Tesla Motors Selects BorgWarner for Production of New Gearbox for Tesla Roadster

[graham]

For validation purposes:

Yes, by this article it still sounds like Tesla handed Borg Warner the design for them to manufacture - not that B-W did the design.

 

[Kartek]

Borg

I am looking at a drawing right now with the Borg Warner logo in the title block. Borg Warner has been a transmission manufacturer since 1909. You think a bunch of silicon valley boys can design a transmission? They tried but failed.

 

[graham]

XTrac and Magna are also long-time transmission folk (non-Silicon Valley) who failed. Ricardo of course is not from Silicon Valley, and who was originally attributed to the design.

You may be right that Borg designed it. I have no special insight other than the reports I have read which hint that Borg was only the manufacturer. If you have insider first-hand knowledge, obviously that would be more correct.

 

[just-an-allusion]

Yes, by this article it still sounds like Tesla handed Borg Warner the design for them to manufacture - not that B-W did the design.

"Tesla engineers developed the specifications for the new gearbox and provided them to BorgWarner."

Yes, indeed it does.

 

[vfx]

"Tesla engineers developed the specifications for the new gearbox and provided them to BorgWarner."

Specs may mean giving speeds and ratios, centers, distances, mount points, weight, cooling, and the like, but BG may have designed the case and suggested metals, bearings, oil, etc.

 

[doug]

Specs may mean giving speeds and ratios, centers, distances, mount points, weight, cooling, and the like, but BG may have designed the case and suggested metals, bearings, oil, etc.

Yeah, I was just about to say... Most engineers would tell you that specifications does not equal a completed design. Anyhow the source article is a Tesla press release, so it might have whatever spin Tesla wanted to put on it. But I don't think we really care who did the design, do we? Except perhaps Kartek, who I guess works for Borg and has some company pride, which is perfectly fine. :smile:

We should remember, though, that this is a much simpler transmission with a fixed reduction gear set. Also those specifications were likely guided by experience with the previous failed 2-speed transmissions.

 

[just-an-allusion]

WE ARE BORG!!!!!!!!!

 

[TEG]

Shifter is futile.

 

[Kartek]

Fyi

Exactly correct. Thanks for letting me vent.:smile: