The Digitisation of Chassis Systems:Adapting Semi-Active Suspension Systems for Modern Vehicles
In this free, 60-minute innovation forum, BWI Group and independent industry experts will explore the future of semi-active suspension and its role in modern vehicle performance.
They will share insights into MagneRide, BWI’s high-performance controlled suspension technology, covering its mechanical and electronic advancements, large-scale industrialisation, and the benefits for integration flexibility and performance.
The session will also include a roundtable discussion with vehicle dynamics and tuning experts, a behind-the-scenes look at BWI Group’s manufacturing capabilities, and an on-road video demonstration of MagneRide-equipped vehicles in action.
Key topics and takeaways:
Technical overview of the latest generation of MagneRide technology
Roundtable discussion on the trajectory of semi-active suspension systems
Insights into how the MagneRide system is engineered for scalable integration across multiple vehicle types and architectures
A look inside BWI Group’s manufacturing facility and how quality is maintained at volume
Real-world driving impressions: on-road demonstration of MagneRide’s performance
SPEAKERS
Tom Liu – BWI Group’s CEO
Philippe Germain, Chief Engineer – Controlled Suspension
Yuan Zamparini – Chief Engineer of Global Suspension Electronics & Software Engineering
Dave Shal – Chief Engineer, Suspension Control Systems & Applications
Krzysztof Kucharczak – Director of Product Engineering , Europe
Marcin Knapczyk – Chief Engineer
Register for an on-line Technology Forum with a link:
For over 20 years, BWI Group Ride Engineer, Chris Goergen, has worked closely with leading global OEMs to bring MagneRide® to life on the road. Whether he’s fine-tuning high-performance sports cars or helping deliver premium comfort for the latest EVs, Chris plays a pivotal role in shaping how vehicles feel to drive. We caught up with him to discuss the unique strengths of MagneRide, how BWI Group’s collaborates with customers, and why tuning suspension is as much about feel as it is about technology.
Q: What does your role as a ride engineer at BWI Group involve?
My focus is on helping OEMs get the very best performance from their MagneRide systems. I work directly on vehicles, collaborating with the customer to integrate our technology into their architecture and calibrate it to their specific requirements. That includes working with software, hardware and control parameters to ensure the system supports the vehicle’s overall ride and handling objectives. Once the system is fully integrated, we move into fine-tuning, typically through subjective evaluation, to bring out the character the customer wants in the vehicle.
Q: How has that relationship with OEMs changed over time?
Vehicle development has evolved significantly, and so has our approach. We’ve adopted a more modular system that gives customers flexibility depending on their programme needs. We can supply a complete MagneRide system, including the dampers, sensors, ECUs and software, or just the individual components that are required. Some customers want full system delivery and tuning support, while others prefer to embed our control algorithms into their own ECUs.
This modular approach breaks down barriers to entry and enables us to adapt to a wide variety of vehicle architectures. Our engineers work closely with customers to determine the best integration strategy. As systems become more centralised and software-defined, we’re acting less like a component supplier and more like a technology partner.
Q: What does a typical tuning session look like for you?
Each project starts with integrating MagneRide into the customer’s system architecture. That means aligning our software with their control environment and ensuring everything communicates seamlessly. Once the system is operational, we begin the calibration process, adjusting control parameters to match the desired ride and handling characteristics.
From there, we focus on refining the system through real-world testing. This includes evaluating ride comfort, body control, noise and vibration levels, and overall vehicle dynamics. Our role is to help the customer achieve their targets efficiently, whether that’s sharp handling for a performance model or enhanced comfort in an electric SUV.
Q: What makes MagneRide different from other semi-active suspension systems?
The key difference is how the damping force is controlled. Traditional semi-active systems use solenoid valves, which often require physical hardware changes during development. That means manufacturing and swapping out multiple sets of valves to refine the tuning. This is time-consuming and resource-intensive.
