On May 10, 2024, after the Roewe DMH Technology Brand Conference, Lu Yong, Executive Vice President of SAIC Innovation Research and Development Institute, Qiu Jie, Vice President and Deputy Chief Engineer of SAIC Innovation Research and Development Institute, and SAIC Park Chun-wook, chief marketing officer of the passenger car company, accepted an exclusive interview with the media.
Q: Plug-in hybrids and extended range are very popular now, and everyone is talking about the extremely high thermal efficiency. Where does our competitiveness lie? If you go overseas, is there a market for this kind of technical route overseas?
Qiu Jie: The first is the issue of thermal efficiency, and the second is the issue of going to sea.
The answer to the question about going to sea is relatively simple, because the facts prove everything. At present, the EP2 and ES3 new MG3 hybrids have been announced in Europe. The target value is 100g, and the actual measured value is 98.12g. In terms of thermal efficiency itself, the authenticity is most clearly reflected in the carbon dioxide data. Therefore, I think it is relatively clear what the competition between overseas and us is. From an echelon perspective, we are currently relatively close to Japan and South Korea, both in the area below 100g.
As for the issue of thermal efficiency, I mentioned in my report that we not only undertake independent development, but also undertake scientific and technological tasks. Among the projects supervised by the 14th Five-Year Plan, the only thermal efficiency project for automobile brands is carried out by SAIC. The thermal efficiency target of this project is greater than 45%. Last week, under the on-site supervision of the certification agency, we completed the vehicle test and certification, and the thermal efficiency has exceeded 46%. There are data and reports. You can check it. It is easier to speak with facts.
Q: Are we a gasoline-electric hybrid?
Qiu Jie: The relationship between gasoline-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid is "included" and "included in". Plug-in hybrid itself has extended range, and extended range is a mode in plug-in hybrid.
Lu Yong: Europe is generally a traditional automobile powerhouse, and Europeans pay more attention to the essential requirements of automobiles. I have always said eight words: safety, comfort, energy saving, and environmental protection. No matter the people or laws and regulations, they basically revolve around these eight words, which embody the essential attributes of automobile technology.
As for energy saving, as long as the oil truck is stained with oil, it willEmissions are closely related. The more fuel-efficient the emissions, the better. Therefore, in Europe, especially Germany, either diesel or pure electric vehicles are chosen. However, due to pure electric vehicles, there are currently problems with battery life and energy replenishment infrastructure. If the basic energy replenishment facilities are not sound and convenient enough, there will inevitably be requirements for battery life. Just like mobile phones, we used to carry two battery boards, swap one and remove the other. Now we basically carry one battery board, and there is no worry about battery life, because it can be recharged at any time, so battery recharge and battery life are related. Now Europe and we are both Vigorous development of infrastructure is to make it easier to replenish energy.
In terms of technical routes and their own industrial advantages, the stronger the tradition, the harder it is to give up, so they have not taken the hybrid route more. This is why we can reverse the output. On the one hand, in our industry, thermal efficiency and efficiency in all aspects are very high. We want to choose something more advanced, but they don't have it either.
As long as products are safe, comfortable, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly, they must meet the needs of the market and will be favored by consumers, and there will be a corresponding market. Europe will also go electric and hybrid, and they may coexist for some time.
Q: May I ask Mr. Lu Yong, what is the current level of SAIC’s technology research and development capabilities? How does SAIC's technical strength compare with BYD?
Lu Yong: If I could answer in one sentence, it would be “internationally advanced level”.
BYD has its own strengths and advantages. Currently, in the new energy track, the entire automobile industry has grown from big to strong. I deeply feel that the new energy track may be the first step in the transformation of the automotive industry from big to strong. A real race track.
It turns out that at the Tsinghua Automotive Research Institute, my classmate was the dean. He once told me that a few years ago, BMW CEO or Toyoda Akio would often give a speech when he came to Tsinghua, mainly to students, but basically They leave after speaking in order to establish their own brand image among young students. But in the era of new energy, in addition to talking about it, they also talk about cooperation with enterprises and universities. On this track, they have obviously relaxed their posture. On the new energy track, both SAIC and BYD have given full play to their respective advantages and taken advantage of this opportunity to truly develop the automobile industry. I was born in the best era. From technology introduction, joint venture learning to independent innovation, it is indeed a stage that I can strive to surpass on the new energy track.
In the new energy track, "the world is big enough to allow for common development." The new energy track is big enough to allow many companies to join forces to compete with Tesla in technology and market together. Now it is clear that on the new energy track, not only domestic companies, but also foreignCompanies like Germany are following suit and are unswervingly moving in this direction. It would be great if SAIC and BYD could use this opportunity to become stronger together.
Q: Mr. Qiu just mentioned at the meeting that the special hybrid engine equipped with DMH will break through 46% thermal efficiency. The current promotional data of Roewe "D family" models are greater than 43%. When is the plan to achieve 46%? thermal efficiency? How do you evaluate other manufacturers who have advertised thermal efficiencies of 45% or even over 46%? What response plans does SAIC have?
Qiu Jie: First of all, during the entire development process, we are pragmatic and seek progress, achieving goals in stages, and it is impossible to achieve success in one step.
Secondly, President Lu Yong just said in particular that the increase in thermal efficiency is actually an improvement in economy and is closely related to environmental protection. Progress at each stage is not unilateral and needs to be implemented in all aspects and in stages. Thermal efficiency, from the previous planning after the "14th Five-Year Plan" to the final implementation, will definitely be considered and implemented in conjunction with future emission standards.
