Changan Automobile's Blue Whale iDD hybrid system goes hand in hand with EVs, forming a complete and winning new energy camp. The low-carbon environmental protection and strong power hybrid system is the ticket to the automobile market in the next decade, and Changan has already held it in its hands.
Author 丨 Zhang Min
Edited by 丨 Dahua
Produced 丨 Automan Media
Enterprise product strategy is like playing cards, even if a good hand of cards, there is no need to always be "big", "key cards" to appear at key times.
In the past six months, Changan Automobile's product update speed has accelerated significantly, and it is likely that it has seen the competitive situation of the domestic automobile industry and has reached a certain key point.
Blue Whale iDD hybrid technology, which was only unveiled at the Chongqing Auto Show last summer, was officially delivered on March 10 this year.
As part of the "Shangri-La Plan", Blue Whale Power opened the Changan Power 3.0 era in 2019, equipped with a number of Changan main sales models, and formed the "Blue Whale Family" with the rapid expansion of market share.
Blue Whale NE represents the technical basis of Changan Automobile's new energy technology layout. Major car companies have developed their own model platforms, and Blue Whale NE is known as the first "power modular platform" in China, which focuses on the integrated solutions of hybrid and pure electricity development in the next few years.
Later last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology led a report predicting the reduction of traditional energy consumption in automotive technology in the next decade, with the important nodes being 2025, 2030 and 2035, which will reach 5.6L, 4.8L and 4.0L/100km/100km/100km/100km/ respectively.
This is only a forecast rather than a policy itself, but given the MIIT's position as the industry director, the "forecast" itself indicates the direction of policy regulation. Not surprisingly, these indicators will soon be in the realm of policy guidance.
In the absence of major leaps in engineering theory (materials science, electromechanical applications), the thermal efficiency and mechanical efficiency of the internal combustion engine have become increasingly close to the bottleneck, and it is difficult for traditional fuel vehicles to achieve the above goals. If the fuel vehicle has been surviving in some form (at present, pure electricity cannot cover all application scenarios), it is bound to take the hybrid path.
After 2020, the market wave of weak mix (48V) and HEV has weakened. The reason is that users have found the limitations of use, and PHEV has become famous, becoming the strongest sound in the hybrid market.
At this time, the Changan Blue Whale iDD technology officially entered, and this timing was either purely coincidental or just right.
1
How to realize the "four global" rhetoric
"Blue Whale Power", as the core technology brand of Changan Automobile, has been formed in 2016 and is the first to be installed on the CS95 (Blue Whale 2.0T). Once you get started, Blue Whale Power covers a variety of power matching combinations.
One engine with integrated variable timing valves, direct injection in the fuel cylinder, integrated exhaust manifold for cylinder heads, twin-scroll technology, very high technical density, 350 bar high-pressure direct injection, and even the level of high-pressure common-rail diesel engines.
However, at that time, although Blue Whale Power claimed to include 48V weak mix and PHEV, Chang'an's PHEV products at that time had not yet gained obvious market noise.
It was not until the blue whale oil-electric hybrid drive technology matured that Chang'an seized an important pass to march towards electrification. Its core is the first P2 hybrid system in China.
This system is simply a combination of a Blue Whale hybrid engine, an electric drive transmission, a battery and a smart control system.
So far, the Blue Whale Power brand has the first modular platform, facing the emission and fuel consumption standards of the next era, the whole series is compatible with 48V, HEV, PHEV, REEV, and can match all displacement engines from 1.0-1.8 liters. This design of the world highlights Chang'an's important achievements in generalization, automation and intelligent power.
To say that the PHEV industry has been flying in the past two years, at the beginning everyone deployed small batteries with a range of 40 or 50 kilometers, and then they became bigger and bigger. Nowadays, the endurance of less than 100 kilometers is embarrassed to say that they are PHEV, and the Changan UNI-K iDD directly soared to 130 kilometers of pure electric endurance, which is already stronger than the low-end EV endurance, and it is necessary to know that the UNI-K iDD quality is more than two tons.
However, this can only be regarded as superficial ability. In fact, at the beginning of the release of the Blue Whale NE platform, Changan gave the positioning of the Changan Blue Whale iDD hybrid system, that is, the global efficient electrification platform.
Global means "full-speed domain, full-field domain, full temperature domain, full-time domain".
"Full speed domain" means extreme power response, bringing users a smooth driving pleasure.
Blue Whale iDD surging power, whether in low-speed starting, high-speed overtaking, speed track and other states, can ensure an instantaneous power explosion, to provide users with a comfortable experience. The UNI-K iDD with Blue Whale iDD bursts with extreme power and excellent performance, with a top speed of easily exceeding 200km/h.
Thanks to the millisecond motor peak torque response, the blue whale iDD initial acceleration is rapid, and the powerful push back feeling makes the driving full of passion.
Low-speed state, faster response, stronger push back. Pure electric start, relying on strong torque, and millisecond motor peak torque response, in the quiet, enjoy the acceleration pleasure.
High-speed working conditions, acceleration and longer output. HeV hybrid operation in full gear continuously outputs maximum torque to ensure that the acceleration overtaking is full of power, and the acceleration can still be maintained at 80-120km/h, bringing a smooth acceleration experience to the driver at all times.
"Full field" means that whether it is an urban commute or an outing trip, even if the system is in a state of rapid power, the UNI-K iDD is still surging power.