With MagneRide, we don’t need to change any hardware during tuning. The damping force is controlled digitally via software, so I can make changes directly from my laptop. This gives us much more agility in development, reduces costs, and speeds up the entire calibration process.
Q: MagneRide is often praised for its fast response time. What does that mean for ride quality?
MagneRide can respond in just a few milliseconds, which allows us to precisely control both primary ride (body movement) and secondary ride (wheel control). On challenging road surfaces, such as uneven country roads, this responsiveness makes a big difference. We can maintain strong body control without compromising comfort or introducing harshness from the wheels. Other systems often reach a point where they have to increase damping to control the body, but that can lead to an overly stiff ride. MagneRide gives us the flexibility to balance both.
Q: Does that also help when tuning different vehicle types?
Absolutely. MagneRide is well known for its performance in sports cars, but it has been improved to be more capable in comfort-oriented vehicles too. In fact, it’s already in use in many of today’s premium EVs and SUVs, where ride quality and noise suppression are critical. Its fast reaction time and wide tuning range allow us to deliver a refined, composed ride even on rough surfaces. That adaptability is what makes it so valuable across different segments.
Q: How has MagneRide evolved since you started working with it?
The system has become faster, more refined and even more integrated. One of the biggest areas of improvement has been secondary ride and how we manage small, high-frequency road inputs. When it comes to body control, earlier generations already outperformed conventional suspension , and we’ve continued to improve response time, NVH characteristics and overall comfort. We’ve also enhanced the system architecture, updating the sensors and ECU to support modern vehicle platforms.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s next for MagneRide?
As EV adoption increases, expectations around noise and ride quality are rising. Without engine noise to mask imperfections, every bump and vibration becomes more noticeable, and the added mass of EVs makes controlling body motion more challenging. At the same time, the shift towards software-defined vehicles is accelerating the need for digitally controlled suspension systems that can be easily integrated and updated. This is where advanced semi-active systems like MagneRide are playing an increasingly vital role.
We’re also working to bring MagneRide to a broader range of vehicles. That means improving affordability and increasing volumes, but without compromising the performance that makes it unique.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?
Every project is different, and I get to work on vehicles all over the world. The multicultural aspect of working with Italian, German, American, English, Chinese and Japanese engineers, for example, is always interesting. And of course, being in the car, feeling the difference our work makes, is incredibly satisfying. But it’s never just one person. What I do wouldn’t be possible without the engineering teams behind me. It is the team that writes the code, tests the software, designs and manufactures the parts. It’s very much a team effort, and I’m proud to be part of that.
Note to editors:
To find out more about BWI Group’s MagneRide technology, the company is hosting a webinar on October 8th. It will explore the future of semi-active suspension and its role in modern vehicle performance and provide a detailed technical overview of the latest generation of MagneRide technology. The webinar will also offer insights into how the MagneRide system is engineered for scalable integration across multiple vehicle types and architectures and provide a look inside BWI Group’s manufacturing facility.
MagneRide semi-active suspension selected for Polestar’s flagship GT, delivering both dynamic performance and refined comfort
BWI Group to supply advanced suspension technology across both Performance and Dual motor variants of the Polestar 5
MagneRide technology addresses the growing dynamics challenge of heavier EVs, offering OEMs a proven, software-driven solution
BWI Group has announced that its MagneRide® semi-active suspension technology will feature in the newly revealed Polestar 5.
Alongside MagneRide being equipped on the high-performance version, BWI Group will also supply a sophisticated passive damper with internal hydraulic rebound stops to the Dual motor variant.
Launched in September at the IAA MOBILITY event in Munich, Germany, the Polestar 5 is a flagship 4-door GT with a dual-motor 800V architecture. The Performance variant produces 650kW and 1,015Nm, accelerating from 0–100km/h in just 3.2 seconds.
“Polestar’s decision to equip MagneRide reflects the increasing importance of semi-active suspension in delivering both dynamic performance and refined comfort, particularly for demanding electric platforms,” said Philippe Germain, Chief Engineer at BWI Group. “MagneRide gives Polestar engineers the flexibility to precisely tune the vehicle’s drive dynamics, while ensuring customers experience a clear difference between drive settings.”
