On May 28, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. (Yuchai) held a new-energy power strategy and product release conference in Beijing, launching four new-energy powertrain systems including integrated generator-type engine powertrain, eCVT power-split hybrid powertrain, integrated electrically-driven axle powertrain, and fuel cell system. That marks Yuchai’s successful determination of its new-energy power technical route and comprehensive launch of new products, following its release of all-model China VI powertrains for commercial vehicles, and formation of overall layout of product strategy featuring well-matched conventional and new-energy powertrains. In this way, Yuchai's core competitiveness has been strengthened further, creating a world-leading and diversified technical route for China's new-energy power industry.

The release conference was attended by Su Wanhua (academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering), Zhang Yongwei (secretary general of China EV100), Xing Min (secretary general of China Internal Combustion Engine Industry Association), Miao Yuming (deputy general manager of Bosch Automotive Diesel Systems Co., Ltd.), Li Qingwen (dean of China Automobile Evaluation Academy), and Liu Shengyou (deputy mayor of Yulin City). Yan Ping (president of China Internal Combustion Engine Industry Association and chairman of Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd.) and Qiu Zhixiang (chairman of Xiamen King Long Motor Group Co., Ltd.) jointly unveiled the products. Nearly 300 management personnel of original equipment manufacturers and dealer customers witnessed the release of products.

At the conference, Yuchai signed cooperation agreements with 9 OEMs on new-energy power strategy, including Xiamen King Long, BAIC ORV, Shanghai Sunlong, Zhejiang Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle, Dayun Automobile, Shaanxi Automobile, Dongfeng Motor, Dongfeng Huashen and Dongfeng Liuzhou Automobile, to jointly develop premium products for customers.

The year 2020 marks the upgrading and milestone of Chinese commercial vehicles and the realization of the basic state policy of comprehensive energy conservation and emission reduction, as well as market competition of multi-technical routes and general commercialization of technical innovations of Chinese automobile manufacturers and power companies. Amid a volatile external environment and diversified customer demands, Yuchai always focuses on the innovation of professional ability and technical capacity, sticks to the original intention of creating value for customers and pools global excellent technical resources on the basis of R&D of high-efficiency internal combustion engine, making breakthroughs in technical capacity of mechatronics. In this way, it has the dual-drive product strategy layout featuring both conventional and new-energy power, maintaining the ability to continuously create and deliver value to customers.

At present, Yuchai boasts the ability to develop and manufacture core parts of new-energy powertrain system and to integrate new-energy powertrain systems, enabling it to provide customers with a complete set of new-energy powertrain system solutions. It is the only enterprise in the domestic industry that has mastered the highly integrated application ability of new energy power, such as integrated generator-type engine powertrain, eCVT hybrid powertrain, integrated electrically-driven powertrain, and fuel cell system. In addition, with the most complete new-energy service network in China, Yuchai is also the only enterprise developing and manufacturing multi-purpose power-split hybrid powertrain in the world.

The 7 new-energy powertrains unveiled by Yuchai cover four business directions including IE-Power, eCVT, integrated electrically-driven axle powertrain and fuel cell system. These products, with full integration of engine and electrical technology and competitive advantages in the market, are developed by Yuchai, by virtue of its power technology integration, for the era with fewer subsidies to meet diversified power demands of customers in different market segments. Multiple pragmatic technical routes deriving from products are the correction and innovation of the original new-energy power technology route.

Integrated design and high integration of motor and engine are made possible on IE-Power. This system can realize the E-charge function and greatly increase the endurance mileage of a vehicle. With the technical reserve of the engine, 1L diesel can produce 4 kWh electricity on average, with a generating efficiency 20% higher than the industry. eCVT hybrid power system is the world's only multi-purpose power-split hybrid power system, with fuel saving ratio of the engine being over 65%. Yuchai fuel cell is a power product designed for the future and the hydrogen conversion efficiency of the system exceeds 42%, higher than the average level of the industry, and the whole service life is longer than 20,000 hours. The integrated electrically-driven axle powertrain realizes multi-component integration and reduces the vehicle weight and energy consumption, while the space for installation of a power battery is increased, so it has a broad market prospect.

Through the strategic adjustment of the engine business, Yuchai has achieved three major transformations: transformation from a powertrain manufacturer to a high-end powertrain manufacturer; transformation of new-energy power technology from ideal to pragmatic directions; transformation of China's new-energy power industry from adoption to the combination of reference and independent innovation.

Yan Ping said Yuchai new-energy powertrains derive various technical routes through the complete integration of engine and electrical technology, which is the correction and innovation of the original new-energy power technical route. In the future, Yuchai will continue to upgrade itself by focusing on conventional engine business, completing the strategic layout of diversified power coexistence and promoting the transformation from the center on medium and heavy power to equal attention to light power, medium power, heavy power and large power; transformation from the focus on conventional power to balanced development of new-energy power and conventional power; transformation from the focus on domestic market to equal attention to both domestic and overseas markets. In this way, Yuchai will develop both conventional power and new-energy power to build a world-leading powertrain manufacturer, thus leading the development of new-energy power technology in China and even in the world.

Su Wanhua praised that Yuchai's new strategy and products were very smart and promising, which set an example for China's power enterprises and made a good start, and would effectively promote the development of national power equipment.

Zhang Yongwei said it was admirable that Yuchai has made such a comprehensive and systematic layout and made great progress in the field of new energy. The release of the strategy and products is a solid step forward, symbolizing the determination of automotive parts enterprises to face the transformation of the automobile industry in the new century, and will usher in a wave of commercial vehicle parts manufacturers making electric and intelligent transformations.

(Chen Yinghui)