president, BorgWarner Turbo Systems. “As demand for our world-leading turbocharging technologies escalates, BorgWarner will continue to leverage the strong and talented local labor pool.”
The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Buncombe County and the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County.