MagneRide is digitally controlled, meaning that the system can be tuned using just a laptop and negates the need to design and produce prototype damper valves and pistons. This significantly shortens lead times and also enables region-specific tuning and supports over-the-air updates.
One of the key differentiators is MagneRide’s broad “turn-up” ratio, which is the spread between its maximum and minimum damping force for a given velocity. This enables significant differences in performance between drive modes, such as comfort and sport, and gives vehicle dynamicists greater flexibility in tailoring a car’s character. The technology can also decouple body control from wheel control, improving ride quality without sacrificing handling.
A solution for modern EVs
The adoption of MagneRide by Polestar for its halo electric vehicle highlights the growing role of semi-active suspension systems in meeting the challenges posed by electrification. The increased mass of EVs amplifies body motions and makes achieving high levels of ride comfort and handling precision more challenging.
Semi-active systems addresses this by continuously adjusting damping characteristics in real time. Unlike passive dampers, which offer a fixed response, semi-active dampers adapt to changing road conditions and driving demands, offering engineers and consumers improved body control, sharper handling and enhanced ride comfort.
“Electric vehicles place high demands on suspension systems – they’re heavier, quieter and customers expect more refinement,” added Germain. “MagneRide is ideally suited to this environment. It gives OEMs a proven, scalable technology that manages the mass of modern EVs while still delivering a premium ride and confident handling.”
BWI Group has increased the adaptability of MagneRide to make it applicable to a wider range of vehicle sizes and types. Chinese OEMs have already deployed MagneRide across both premium and mid-range EVs. This large-scale adoption has accelerated the maturity of the technology and reduced costs, creating an opportunity for European OEMs to benefit from proven, mass-market validated solutions.
Note to editors:
To find out more about BWI Group’s MagneRide technology, the company is hosting a webinar on October 8th. It will explore the future of semi-active suspension and its role in modern vehicle performance and provide a detailed technical overview of the latest generation of MagneRide technology. The webinar will also offer insights into how the MagneRide system is engineered for scalable integration across multiple vehicle types and architectures and provide a look inside BWI Group’s manufacturing facility.
Doug Carson, Senior Advisor to BWI Group in Q&A session
Doug Carson has been involved with MagneRide suspension system since 2005, as Chief Engineer. He was responsible for the launch of the suspension technology into Europe. Carson later became Chief Technology Officer. In this Q&A, he reflects on MagneRide’s engineering breakthroughs that defined the award-winning suspension systems.
Q: Where did the idea for MagneRide come from?
The concept of using magnetorheological fluid for damping goes back decades. But it wasn’t until the 1990s that the technology became viable for automotive use, thanks to advances in materials, electronics, and control strategies.
MagneRide became a viable alternative and the idea of a valveless damper, controlled purely by a magnetic field and software, was incredibly compelling. It promised levels of control and tuneability that simply weren’t possible with other semi-active technologies.
Q: When did development of the MagneRide really start to take off?
The first big step was around 1995, when MagneRide dampers were put on a Chevrolet Suburban. In the very early trial, the ride quality wasn’t perfect, but the response and authority of the system were there and it showed some real potential.
After experiencing the technology firsthand, teams from Cadillac and Corvette were eager to put it into production. Finally, the first programme went into mass production with the 2002 Cadillac Seville STS.
Q: What were the major technical challenges during development?
This really was a semi-active suspension system like no other so there were a lot of challenges to overcome. Magnetorheological fluid is full of iron particles, which meant we had to rethink materials entirely. We adapted several parts, including gas cups, cylinder tubes and rod guides. We were also developing new control algorithms and adapting to the demands of automotive production.
Q: How did MagneRide stand out from anything else on the market?