As a two-ton medium and large SUV, the UNI-K iDD has a fuel consumption as low as 5L/100km (NEDC), a pure electric endurance of 130km, and a comprehensive endurance of 1100km. "Fish and bear paws can be both", the power and fuel consumption have achieved the ultimate balance, to meet the user's vision of a better travel.
And, Blue Whale iDD no longer worries about charging conditions. UNI-K iDD supports 6.6kW AC fast charge, DC fast charge, and 220V home charging functions.
The "full temperature domain" refers to the surprisingly wide operating range of the blue whale iDD. UNI-K iDD can adapt to the ambient temperature range of -35 °C to 55 °C, and is committed to bringing safety and stability to the driving performance of users. Thanks to Blue Whale iDD's excellent battery pack management strategy, it has truly achieved "precautionary measures".
"Full time domain" means that UNI-K iDD provides users with stability and durability throughout the life cycle, and realizes intelligent and remote all-power OTA upgrades. The software package supports lifelong intelligent upgrades with the car, and continues to bring users the fun of intelligent power.
2
Mature intelligent power platform
Blue Whale iDD hybrid system as one of the "dual core" in Changan's "Shangri-La" strategy, not only because it has these indicators on paper, but also because it directly applies a series of cutting-edge technologies, traction and integration of Changan's international research and development forces, the latter is Changan's strategic assets.
The application of new technologies is nothing more than the realization of "assets" for everyone to see.
Blue Whale iDD hybrid system is composed of four parts: Blue Whale NE1.5T engine, Blue Whale three-clutch electric drive transmission, large-capacity PHEV battery and intelligent control system.
The first three are specially developed around the goal of hybridization, whether it is agile and efficient combustion system, Miller cycle, or electric drive transmission (transmission efficiency of up to 97%), although they are amazing enough, they all rely on the fourth party, and the most important member - "intelligent control system", they are integrated together to achieve all their potential, to achieve the core value of Changan's so-called Blue Whale power brand - "strength, net, static".
Blue Whale "iDD" full name "intelligent Dual Drive", that is, intelligent oil-electric dual drive, which highlights the "smart", which is also different from other brands PHEV solution features.
Intelligent control is reflected in all working conditions, through the coordination of the engine, electric drive transmission, battery, the system has been in the optimal area (corresponding to five operating modes). Even in the state of rapid electricity, the fuel saving effect is more than 40%. At the same time, it can also realize the customization of power attributes, allowing users to intelligently combine driving styles by adjusting power parameters.
Chang'an's Blue Whale iDD hybrid system is a mature technology as soon as it is taken out. Changan said that the technology has been developed for nearly 10 years since 2012, and directly related projects began to be established 5 years ago, but Changan has been secretive.
Chang'an's external propaganda disposition belongs to the type of "stuffy big brand", does not like to publicize in advance with great fanfare, and does not like to treat users as "guinea pigs", with immature technology to let the first batch of users "crowd test", but also called "iterative" evolution.
Prior to its launch, the Blue Whale NE powered platform engine underwent more than 25,000 hours of bench validation, carrying more than 1.4 million kilometers of road durability.
From an objective standard, an excellent strong hybrid system requires at least an efficient engine, a gasoline-electric transmission, a large battery and a specially developed controller.
In fact, these four parts have a first-tier supplier to provide mature solutions, and the main engine factory can buy it for integration. However, Changan chose to complete the whole process of forward research and development, which seems to be half a step slower, but in the follow-up products, Changan can boldly derive new technologies and land new products with confidence. If it is a technical "box" purchased, it is bound to dare not make drastic improvements.
Only by fully grasping the R&D process, product quality and the rhythm of subsequent product sequences can we ensure it. Different from the practice of having a system first, filling the engine and gearbox later, Changan chose to accumulate technology from the era of fuel vehicles, explore the application of small and medium-sized engines and dual-purpose transmissions, start from subsystem technology, and gradually build a hybrid large system.
In the beginning, it's hard to say which way is better. But countless facts have told us that only if we have it, we really have it. The capabilities of the supplier, even if it is provided to the main engine manufacturer without discount, the latter cannot be 100% mastered.
The Changan Blue Whale iDD hybrid system is a platform-level technology, so it will not only be used in high-end models. Changan may try to deploy corresponding hybrid products in each series of fuel models of more than 100,000 yuan, so as to realize the hybridization of the whole series and keep pace with EVs to form a complete and winning new energy camp.
New energy, low carbon and "double integration", together with national policies and industry regulatory policies, constitute an increasing pressure on pure fuel vehicles.
Changan Automobile has pledged not to produce and sell pure fuel vehicles by 2025, that is, to achieve 100% electrification. The truly low-carbon, environmentally friendly and powerful hybrid system is the ticket to the automotive market in the next 10 years. Chang'an was now in his hand.
The market situation this year has actually approached "electrification" faster than previously predicted by the industry. Due to the suppression of raw material bottlenecks, the EV penetration rate may flatten out quickly after reaching 20%, at least the growth curve is no longer steep. At this time, it is particularly important to have a second growth curve. This is also a strategic consideration for Changan Automobile to adhere to the two roads of electrification.
Changan Automobile's hybrid product camp is about to come out, and Changan Automobile's Blue Whale iDD hybrid system has come to this day, which not only improves the current product structure, but also is one of the bases for Changan Automobile to announce that it will reach 4 million sales in 2025 and achieve full electrification.
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