Jun 14, 2022
Chery takes powertrain development to next step in new energy era
As demand for new energy vehicles picks up amidst calls for reduced energy consumption and low carbon emissions globally, Chery is taking its All-Domain Power Architecture – encompassing traditional, hybrid and fully-electric powertrains – to the next developmental stage, to answer the needs and wants of tomorrow.
Chery rolled out its first engine on 18 May 1999 and quickly developed a formidable focus on independent research and development (R&D). Its engines have since evolved into a third generation, and so far, nine have been listed among China’s Top 10 Engines. Over 10 million of Chery’s engines have been sold across the globe.
Currently, three of the company’s fourth-generation engines have completed thermodynamic development and are in the bench calibration phase, while development of the first fifth-generation engine has been green-lighted. The design of this state-of-the-art engine is expected to be finalised by end-June 2023 before it makes its way to a production vehicle by 2024.
This turbocharged 1.5 litre dedicated hybrid engine features direct injection, an i-HEC 4.0 intelligent high-efficiency combustion system and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology to achieve an industry-leading thermal efficiency of 43.9%. The preliminary research programme on high-efficiency engines, adopting pre-chamber jet ignition and lean-burn technologies, has met its target of above 45% thermal efficiency in the laboratory.
On 18 May 2021, Chery unveiled its Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), which features dual motors, nine operating modes, 11 gear combinations and twin-shaft drive, making it the first of its kind amongst Chinese brands.
Barely a year later, on 25 February 2022, a national key R&D project headed by Chery – the ‘new-type, cost-effective, passenger car powertrain development & vehicle integration project’ – passed project acceptance in Wuhu, China. The outcome of the project was Chery’s first-generation DHT – 3DHT125 – which found its way into the Tiggo 8 Pro e+.
On 5 March 2022, Chery’s ‘dedicated hybrid engine (DHE) development’ project, another national key R&D project, passed the appraisal of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and the jury of experts for project acceptance. This project focuses on research into high-compression ratio deep Miller cycle and high lean-burn combustion to benefit Chery’s fourth- and fifth-generation engines.
The company will further optimise its three-speed DHTs for mid-sized plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) while developing a single-speed DHT for compact and sub-compact PHEVs and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).
Having made its debut in the new energy market in 1999, Chery’s powertrain matrix does not end at fuel engines and hybrids. In 2017 the fully-electric Chery EQ1 launched in China to high market acclaim, owing to its design and innovative packaging, and at the 2019 World Manufacturing Convention, Chery exhibited its third-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with 30 kW fuel cell stacks that can be topped up with hydrogen in three minutes, allowing a range of over 700 km.
Chery has acquired the ability to develop electric control units for the engine (ECU), hybrid system (HCU) and motor (MCU), and has deployed resources to develop core electric vehicle (EV) technologies including insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), silicon-carbide (SiC) integrated circuits and solid-state batteries.
Encompassing fuel, hybrid, electric and hydrogen energies, Chery’s All-Domain Power Architecture covers every known roadmap for automotive power technologies in the next 30 years, with the immediate focus being complete self-development of electric products.