With MagneRide, there are no internal valves or complex flow channels. The increase of damping force comes from altering the characteristics of the magnetorheological fluid with a magnetic field. That means faster response times, just milliseconds, and no moving mechanical components to wear out or fail.
MagneRide makes OEMs’ development faster, more flexible, and more cost-effective. It’s fully software-controlled. You don’t need to manufacture new parts to tune the damper, you just plug in a laptop and adjust the calibration.
Q: How was MagneRide received by the industry at launch?
The system won a string of industry awards: the Popular Science “Best of What’s New” in 1999 and 2002, the 2003 PACE Award.
Besides Cadillac, MagneRide was also installed in Ferrari. That was great validation for us, if Ferrari wanted MagneRide then clearly, we were onto something special. From there, it spread quickly to other major OEMs, including Lamborghini, Audi, Honda, and Ford.
Q: How has MagneRide evolved over the years?
A major area of progress has been the secondary ride, which is the ability to filter out small, high-frequency inputs that affect NVH and comfort. That’s especially important for modern EVs, where cabin noise is low and every bump is more noticeable.
Besides, the fluid is now better performing, the damper architecture is refined, and the control algorithms are much smarter.
We’ve also made the system much more modular and flexible. OEMs can choose full-system delivery, including software, sensors and ECUs, or just the dampers. That flexibility helps OEMs integrate more easily with centralised vehicle architectures and software-defined platforms.
Q: And what does the future hold for MagneRide?
The developments in secondary ride have enabled MagneRide to be applicable to more vehicle segments. The rise of heavier vehicles has also increased the demand for more sophisticated suspension technologies. As a result, MagneRide is now being used on everything from SUVs, hatchbacks, saloons and sports cars.
We’re also working on smarter integration. As vehicles become increasingly software-defined and connected, MagneRide can play a bigger role in predictive control to use data in real time to adjust settings based on the road ahead.
We are also leveraging AI to further accelerate the tuning phase. It means that when we get to tuning on the track, in the real car, the algorithms are already very mature.
The Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is moving the industry away from traditional hardware-led designs toward a future where software shapes, controls and enhances vehicle functionality, safety and user experience. This shift to more connected systems opens up new opportunities for digitised suspension technologies, such as MagneRide®. We sat down with Yuan Zamparini, Global Chief Engineer for Controls, Electronics & Software for Controlled Suspensions at BWI Group, to explore this further.
Q: What is MagneRide and how is it digitally controlled?
YZ: MagneRide is a semi-active suspension system that uses a magnetic field to energise the magnetorheological fluid, which is filled with iron particles. When a magnetic field is applied, those iron particles align to form a new structure and change the fluid’s viscosity, which alters the damping force. What makes this particularly relevant for software-defined vehicles is that MagneRide is fully and continuously digitally controlled in a wide range of damping forces with millisecond response times.
As is common with premium technologies, MagneRide found its first applications in high-performance vehicles. But as the industry shifts towards the Software Defined Vehicle and the demand for digital control increases, MagneRide is now being fitted to all types of vehicles, from mid-range sedans to large BEV SUVs.
Q: How does this digital control advantage translate to SDV applications?
YZ: The key differentiator is that the system, once base damping characteristics are set, is completely tuneable in software. Unlike solenoid-based semi-active systems that require hardware modifications to change suspension characteristics, MagneRide can be completely recalibrated through the ECU. It enables manufacturers to fully customise settings for regional markets, for example, perhaps to make the vehicle more compliant for North American preferences or sportier calibrations for European drivers. This would simply be too expensive if hardware changes were necessary. We have the capability for over-the-air (OTA) updates, so manufacturers can adjust suspension tuning post-production if required, cost-effectively.
Q: What new functionalities does SDV architectures unlock for MagneRide?