Q: Speaking of the latest product Roewe D5X DMH, we have seen that pre-sales have started, the price is 119,800 yuan, and it will be launched soon. Could you please tell us, Mr. Park, that with the powerful technology of the DMH super hybrid system, what are the advantages of this product compared with competing products, especially Song PLUS DM-i? How will the technical and product advantages be disseminated and promoted in the future?
Park Chunxu: Regarding the positioning of the Roewe D5X DMH, we first learned from it and found the most successful partner in this market segment, Song PLUS DM-i, to comprehensively benchmark it in terms of size, space, configuration, and safety.
It would be easier and simpler for us to make it exactly the same. However, we still invested a lot of costs in the entire product project establishment, development and promotion process. One of the disadvantages for us is that the cost investment is invisible to customers, but our purpose is to improve quality and make products more cost-effective. A car with high quality, high performance and high safety that users need.
We made several decisions:
First, in terms of power, the Roewe D5X DMH uses a 1.5T hybrid-specific engine, which provides higher power attributes, better climbing ability, passability, etc. The 1.5T Roewe D5X DMH can achieve two performances: an acceleration time of 6.9 seconds to 100 kilometers and a top speed of 200km/h.
Second, we chose the largest model in its classPool, 21.4 degrees. There are two performance results: one is that the pure electric cruising range is longer, reaching 135KM. Our learning target is 110km, and the model naming will be 135 Technology Edition and 135 Ultimate Edition; the second benefit is that it is equipped with a 6kW external discharge, which is It can be used in outdoor travel, wild camping and other scenarios. This is also the highest power external discharge in its class, meeting more electrical needs.
Third, we spare no effort in investing in safety. The proportion of high-strength steel used in the entire vehicle reaches 79%. In fact, in the industry, using 60% or 70% high-strength steel can achieve a safety level that everyone can feel, but we used 79%. In addition, the proportion of ultra-high-strength steel used reaches 44%, which is a cost that everyone cannot see.
Our side curtain air curtains are 1.2 times that of competing products and can maintain 60% of the pressure 6 seconds after impact. They can provide consumers with the greatest safety protection capability at the most critical moment. This is a cost investment in safety.
Fourth, in terms of quality materials, we use suede materials that are only equipped in luxury cars in places within reach, giving customers a warm and elegant riding experience. "Great beauty" is not only reflected in driving performance, long battery life and fuel economy, but also in riding experience.
There are also things you can’t see. For example, we provide the most comfortable seats in its class, reflected in the length of the seat cushion and the thickness of the sponge filling. I believe these investments are worth it.
Fifth, regarding smart driving and smart cabins, the 135 Technology Edition provides an L2-level smart driving system. In terms of smart cabins, we support voice interaction functions that can express the same meaning. We have added a lot of costs in aspects that may not be immediately felt by customers. We firmly believe that these costs will receive positive feedback from the market and users.
Lu Yong: I just mentioned "safety, comfort, energy saving and environmental protection". Users are very concerned about automobile NVH. When we designed and developed this car, we had relatively high requirements in this regard. When you sit in a car, close the door, and roll up the glass, you can feel the isolation from the outside world. The voices of people outside will appear less clear. This sense of isolation is the effect we pursue for NVH.
After two or three years of use, some cars are quite different from new cars. And we invest a lot of energy in long-term reliability and consistency, which are our requirements for quality, NVH, long-term durability and attenuation.
In our team, I know some engineers well and some are not familiar with them, but our engineers are all very rigorous. Internally, I often say that they are very honest, and the performance they produce must be completely real, and what they say is what it is. For consumers, what you see is what you get, and this is where we invest a lot of cost.
Park Chunxu: Speaking of what you see is what you get, in fact, according to the announcement, the comprehensive cruising range of our vehicle (D5X DMH) is 1,300 kilometers, but in actual driving, it ran more than 1,600 kilometers. Therefore, I think it should be continuedThe mileage mark is 1500 kilometers.
Q: Currently, in terms of technical cooperation, the main focus is on platforms and bodies, etc. So what areas will technical cooperation expand to in the future?
Lu Yong: As a key area of technical cooperation, the lower body basically covers core technical elements such as battery, electric drive, control, chassis, etc. All the things we think are the most decisive elements in vehicle technology are all in it. This is called platform. However, our technical cooperation is not limited to this, but also includes other aspects, such as intelligent network technology.
The Germans believe that the development of our automotive technology is based on catching up with them and combining our advanced digital technology. Mobile phones, digital payments, etc. are all digital technologies. Although there are differences between our digital technology and Germany's, our level of digitalization cannot be said to be completely leading, but it is definitely higher. Now, all our payment methods are digital, and Germans still insist on using cash and credit cards to pay, but in any case, these digital technologies must have brought great convenience to people. Safety and comfort, at least in terms of comfort, bring great convenience, so we will provide corresponding output or cooperate with them in these aspects.
Q: Does technical cooperation include smart driving and smart cabins?
Lu Yong: All of them. Intelligent driving mainly relies on computer technology. Europe and the United States are not as good as us in computer applications. In this regard, we are diligent and eager to learn. Although learning computer technology is hard, we train 10 million engineers every year. The demographic dividend and the diligence of engineers make us very fast in software development and iteration.
In terms of smart driving, Tesla’s smart driving technology is indeed quite good. In addition, our smart driving technology is also excellent, especially in terms of applied images, radar, digital processing, etc. Computer technology is mainly responsible for digital processing of images and video streams. Therefore, smart driving and smart cabins are key areas of our cooperation.
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