Bombardier Buys Austrian EV R&D Company Ahead Of Electric Motorcycle Launch

[advrider]

In a somewhat convoluted and perhaps surprising deal, Bombardier Recreational Products (the company behind Can-Am and owner of Rotax) has purchased an Austrian-Chinese EV technology company. The acquisition of Great Wall Motor Austria (a subsidiary of Great Wall Motor, a Chinese company) is expected to be complete by the end of Q2.

There aren’t a lot of solid details on the deal yet, as the press release doesn’t say how much the deal is worth, or what exactly this company is working on. Here’s what we’re told:

This leading EV R&D centre based in Kottingbrunn, Austria, specializes in e-drive systems and transmissions and currently employs highly skilled individuals who will receive ongoing employment as part of this agreement.

“We look forward to welcoming the 53 very qualified and experienced engineers, technicians and professionals as we continue reinforcing our EV expertise required to deploy our ambitious strategy. This acquisition will further strengthen our know-how in e-motor, inverter hardware and software development”, said Thomas Uhr, Chief Technology Officer of BRP.

Located near Vienna, Austria, this new EV R&D hub is ideally situated to attract top talent from nearby universities and research centres.

There’s very little there, except the mention of “e-motor, inverter hardware and software development.”

Wait, wasn’t BRP working on this already? Back in March, we got confirmation of a new electric lineup from subsidiary Can-Am, including electric motorcycles. Well—in theory, this move allows BRP to move towards a stronger presence in the EV sector. Or maybe BRP was already working with Great Wall Motor Austria, through subsidiary Rotax? Whatever the deal, we’re sure to see more headlines like this across the industry, as regulations force OEMs to double down on their EV investment as leaders force us to leave gasoline behind.

 

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