YZ: MagneRide’s response times are one of the quickest on the market and it can adjust to road inputs almost instantaneously. However, we have also developed a new preview function. By integrating with the vehicle’s perception system, which is now possible thanks to SDV architectures, we can use cameras and radar to evaluate road surfaces ahead and prime the dampers accordingly. For example, if we detect a pothole or sharp corner approaching, the damping characteristics can be pre-adjusted to optimise the performance. We have also developed a real-time arbitration system that weighs this ‘preview’ information against the ‘instantaneous’ inputs to determine the optimal response. This ultimately increases the performance of the suspension and gives OEMs more flexibility.
This integration can also be used to optimise the suspension in emergency situations. For example, if automatic emergency braking is triggered, the suspension system can instantly adjust itself to improve braking distances and control. The improvement is only a safety enhancement, not a mitigation mechanism, but in life and death situations, every advantage matters.
Q: How do you see the relationship between traditional automotive suppliers and OEMs evolving in the SDV era?
YZ: The relationship is becoming more collaborative and integrated. Rather than simply supplying individual components, we’re becoming development partners. We are contributing to the fundamental changes which are happening to the vehicle architecture. This requires deeper technical integration and long-term partnerships, but it also enables solutions that are much more optimised for the complete vehicle system rather than individual components. We are also responding to an increased demand for a more modular approach to delivery. OEMs want to be able to pick and choose elements of the solution that best fit their architecture.
Q: What does the move toward modularity mean for suppliers and OEMs?
YZ: BWI Group is focusing on providing flexible modular solutions that can integrate with both the OEM’s central controller and the zone controller. Depending on their specific needs and existing subsystems, customers can choose different combinations of our hardware, software modules or integration services. This approach gives OEMs more control over their vehicle architecture while still benefiting from our specialised expertise in suspension control algorithms, hardware and software.
Q: Are there any SDV partnerships with OEMs that you can discuss?
YZ: We’re currently involved in a co-development program with a major US OEM for their first SDV platform. The customer established their SDV development roadmap back in 2021 and, given our long-standing relationship and the central role MagneRide plays in the SDV architecture, they invited us to participate from the beginning. They have now built prototypes for benches and vehicles and we have supplied the entire digital suspension ecosystem; including the dampers, algorithm in the central controller, smart actuator controller with Ethernet capability, and associated sensors.
Q: What were the main technical challenges in adapting to an SDV architecture?
YZ: One of the biggest challenges was integrating real time-controlled systems to the new Ethernet communication architecture. The complexity comes from coordinating multiple digital systems while maintaining the real-time response capabilities our solutions have become famous for and are critical for suspension performance. We have used a parallel approach by developing a level 4 virtual model and physical prototypes, and we’re now on our production infrastructure-ready generation of sample.
Q: SDV is transforming all aspects of vehicle design. How is it affecting chassis systems in particular?
The most obvious shift is that all systems are becoming more connected and software-driven. Instead of treating each feature separately, SDV architectures allow a central controller to manage them collectively and cooperatively, making the chassis control a truly integrated part of the vehicle’s ecosystem. This is opening up massive possibilities for OEMs and is where MagneRide’s large scale of controllability has an advantage.
Q: How is artificial intelligence being integrated into the latest MagneRide systems?
YZ: A high potential area for the new generation development would be an AI-based self-learning tuning system. MagneRide is tuned using an array of parameters and inputs and varies significantly based on vehicle type, size and intended use. This AI system dramatically reduces both the cost and time required for tuning and testing, which was already faster than solenoid valve-based systems, while ultimately delivering better performance through continuous learning and optimisation.
Q: Beyond suspension dampers, how is BWI Group positioning itself in the SDV space?
YZ: We identified the SDV trend early and have been developing complementary digitally-controlled solutions. Alongside MagneRide, we offer semi-active stabiliser bar systems, Four corner Air Suspension control systems, hydraulic lift systems, magnetorheological powertrain mounts and electric braking systems. The advantage is that all these chassis subsystems can work coordinatively and contribute to the fundamental functions of Chassis and body control, sharing inputs and processing functions. This creates opportunities for holistic chassis optimisation that wouldn’t be possible with traditional, isolated systems.
